Greenhouse storage

If you’re lucky enough to be building your own greenhouse from scratch, or ordering a kit, consider how you’re going to make the best use of that space throughout the year. In summer it’s pretty obvious that the space will be filled with plants, but a greenhouse that is not in use over the winter can hold bikes, skates, skateboard and ramps for such summer excitement without having to clutter up your garage.

If you do use your garden in the winter you can still use the storage space below your flats (those special flat greenhouse trays in which seedlings are raised) to store household items. Plan this when you’re at the building stage – slide out drawers with slatted bases or wire mesh bases are great for holding walking boots, trugs and other items that may get muddy. If you leave enough of a gap at the bottom of the unit to get a broom under, you can simply brush out the mud as it dries and falls off, and you never need to clean the drawers at all.

Obviously your glassed area needs to be as large as possible, but that doesn’t mean you have to neglect the whole ceiling area as a possible storage utility. Summer kits, hammocks and other garden items can be furled and hung from hooks around the sides of the greenhouse, and nets slung across the top can be used to store winter vegetables like onions and garlic.

Bring your peat and sand into the greenhouse for the winter too, so they don’t soak up all the moisture in the atmosphere via capillary action so that they are sodden and de-oxygenated when you want to use them to pot up seedlings.