For the avid gardener, the addition of a greenhouse will create a whole new dimension to the excitement and pleasure of the gardening experience.

While your outdoor garden is susceptible to weather and seasonal changes, a greenhouse is the ultimate controllable microclimate. In your greenhouse, you can grow superb tomatoes, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables that are not appropriate for outdoor planting in your region during colder months. Greenhouses are an ideal place to grow and force bulbs, and you can also start thinking about creating an amazing collection of tropical plants, such as orchids.

Greenhouses allow you to enjoy gardening and working with plants while the outside world remains cold and inhospitable. Moreover, your greenhouse can help you get a head start on the gardening season by allowing you to grow starter plants that will be ready for transplanting when spring arrives.

Greenhouses come in a myriad of sizes and shapes, with certain styles being appropriate for certain kinds of gardening. They range from cold frames and small portables to large commercial buildings. Before you venture out to buy a greenhouse, you should learn as much as possible about the different styles available and which greenhouse is appropriate for the kind of gardening you’d like to do. come in a myriad of sizes and shapes, with certain styles being appropriate for certain kinds of gardening. They range from cold frames and small portables to large commercial buildings. Before you venture out to buy a greenhouse, you should learn as much as possible about the different styles available and which greenhouse is appropriate for the kind of gardening you’d like to do.

This guide is designed to help you learn about greenhouse gardening principles and the various models available so that you can get the most out of your greenhouse gardening experience.

A greenhouse is basically an enclosed structure that has transparent or translucent walls that allow sunlight to warm the space and create a microclimate. Greenhouses also allow you to control the amount of air and water your plants receive, as well as the temperature and humidity.

Greenhouses are usually a framework of wood, metal, plastic or PVC pipes with panes of glass or polycarbonate sheeting on all sides. Some greenhouses are portable and use polyethylene sheeting. Like garden arbors, they are generally easy to assemble and to take apart for summer storage. Greenhouse kits are available in varying sizes and styles that can be erected by do-it-yourself homeowners. More elaborate greenhouses can be built for you by a contractor.

While greenhouses are designed to capture the sun, they are also designed to control the level of shade with shade cloth or shelving units. You can have a small area for shade loving plants, and control the levels of filtered sunlight with different layers of shade cloth.

The variability and flexibility of the greenhouse allows you to grow just about any kind of plant you want, no matter the climate of where you live or what time of year you wish to garden!

We'll talk more about how greenhouses work after we discuss the basic types and their uses and the principles of setting up your greenhouse.