Do I Buy An Aluminium Or Wooden Greenhouse?
Some British traditions suggest that you buy an aluminium greenhouse when you’re searching amongst the many greenhouses for sale and if you’re buying a shed, you should choose one made of wood. In reality, you should weigh up the differences between aluminium and wooden greenhouses and sheds to make the right decision based upon the circumstances that suits you and your garden best.
Before aluminium greenhouses became popular, wood was the favourite choice, but as the years have moved on the designs and flexibility of aluminium frames have meant that wooden greenhouses have taken a step backwards in reputation.
What’s best about wooden greenhouses?
If you’re going to choose a wooden greenhouse and combine it with an area where you’re going to be increasingly humidity, keeping it warm and including a good level of ventilation, then you may have a battle on your hands to keep the wood fully maintained and protected against damp areas which causes rot and the many bugs which might prefer the heat of your greenhouse, while leaving your fruit and vegetables alone.
There is no doubt that wooden greenhouses blend well with most gardens because wood is a natural substance which will blend well, particularly if you have a number of trees in your garden and perhaps some wooden fence panels.
Some expert gardeners always suggest a wooden framed greenhouse will allow them to easily fix hooks and shelves exactly where they want them. Aluminium greenhouse makers have seen the advantages to this subject and have counteracted by providing accessories that work well with the metal greenhouses.
Wooden greenhouses will cost more than aluminium greenhouses, but the differences are not so enormous that price makes your choice for you.
What’s best about aluminium greenhouses?
The metal variety is much closer to being maintenance free, than the wooden options for greenhouses. If you’re a lazy person and expect that your maintenance is going to be carried out once in a blue moon, a metal greenhouse is the best choice for you.
You will have to inspect the aluminium regularly, because any scratch marks that are not treated quickly, could lead to rusting in that area. It’s much easier to replace part of a wooden structure that is rotting or failing that it is to try and cut out the area of aluminium and weld in a new piece whilst maintaining the strength of the structure. This task may be beyond the average DIY person and you might suffer the cost of calling in a professional to carry out the work for you.
Your garden centre will stock lots of accessories that will attach easily to your aluminium greenhouse structure.
The lighter metal option of greenhouse makes it much easier to move as a flatpack and to erect and install in your favourite location in your garden. Whilst this is a job that should be carried out by two people, it is much easier for one person to erect an aluminium greenhouse than it is to attempt to build a wooden greenhouse.
Popularity suggests that aluminium greenhouses are certainly ahead of wooden greenhouses at the moment. This might be because they cost less, are easier to assemble and are easier to maintain, but for a lot of people they are an attractive building which can be located easily in your garden.
Plants best suited to April’s weather
When it comes to gardening in April, the temperature’s slightly creeping up – so it’s a great time to get stuck in. But before you start getting your garden ready for the year ahead, have a think about what plants you fancy growing. To give you some inspiration, here’s a guide to what flowers and vegetables you can start growing this month – either in the greenhouse or outdoors.
Flowers for sowing in greenhouses
The perfect plant to brighten up your garden, sunflowers can be sown both indoors and out. You can sow them either in your greenhouse – or directly into the borders of your garden. If you’re planning on growing petunias, now is the time to sow them – this way you’ll be guaranteed of a good size just in time for the summer. Petunias ideally need to be sown in pots and placed in a greenhouse before transferring outside. Same goes for the summer bedding plants Salvia, Ageratum and Zinnia. By sowing them now, you can enjoy a colourful display in your garden in the summer months. April is the perfect time to start sowing marigolds, too. A wonderful way of adding sunshine to your garden, marigolds need to be sown in warmth – so starting them off in your greenhouse is your best bet.
Or plant directly outdoors…
If you want to skip the greenhouse bit – and plant seeds directly outdoors – then Calendula seeds are great for sowing outside in April. Tip: plant them in a vegetable garden if you have one – their edible flowers will attract beneficial insects.
Once frost warnings have passed, pansies can be planted directly into your borders or flower beds. Other flowers suitable for planting in April include Blue Ensign, Dicentra Spectabilis and Sweet Williams.
Vegetables for sowing in greenhouses
When it comes to growing vegetables, you can start sowing aubergine, courgette, marrow and pumpkin seeds in your greenhouse now. Simply transplant them outdoors later on if you wish. Towards the end of April, cucumber and gherkins can be sown in individual pots. Runner beans and French beans can also be sown at the end of the month.
Lettuce can also be sown in April – either in the greenhouse in module trays or directly outside. If you plan on sowing lettuce outside, make sure you thin out the seedlings.
In addition, strawberry seeds can also be sown in your greenhouse now. You can make a start at growing tomato plants too. If you fancy growing herbs, then rosemary, sage and thyme will come on leaps and bounds if you sow them in your greenhouse this month.
Or sow directly outdoors…
There are a number of vegetables that can be sown directly outdoors they include: broad beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, parsnips, swede, carrots, peas and spinach. And, to prepare for your first salad of the season, you can start sowing beetroot, radish and spring onion seeds, too. Towards the end of the month, you can start sowing cauliflower. When it comes to herbs, chives, coriander, dill and parsley can all be sown directly into the ground.
You can request a Brochure from Gabriel ash Greenhouses
Author: Robert Smith
Personalise Your Garden Shed in Four Steps
Walk into any garden and you will probably see a garden shed. Garden sheds,comes in all shapes and sizes but they tend to all look pretty similar. If you want to make your shed stand out this summer give it a makeover with these four simple steps.
Adding colour to your garden shed is a good place to start. Wooden sheds need to be treated annually with a timber treatment. Timber treatments come in two forms, oil based and water based. Water based treatments are less expensive than oil based treatments as they don’t last as long. Shed manufacturers always recommended oil based treatments because they last longer, the oil sinks down into the grain of the wood and is not easily washed away by rain.
Timber treatments are usually clear in colour but you can now find many garden shed paints with treatment built into them. The colour paint tin will have treatment inside it so you don’t have to paint your shed twice. This is a cost effective and time saving way of painting and treating your garden shed.
There are many colours available on the market from more traditional colours like dark green or a more modern, bright colour like pink. There are many options to pick from and adding a bright colour can really make your shed stand out.
Bright colours look great on a back drop of greenery and will make your garden memorable to all its guests. Vintage and retro colours continue to be more and more popular especially in the year of the jubilee. Painting your shed a retro colour like duck egg blue can give your garden that retro feel.
If you’re shed has a window they can be a great way to personalise your shed. Most garden sheds come with plastic glazing. This is because it is cheap and very safe perfect for when people are working in and out of sheds. If you want to make your shed stand out even more you could try glazing your window. Glazing kits are readily available from most garden centres and are easy to fit to any shed.
If you’re shed does not have a window you could try adding one. This can be quite a tricky task because if you cut out a window in the wrong place it can make your garden shed very unstable. If you want to add a window to your windowless shed hire a carpenter; he/she will know where to place to window and ensure your shed is always stable!
Changing the door on your shed can also make a big difference to the way it looks. Sheds with smaller dimensions will often have single doors as they are space saving. Adding a door handle to your shed can make a world of difference and can also help you secure your door properly.
Converting your single door garden shed into a double door garden shed can be difficult but once completed it can make your shed look very different. Adding double doors can be difficult; hiring a local carpenter is an easy option.
A great way of adding the final finishing touches to your shed is to add extra facia boards to your shed. Decorative facia boards are available from most garden centres and are very easy to attach to your shed. Facia board come in many different styles from very modern to very traditional. A great way of making them stand out is to paint them a different colour to the rest of your shed.
Taking these four simple steps can really help improve the way your shed looks. Making your shed stand out will make a real different to your garden and can even improve its look. After all what’s the point of putting a ton of effort into your garden and then ignoring your shed?
Scotts Gardening With Kids
Are you striving hard to move your kids away from the gadgets like computer and play station during the long vacation, then gardening is the best tool to pull them for the outdoor work. Miracle-Gro has many gardening experts to teach your kids about the garden work and the parents can also accompany them. They have a variety of products to feed your plants and help you in getting the fruitful benefits. The food products are different for the variety of the species so it is important to consult them before applying in your garden. The Scotts gardening with kids is a program organized by the gardening experts, and they provide the healthy activity for the children.
The program insists on the easy steps for cultivating the plants, first select the place where there is enough water and it enters deeply into the soil quickly. Feeding the right food for the plants is the next step. The Miracle-Gro fertilizer kit is used to make the plants grow healthy without the infection of the bugs. You can grow your fruits and vegetables in your garden by watering them yourselves. They are both healthy and clean without the usage of any harmful chemicals. This is the leading company for the lawn and garden care consumer products. The healthy soil is the main criteria for the healthy plant so the Mracle- Gro soil is used for the strong root. The best services are provided for the gardening and the landscaping facilities.
Making Your House a Model Home
Walking into a model home is like walking into every person’s dream home. Everything is literally perfect: the furniture is pristine, everything looks new, there is fresh paint on the walls, the cabinets look beautiful and everything is coordinated. These homes seem ethereal. With a little bit of help, you can remake your home into a model home. The secret that these homes rely on is a total coordination. Every single item in the home works upon one another. The medicine cabinets match seamlessly with the wall decorations in the bathroom and the paintings hanging throughout the family room match perfectly with the light fixtures and the family table. Creating wholeness in your home is the key to creating a home that everyone envies.
By looking at the bathroom, it is easy to see just what you need to do to make your home flow right. In the bathroom in a model home, you will notice that all of the hardware matches in style and color. The color of the toilet is coordinated with the tub and shower. The tile compliments the color of the wall decorations. The towels hanging up are perfectly coordinated with the shower curtains. You need to scrupulously follow this model while working throughout your home. When choosing a medicine cabinet, you need to ensure that it fits with the decor in your bathroom. If your bathroom decor relies on deep earth tones, then you should search for brown medicine cabinets or tan medicine cabinets. This is the sort of coordination that you need to utilize throughout your home.
Creating a model home is not an easy task. However, if you keep this idea of oneness in your home, you are going to have an easier time. Make sure that everything from the blankets up flows together.