Greenhouse building. How to build a winter garden at home - the choice of design, heating and important supply systems
Many gardeners dream of their own greenhouse, which will allow them to do what they love throughout the year. When building this room, it is important to take into account many small nuances, but everything is not as difficult as it seems. Consider the phased creation of a greenhouse with your own hands.
Sample plan. Decide on the size of the greenhouse and choose a place to create it. It should be sunny, but not too windy. Include in your plan comfortable sections for planting, electricity, ventilation and water supply. If you are planning to create a corner of greenery and tranquility for relaxation, you will need other interior items. You can develop a plan and calculate the amount of materials needed after reading the article in detail. Foundation. A strip foundation is well suited for a greenhouse. Using wooden pegs, mark the place where the greenhouse will be located. Dig a trench in this place to the level of soil freezing and install the formwork. Pour sand into it with a layer of 5 cm, compress it and add gravel 10 cm thick. After pressing, create a mesh of reinforcement and pour concrete (15 cm). Don't forget to waterproof the building. Polystyrene foam is perfect for insulation. It is recommended to cover the floor with fine gravel. This approach will provide excellent drainage and save the room from dirt. Frame. For the construction of a quality greenhouse, aluminum, polyvinyl chloride or galvanized steel are perfect. You can order pre-cut blanks or cut them yourself and install the frame by welding. The tree is not a very good option, because over time it will begin to deteriorate and require regular maintenance. Finishing. Use materials with good impermeability and thermal insulation. Consider the fact that the room should receive as much sunlight as possible. Glass and plastics such as polycarbonate, fiberglass and polyethylene film are well suited for exterior decoration. Mount the sheets of material on the frame. In the process of work, do not forget to insulate and insulate the walls. For the roof, it is recommended to use cellular polycarbonate.
As you can see, making a winter garden on your own is quite realistic. With the right approach to work, the cost of a greenhouse will not be higher than an ordinary greenhouse. We wish you successful construction and implementation of your ideas!
Every gardener dreams of his own home greenhouse, even a small one. After all, it can give pleasure to do what you love throughout the year, and in a well-heated room, even tropical plants and flowers that are not at all adapted to the cold climate can survive the long winter. But how to make a greenhouse with your own hands, where to start?
In addition to water and electric heating of the greenhouse, you can use air, steam, infrared or stove.
First of all, in this matter, all the little things should be taken into account, so that later there is no need to redo something. After all, for many tender plants, just one night spent without heating can be enough for them to die.
Therefore, in home greenhouses, it is necessary to organize electricity, water supply, heating, ventilation, as well as convenient shelving for placing flowers and plants.
And this is not the whole list of works related to the construction of such a room with your own hands. Therefore, taking up such work, it is necessary to draw up a plan for future work.
Approximate plan for the construction of a greenhouse
To solve this question: how to make a greenhouse with your own hands? First you need to choose a place on the plot, where the building will be built. The main thing here is that it should be as sunny as possible. It is also necessary to take into account that the building being built should not be exposed to wind or it should be as small as possible.
The building being built will be quite durable, so the foundation must be strong. It is best to make a strip foundation of stone or concrete under the greenhouse. The depth of the foundation must be dug to a mark where the soil does not freeze even in the most severe winters. If concrete is taken as the base, then it will be necessary to organize drainage, because when wet, the concrete will absorb moisture and become slippery.
In addition, it will be necessary to make a pavement of soil under the racks. Polystyrene foam is well suited as a heater, in this case the foundation will perfectly retain heat in its lower sections. The floor of the greenhouse can be covered with fine gravel or pebbles, they will provide good drainage and get rid of excess dirt.
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Outside work
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Greenhouse frame
When building a greenhouse with your own hands, materials such as PVC, aluminum or galvanized steel are most often used.
A good frame for home greenhouses must withstand strong winds and not deform during long-term operation. The choice of frame material depends entirely on the material of the outer skin of the building. The heavier the sheathing, the stronger the frame itself should be. When building a greenhouse with your own hands, preference is given to the following materials: PVC, aluminum or galvanized steel. The frame of these materials will be strong enough to withstand various deformations. A wooden frame is considered an unsuccessful option, because over time it will begin to rot and during the operation of the building it will require serious constant maintenance.
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Building sheathing
An important point in the construction of a home greenhouse with your own hands is the choice of material for the outer skin of the frame. This will directly affect the cost of heating, electricity, as well as the durability and efficiency of the premises. In order to sheathe the frame from the outside, special materials are needed that have a high level of opacity and provide sufficient thermal insulation.
No less important is light scattering. Indeed, for such a structure as a greenhouse, as much sunlight as possible is required, at the same time, plants can die under the scorching rays. Therefore, glass or the following types of plastic are suitable for the outer skin of home greenhouses: fiberglass, polycarbonate, polyethylene film. And for the roof - cellular polycarbonate.
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Internal work
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Greenhouse heating
Gas, petrol and electric boilers are used for heating the greenhouse. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. Electric heating of the greenhouse is very convenient, as no special air ventilation is required. But if the electricity is turned off, the plants may die. A combined heating system is best suited for such a room. If something happens and one system fails, it will be possible to quickly connect another.
To install heating equipment, you can make a special technical room in the basement or attach a greenhouse next to the main room. And if the greenhouse is built close to the house or in the form of an extension it is one with the house, then you can install a home heating system into this building. In this case, less energy will be spent on heating the greenhouse, and the house itself will be much warmer.
Even the smallest greenhouse is not only a place of relaxation where you can enjoy the beauty of nature, but also the pride of any owner who is more or less interested in gardening and plant breeding. In view of this, every gardener, whether amateur or professional, dreams of his own, albeit a small greenhouse, which will allow him to do his favorite thing all year round and delight himself and his loved ones with a home oasis. The idea of arranging a greenhouse in an apartment seems especially relevant on a hot summer day, when sitting all day in dusty office premises, you dream of a breath of fresh air and a place where you can enjoy not only the smell of freshness, but also the brightness of lush greenery. In the cold season, in the conditions of the middle lane, this desire becomes practically impossible, and in this regard, we suggest that you start arranging your own home greenhouse in your backyard, in a suburban or just private household, and even in an apartment. How? Read on.
Greenhouse at home: a dream that can become a reality
In the modern world, in conditions of mass extermination and pollution of wildlife, a home greenhouse is one of the last chances to enjoy the beauty and wonderful smell of fresh greenery. In this regard, the cherished dream of many owners-lovers of wildlife is the arrangement of a greenhouse in a private house, apartment, or, if the territory allows, residents of suburban areas have the opportunity to organize a corner of wildlife on the territory of a suburban area, that is, equip it in the form of a separate room next to the house.
The greenhouse of the house is a separate glazed room, specially equipped for the maintenance of evergreen exotic plants that need to provide them with specialized climatic conditions. Plants cultivated in greenhouses are so whimsical that even in summer, when the temperature regime for them is close to optimal, exotic flowers and shrubs are not able to withstand, let alone grow successfully in the unnatural northern climate, where natural conditions are far from favorable for them. In this regard, premises are specially equipped for them, where favorable conditions are created for their growth and reproduction, namely, a high level of illumination, abundant humidity and high ambient temperature. They are called greenhouses.
greenhouse photo
Differences between greenhouses and greenhouses
A greenhouse is a room designed for year-round cultivation of evergreen southern plants that do not grow in the middle zone. Such plants include citrus fruits, southern palms, orchids and ficuses, which conquered the inhabitants of cold latitudes with their exotic romance. Since these plants are extremely demanding on microclimatic parameters, this necessitates precise compliance with both humidity and temperature parameters. Based on this, several varieties of greenhouses are distinguished, which must be classified according to temperature conditions:
- Warm greenhouses, in which the temperature is maintained at 25-28 degrees;
- Semi-warm greenhouses, the optimal temperature regime in which does not exceed 18-22 degrees;
- Cold greenhouses, a less common option, with temperatures ranging from 1 to 8 degrees.
Building a greenhouse: choosing the right place
Choosing a suitable place for arranging a greenhouse is one of the first, and at the same time, an important stage in planning your greenhouse, on which further construction activities depend. If your home is currently only at the planning stage, then consider yourself lucky, as you have the opportunity to pre-select the most suitable place for the future corner of wildlife. This will greatly facilitate further work and in the future will allow the installation of large windows oriented to the south in the greenhouse.
If you live in a standard city apartment, then you probably have a small number of options for choosing a room for building a greenhouse. In your case, it is better to allocate a separate room for the greenhouse and give preference to a glazed loggia or balcony. Experts believe that you are more fortunate if you live in the countryside and have the opportunity to allocate a greenhouse for the arrangement and install a free-standing frame structure, the location of which also has its own nuances. The place of further construction of the frame structure should be as lit as possible and as little as possible exposed to strong winds.
The durability and performance characteristics of the structure allocated for the greenhouse are also important parameters that must be taken into account during the construction of the structure. The main guarantee of the durability of the structure is a solid foundation, therefore, for arranging a durable and no less comfortable greenhouse, therefore, experts recommend giving preference to a strip foundation made of concrete or stone. The depth of the foundation should reach a mark that determines the level of maximum soil freezing in the most severe winters, which in one way or another contributes to the formation of an optimal microclimate in the greenhouse. In the middle lane, the depth of the foundation in most cases does not exceed 80 cm. If you prefer concrete, it is necessary to equip the drainage system for the outflow of moisture in time, since if it accumulates excessively, the concrete will become slippery. We must not forget about insulation: polystyrene plates are ideal as a heater, which will help to retain heat in the lower sections of the foundation. To prevent the accumulation of moisture on the floor, it is covered with gravel or small pebbles, which provide the most efficient outflow of moisture.
The choice of material for the frame and the sheathing of the structure
The material for the manufacture of the frame must have characteristics that allow it to withstand the effects of aggressive external factors, including winds, without losing its original performance characteristics and be resistant to deformation. The choice of material from which the frame will be made depends on the material chosen for the sheathing, since its severity has a direct effect on the stability of the supporting frame. It follows from this that the stronger and heavier the greenhouse sheathing, the more stable the frame structure should be. In the manufacture of a greenhouse, deformation-resistant materials are considered to be aluminum, galvanized steel or PVC, the frame of which will meet all the specified requirements. A tree for making a frame is considered a less successful option, since a wooden structure is prone to decay and damage by insects, which means it has a shorter service life and needs constant care.
The sheathing of the structure is no less important than the arrangement of the frame, since the subsequent cost of maintaining the greenhouse, including the costs of heating, electricity and repair of the structure, depends on the material chosen for the sheathing. For sheathing the frame, materials with high opacity are suitable, which will protect plants from the scorching sun, and at the same time the necessary level of light scattering, the need for which is due to the high need for plants in lighting. No less important are the thermal insulation properties of the material, which determine subsequent costs. Currently, glass is used to sheath the frame (the frame must have sufficient strength), plastic windows and cellular polycarbonate, which has the necessary lightness and transparency.
greenhouse video
Creating a microclimate in the greenhouse: heating, ventilation, lighting
Heating
Regardless of the time of year, ideally the temperature in the greenhouse should be at a constant level. For plants growing in the Mediterranean, it should be at least 10 degrees, while for equatorial plants it is at least 25 degrees. And in the event that you heat the apartment using a water system, in order to achieve the optimal temperature in the greenhouse, it will be enough to organize a constant flow of air into the room through the organization of the correct ventilation system.
In most cases, the arrangement of heating in a greenhouse involves the installation of gas, electric, and gasoline boilers, each of which has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of electric boilers is that there is no need to equip an additional ventilation system, however, in the event of an emergency power outage during the cold season, the plants may die. In this regard, experts recommend choosing a combined heating system, which provides for the failure of one system, the inclusion of another. Installation of heating equipment can be carried out in a separate technical room, and if the greenhouse is part of a living space or located in an outbuilding, then a home heating system can be installed in the greenhouse room.
Now it is necessary to say a few words about the windows in the greenhouse. They are not only a source of light, but also a fundamental system for saving heat accumulated in a greenhouse. In view of this, the glazing of windows should be either double or insulated, which will create an obstacle to the penetration of cold air into the greenhouse. In addition, it is necessary to take care of the insulation of the walls, for which mineral wool boards are best suited that meet all the requirements for insulation, as well as sealing the joints of balcony structures. And another important point that novice gardeners need to remember is temperature regulation, carried out with the help of ventilation and timely opening of the windows.
Ventilation
Another important microclimatic indicator of the internal environment of the greenhouse, which also has a significant impact on the vital activity of whimsical exotic plants. An indicator of the optimal level of ventilation in the greenhouse is the exchange of air from 6 to 10 times per hour. In winter, characterized by the absence of severe frosts, this level of air exchange is achieved through the organization of natural ventilation, which is provided by frequent ventilation through open windows and doors. However, severe frosts or the scorching sun in summer necessitate the organization of supply and exhaust ventilation, through which controlled air exchange will occur.
Lighting
Considering that natural light is one of the main conditions for the organization of a greenhouse and the existence of plants in general, it is necessary to choose a well-lit room or balcony oriented to the east, west or southwest for arranging the greenhouse.
If you are setting up a greenhouse at home, its windows should be clean and free of heavy curtains. Since in winter the plants suffer from a lack of light, and in summer from excessive insolation, the organization of the greenhouse provides for the arrangement of both additional illumination and dimming, which will be handled by blinds or curtains on the windows. For additional illumination, it is enough to install a high-pressure gas discharge lamp in the room.
If you equip a greenhouse on a standard balcony of 6 sq. meters, to ensure the normal functioning of plants in your winter greenhouse, one gas discharge lamp with a power of 400 W and 2 metal halide lamps with a power of 250 W each will be enough.
Air humidity
No less important is another mandatory condition for keeping plants in a greenhouse, which consists in maintaining the optimal level of humidity in the room. For exotic plants, it is at least 70-80%. Since in summer the humidity in the apartment is about 50%, and in winter it is even less, it is necessary to constantly humidify the air in the room. The required level of humidity in the winter greenhouse is achieved by humidifying the air by spraying with spray guns, installing indoor aquariums and trays filled with moistened expanded clay, and other containers filled with water. In order to prevent the formation of condensation on windows and walls in the event of excessive humidity, it is necessary to ventilate the room in time.
Plant selection and irrigation arrangement
Like any other plant cultivation facility, a greenhouse needs irrigation. If you have run water pipes into the premises, you can water manually, however, adherents of innovative technologies will most likely give preference to modern automated drip irrigation systems that will contribute to the constant irrigation of the land and thereby ensure regular and timely delivery of water and the nutrients they need to the root system of plants. Cutting-edge drip irrigation systems, in addition to the above features, are equipped with timers and motion sensors, the presence of which allows you to adjust the time and amount of water supply depending on the needs of plants.
As for the choice of plants for the greenhouse, which you can build with your own hands, here, of course, you can safely give free rein to your imagination. However, there are some nuances here as well. It is necessary to select plants for the greenhouse in such a way that varieties growing in the greenhouse at a certain point in time need similar care and have approximately the same needs for humidity, light levels and the same temperature. Taking into account the average temperature in the greenhouse in winter, which is 17-18 degrees, flower growers recommend choosing hibiscus, palm trees, monstera and orchids for the winter greenhouse, and if the average temperature in your winter garden is significantly lower and does not exceed 5-11 degrees, you have the opportunity to grow olive and citrus trees.
If the greenhouse is in the apartment ...
If you live in city apartments and own a spacious glazed loggia, the question is: “How to make a greenhouse?” it is greatly simplified for you, since with the onset of the first sunny days, when the loggia begins to warm up, you can arrange a real green paradise there by placing some green specimens that are especially resistant to cold there.
The main thing is that the temperature on the loggia reaches positive values. Paying attention to which side the loggia is oriented to and how many hours a day sunlight hits it, you will greatly simplify and systematize the choice of plants for your home greenhouse. For example, if the loggia faces south, you can place cacti and phloxes there, while coniferous crops, forget-me-nots and tobacco will feel more favorable on the north side.
Topical paradise can be arranged not only on the loggia, but also in the apartment. You can achieve this in various ways, highlighting a separate corner for vegetation or even placing it throughout the entire apartment. For example, climbing plants will perfectly cope with the role of "live" drapery for unsightly corners. By choosing a fern for these purposes, you will not only turn your apartment into a piece of paradise, but also make sure that the greenhouse is not only beautiful, but also easy. Ivy has no less bright decorative characteristics, which grow rapidly, giving the dwelling a cozy look.
If you are the owner of a multi-room apartment, without prejudice to yourself and your family, you can allocate a separate room for the arrangement of the greenhouse, where you can breathe in the healing air of plants, relax after a hard day, or do yoga.
To do this, it is necessary to free the room as much as possible from unnecessary items and bulky furniture, giving preference to light and maximally decorative furniture made of natural rattan. The same requirements apply to the arrangement of a greenhouse in an apartment as to a greenhouse located in a separate frame room. In a home greenhouse, it is necessary to create the same microclimatic conditions as in a separate winter garden. In addition to technical requirements, pay attention to the decorative design of the greenhouse in the apartment.
Purchase special shelving, support structures and trellises for climbing plants in a flower shop and decorate the walls with flowers, and to give your greenhouse a special flavor, place a large number of clay pots and planters in the room, in which you can also plant ornamental vegetation.
You should know that a do-it-yourself home greenhouse is quite real. Now is the time that no difficulties stop people, they easily build various structures on their own. To build a greenhouse, it is important to take into account some of the nuances. Many gardeners are engaged in growing not only flowers, but also tropical fruit trees at home. In this case, care should be taken to ensure that the building being erected is extremely efficient in terms of saving heat. The second criterion for assessing quality is light transmission. When erecting a building, it will be necessary to use exclusively transparent and non-staining materials that are capable of transmitting more than 80% of the sun's rays. Only in this way it will be possible not only to grow greens, but also to enjoy tropical fruits.
The choice of plants for a home greenhouse depends on the following factors: air temperature, humidity and room illumination.
The following criteria for evaluating the quality of a structure are the bearing capacity of materials, service life and resistance to corrosion. In order for the plants to feel good, it is necessary to make a capital structure, which will require considerable cash costs. Such a building will stand for many years, while it will not be afraid of wind, snow or rain.
In most cases, a do-it-yourself greenhouse is made of glass, polycarbonate or PVC bags.
Elements that are needed for the construction of the building:
- fittings;
- Bulgarian;
- bolts;
- sand;
- water;
- drill.
How to choose the material for the construction of the greenhouse?
The most common type of material used to build greenhouses is glass. Its main advantage is its good bearing capacity. The material is able to easily withstand snow, hail and other precipitation. An additional advantage of glass is its light transmission. Up to 98% of the light will pass through such material, therefore, the plants that will be grown in the manufactured building will be able to receive the right amount of sunlight for their growth.
As an example, a structure with dimensions of 3x4x4 m will be considered. In this case, glass with a thickness of 12-13 mm is suitable as the supporting structure of the walls. If high-quality metal jointing is done and a crate with 100x100 cm squares is created, then glass with a thickness of only 3-4 mm can be used. The glass can be easily washed, all you need to do is pour liquid from the top of the material with a hose, apply cleaning products and rinse off the resulting mixture. After such simple actions, the roof will again be able to perfectly transmit light and delight the owner with an excellent appearance.
A significant drawback is the relatively high cost, however, it is possible to save some money if you purchase glass of small thickness and compensate for its strength with high-quality metal jointing of the structure. Thus, you can reduce costs several times. 1 m² of wall will cost a maximum of 450 rubles. Another significant drawback is the rapid heat dissipation. If the room is heated to 25°C, then soon the air temperature may still drop to 0°C. This is due to the fact that the material is practically not able to retain heat.
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Features of the construction of glass structures
It is not necessary to build a foundation, but it is still recommended to do so. Thus, distortions of the structure can be avoided. The depth of the base should be 30 cm. The optimal thickness is approximately 10-12 cm. The foundation is poured with concrete mortar.
After that, the metal is embroidered. In this case, it is recommended to fasten 2 channels of 3 cm to the back wall. As a result, it will be easy to fix the glass in the future.
The easiest option is to make a square greenhouse with your own hands. The roof must be at an angle of at least 55°. In this case, the snow will not be able to linger, but will immediately fall off or melt from the heated roof. Building a winter greenhouse is quite simple, the only problem is fixing the glass to the channel. To do this, you will need to purchase sealing material for automotive glass. Such a sealant is durable, it will not crack, freeze, melt and be exposed to the sun's rays.
The construction of a structure for a summer residence or a private house consists of the following stages:
- Frame construction. The material used is a metal profile.
- If this is a separate room, then a tape base is made.
- The walls and ceiling are being erected. The sequence of actions depends on the selected material.
- Heating devices are installed.
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How to install polycarbonate buildings?
You should be aware that the construction of a greenhouse in a country house or in a private house is not always a long and costly process. To significantly reduce the cost of such a building, you can use polycarbonate. This material has many advantages:
- light weight - polycarbonate is 17-20 times lighter than glass;
- excellent light transmission capacity - 88%, such an indicator can meet the requirements of modern greenhouses;
- the material can be easily bent, in connection with which it is possible to make structures of various shapes;
- polycarbonate does not crack;
- resistant to corrosion;
- good bearing capacity;
- fixed on metal support elements;
- there is no need to build a foundation.
The disadvantage of this material is low thermal efficiency. In winter, there will be high energy costs, as the material transmits heat. It is advisable to use polycarbonate if it is not necessary to heat the room. If there is a desire to grow exotic plants, then it will not work to use polycarbonate in the process of building a greenhouse in the country.
As supporting elements and crates, you can use a corner with shelves 25x20 mm.
We all try to create the most comfortable, warm and cozy atmosphere in our home. And what could be better than a year-round summer in your own greenhouse? Rest surrounded by lush greenery, exotic plants, in the midst of winter frosts is the dream of many of our compatriots. Nowadays, you can create your own winter garden not only in private households, but also as part of a dwelling in an apartment building. Of course, you will have to make efforts not only to create your own green oasis, but also to constantly devote time to the greenhouse to maintain plants and premises in proper condition. We offer you an impressive selection of 100 designs of a wide variety of greenhouses and we hope that they will inspire you to your own achievements in creating a green corner for rest and relaxation.
Origin of winter gardens
These days, greenhouses can be safely called green oases, a concentration of beauty and harmony for rest and relaxation. But for this, rooms with plants have come a long way. Even in ancient Rome, winter gardens originated as a phenomenon in architecture itself. Later, from the southern countries, moving westward, greenhouses literally conquered all of Europe. The most widespread free-standing structures made of glass and wood were in England, in the households of noble and wealthy people.
It was in England that significant changes took place in the very approach to growing plants in special facilities all year round: the methods of space heating underwent changes. From the most primitive measures, when holes were dug in the ground and filled with hot coal, to the appearance of a spiral chimney and, ultimately, a water heating system. By the middle of the 19th century, winter gardens began to appear not only in private dwellings, but also in multi-storey buildings.
In Russia, the first winter garden appeared in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery. The first stone greenhouses with a heating system in our country appeared there. The monks were able not only to cultivate a wide variety of plants in rather harsh climatic conditions, but also to grow vegetables in their greenhouses all year round.
In the 19th century, in Russia, winter gardens received a serious impetus in the development and distribution among famous nobles. Not only the Moscow GUM and the St. Petersburg Peter and Paul Passage were equipped with their own greenhouses, many noble persons could acquire indoor gardens in their estates. Over time, glass structures have ceased to be just a place for growing plants, but have become the focus of a relaxed pastime with the nobility. In the greenhouses, living rooms were practically located, guests were received. The fashion for indoor winter gardens with beautiful decoration was gaining momentum very quickly - not only exotic plants appeared, but also fountains and songbirds.
With the advent of Soviet power, winter gardens as a place for exquisite relaxation surrounded by exotic plants experienced a serious decline. Most compatriots had to worry at least about a roof over their heads and poor food. Nowadays, there are no restrictions in building and finishing materials, systems for creating a certain temperature and air humidity will help create optimal conditions for growing plants of the desired varieties. With the help of modern technologies, it is possible to create an uncomfortably comfortable place for growing plants, but a really comfortable space for rest and relaxation.
Features of creating a greenhouse
Obviously, for the successful cultivation of plants, it is necessary to create and maintain certain conditions. If the different crops in the greenhouse are not comfortable, then the whole operation of building, decorating and maintaining an indoor green garden will fail. In order for the creation of a winter garden to be effective, at least two basic conditions must be met:
- the greenhouse room should have a high level of natural light (which is why most often these buildings are almost completely made of glass);
- for a certain type of plants, special conditions are created and maintained - the desired level of temperature and humidity, timely watering and fertilizing of green spaces.
There are three options for creating a greenhouse in a private household:
- the greenhouse is designed at the construction stage and is an integral part of the structure;
- the winter garden is attached to the main building after the completion of construction work (it is possible that a lot of time has passed since the construction of the house);
- the greenhouse is a separate building with its own systems of heating, lighting, ventilation and creating a certain humidity.
Of course, the best (in terms of cost and effort) is the way to create a greenhouse when designing a house. In such a situation, the winter garden and the foundation for it are laid initially, all communications are carried out together with the main building. But this method of erecting a steep garden is rarely used, due to the fact that the owners at the construction stage either do not yet plan to grow plants all year round, or this project does not fit into the overall financial estimate.
Most often, when building a greenhouse, the owners follow the second path - attaching a glass structure to the finished building. This method is relatively economical: the wall of the house acts as one of the walls of the winter garden. But saving on laying the foundation will not work. Glass structures (even of the most modest sizes) are only seemingly airy, weightless - glass is a heavy material and the foundation or plinth must be “drowned” deep enough. The size and depth of the foundation will depend on the height of the greenhouse, because many grow in their indoor garden not only undersized plants, but also dwarf trees.
The least commonly used method is the construction of a separate building in which plants will be grown and a place for rest and relaxation will be arranged. The unpopularity of this method is explained by the high cost, the need to use the free area of the yard or land, and also "pull" all communication systems at some distance from the main building.
Ways to design a winter garden
The choice of plants for the greenhouse is an individual decision of each owner. But in the ways of organizing recreation areas, you can find interesting ideas from famous designers. So, what can be organized as part of a greenhouse with plants? The first and most logical decision that comes to all future and real owners of the winter garden is the arrangement of the living room. Rest, receiving guests and just family gatherings surrounded by lush greenery of plants is a pleasure not available to every city dweller. That makes the time spent in such a relaxing atmosphere more valuable.
Garden furniture looks most organically in the interior of the greenhouse, namely, wickerwork. Armchairs and sofas, coffee tables and coasters made of wicker or rattan incredibly harmoniously fit into an atmosphere close to nature, creating a cozy and comfortable environment. In order to increase the level of comfort in the greenhouse recreation area, it is enough to equip wicker furniture with soft seats and decorative pillows.
In a spacious greenhouse, you can not stop at the installation of upholstered furniture and a coffee table for arranging a recreation area. Fountains and small waterfalls (imitation of water falling from a certain height) are appropriate in a room literally filled with greenery. Built-in lamps and ribbon lighting of plants and a fountain will add originality to a refined atmosphere.
The second, no less popular way to design a greenhouse is to arrange a dining room. Any meal surrounded by lush greenery becomes more pleasant and tastier. It is enough to find a place for a small dining table and chairs. Depending on the size and shape of the room, you can use a round or oval (the most organic option for arranging the dining area), square or rectangular table. Depending on the model of the table, chairs are also selected. Very often, garden furniture is used to equip the dining area.
In some cases, it is convenient for the owners to arrange a full-fledged kitchen in the greenhouse with a working and dining area. But at the same time, it must be borne in mind that plants must be chosen resistant to temperature changes. The working kitchen segment must be equipped with a powerful hood to save the plants from getting even the smallest drops of fat.
Even a very modest extension with glass walls and a roof can be turned into a small green oasis if the available space is properly distributed. The arrangement of plants in tiers, the installation of shelving for plantings of small sizes, the creation of so-called eco-walls or "green walls" will allow even in a small greenhouse to find a place to install a round table with a couple of chairs to organize a place for short meals, relaxation and admiring lush greenery.
Exterior of the greenhouse
If we are not talking about the internal content of the winter garden, but its exterior, then the facade of the greenhouse, of course, must be in harmony with the appearance of the main building, regardless of whether it was originally designed, added after the main construction, or is a separate building. Most often, the walls of the greenhouse have a plinth, which is laid out of brick or stone. For the construction of the basement, foam blocks or hollow types of bricks are rarely used - such structures may not withstand the heavy weight of glass walls and a dome or a transparent roof.
The plinth, trimmed with stone in harmony with the design of the main building, looks luxurious. Glass surfaces bring airiness to the overall image of the entire building. Even a small greenhouse in this case significantly changes the appearance of the facade of the household.
A similar situation develops with the use of bricks as a building or finishing material. Modern facade brick (intended for decorating house facades) can be textured, with fezzes, made in a wide variety of colors.
