GARDEN BUILDINGS
Garden buildings offer valuable extra living space and you can select a building to fit specific needs. This conservatory is by Vale Garden Houses.
The Great Indoors Chosen wisely, a garden room, conservatory, greenhouse or even a humble shed can dramatically increase usable space for living and working at home, often bringing a cheerful outdoor mood to a place of comfortable shelter VIVIENNE HAMBLY VIVIENNE
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Left Some larger pending more time at home over the greenhouses can past year may have highlighted the need double as grand for extra space. Investing in a garden entertainment spaces. Alitex greenhouses building, whether for growing plants, start from £12,950. working from home, relaxing or simply Below An aluminium- creating more room is a more simple and cost- frame greenhouse S effective solution than a formal house extension. by Hartley Botanic. Moreover, a good-quality greenhouse, summerhouse or shed can still present a desirable proposition for prospective house buyers at some future point. By the time summer comes around and thoughts of outdoor growing or entertaining surface, the moment for putting up garden buildings will have passed. Given waiting lists and build times, the earlier in the year you place your order, the better.
SPACE TO GROW If you entertain dreams of an exotic plant collection, a harvest of tomatoes fit for the Spanish festival La Tomatina, or neat rows of seedlings waiting to be planted out when the weather warms up, a greenhouse could be a game changer. A warm windowsill will take you only so far, after all. There are as many types of greenhouses as there are tomato varieties and they range from cheaper PVC structures found in the middle aisle of supermarkets to period-style constructions that can double as entertaining spaces. You’ll find everything in between, but greenhouse fundamentals are the same whatever the scale: buy the largest you can afford, position it well and keep it properly ventilated. After assessing your need and budget, think hard about where to locate your structure. Be aware of the microclimate of your garden, particularly if you are in a frost pocket. A greenhouse will ideally sit east-west on a south-facing spot so as to make the most of the available light and heat. A sheltered location out of prevailing winds is desirable, and it makes good sense to keep the structure away from deciduous or sap-oozing trees. Most greenhouses are built using horticultural glass or toughened glass. Horticultural glass is a traditional choice, and while it does let in all possible light it also breaks easily because it is so thin. Overlapping panes will also need regular cleaning. On the other hand, toughened glass, which lets in slightly less light, is more robust, typically withstanding assault by football but not cricket ball. Construction materials vary too, but the two most common are wood and aluminium. Wood has long been a favourite option for its aesthetics, but it comes with a maintenance warning: constantly exposed to the elements, wood needs regular care. Gabriel Ash (01242 662926; gabrielash.com) and Woodpecker Joinery (01889 562610; woodpecker-joinery.co.uk) are two specialists who source sustainable hardwood timbers that are high in naturally occurring oils. An aluminium capping can also help preserve
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Garden Buildings_Apr.V4.indd 98 2/11/21 6:19 PM roof timbers. Aluminium greenhouses from the Top left The Victorian and melons. Smaller greenhouses, especially mini- likes of Dovetail Greenhouses (0121 6731509; Lean-to with a dwarf wall greenhouses, need a weight at the base to hold them dovetailgreenhouses.co.uk), Hartley Botanic for coldframes, by White down. Bags of compost will do this job well. Cottage Greenhouses. (01457 819155; hartley-botanic.co.uk) and Top right Manual vents It is essential to moderate temperature in a Alitex (01730 826900; alitex.co.uk) will need in the greenhouse greenhouse. Ventilation is key and prevents disease less maintenance over time. They’re also more at Llanerchaeron, a build up. Sophisticated models will have automatic, lightweight and can often be powder-coated in a National Trust property. wax-based, sensor-controlled vents that open and Above left Cedar is colour of your choosing. commonly used for shut with the weather. Others will be manually All greenhouses need to be secured to a good wooden greenhouses. operated. In summer, shade cloth or greenhouse base. Top-of-the-range models from suppliers such Wisley Greenhouse with paint can keep out the worst of the sun. In winter, as White Cottage Greenhouses (01270 753826; dwarf wall, Gabriel Ash. warm-water pipes inserted in the base of the Above right A whitecottage.co.uk) will be built on a dwarf wall thermostatically greenhouse will raise temperatures, but you can that you can finish to match your house. The wall controlled heater will also use a dedicated greenhouse heater. stabilises what is a quite a large structure and allows help keep greenhouses Finally, allow room for greenhouse staging on for the addition of external coldframes. A dwarf frost-free. Alitex which you will place your immaculate trays of Edwards heater, £420. wall isn’t essential however, although a good level cuttings and seedlings. Most of the larger firms will base is. Some structures, such as those from Pure supply pieces designed to suit the specification and Greenhouses (0333 2005833; puregreenhouse.co.uk) style of their buildings. For many other essential and Vitavia (01473 218100; vitavia.co.uk), reach to greenhouse accessories, including crucial watering NATIONAL TRUST/JAMES DOBSON. WWW.NATIONALTRUST.ORG.UK the ground and are set on a concrete base, offering arrangements, try Greenhouse People (01782
IMAGES a direct growing space ideal for vines, tomatoes 385400; greenhousepeople.co.uk).
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SPACE TO WORK When there isn’t sufficient room for storage or even enough places to work in the house, a good shed can be a lifesaver. He-sheds and she-sheds are voguish terms for the spruced-up spaces once only associated with garden tools. As home-working has become more prevalent, a proper outdoor room has become more than a space to clean bicycles or have a quiet cup of tea. Insulated, heated, electrified, connected to Wi-Fi and removed from the wider household, they can rival any indoor space in terms of comfort. Before erecting a structure, check local planning regulations. If a shed is large in relation to the garden and the footprint of the house, tall in relation to the fence, or close to neighbours, it could require planning permission, especially if the property is listed or you live within a conservation area. A good supplier should be able to advise on this and help you navigate through the process. Buildings that will do more than house garden equipment will need to have good lighting. Basic but Top Heating, lighting Hub with Light, from £209, works by collecting capacious sheds, starting at around £500, will have a and insulation feature in daylight and sunlight through a solar panel mounted strip of polycarbonate for windows, but for working the elegant Expression on the shed’s roof. The kit comes with a 5w solar Garden Room by Green spaces good security is essential. You’ll need secure Retreats. From £18,245. panel, 12vLED strip light and main HUBi unit doors, possibly bi-fold to let in additional light and Above Smart overlap (01544 387101; theposhshedcompany.co.uk). For a summer breeze, and proper windows with latches. cladding is used on the sheds already fitted with these features, expect to You could even install an alarm to be extra safe. Bloomsbury, by Malvern pay £3,000 to £15,000, depending on size and spec. Garden Buildings. If the shed is set close to the house, electric cables Simple sheds can be modular and assembled in less can be run directly from the mains. Or you could than a week without the need for a concrete pour investigate using solar power. The Posh Shed Solar on the base. Vinyl bases are less permanent and still
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Garden Buildings_Apr.V4.indd 100 2/11/21 6:19 PM need groundwork often not provided by the shed Top left Bespoke lean-to cranegardenbuildings.co.uk) has developed a supplier. Designs may be modern, such as those from half-shed. The Posh portfolio of sheds and summerhouses in partnership Shed Company, £6,120. Green Retreats (01296 325777; greenretreats.co.uk) with the National Trust, ranging from the Blickling, Top right Plankbridge or Forest (0333 3213142; forestgarden.co.uk), or shepherds huts start with its exterior log store, to the Ickworth, with traditional – try The Posh Shed Company and The from £23,400. dual-aspect windows. And Crane’s Classic Garden Cosy Shed Co. (01623 861364; thecosyshedco.co.uk) Above left A pent pitch Office is designed with home working in mind. roof is common on For shepherds huts, look at Plankbridge (01300 Spring is a good time to give more functional contemporary designs. 348414; plankbridge.com). Above right Scotts of sheds a lick of paint. Treat exterior wood with A roof will influence the look of the building – Thrapston specialises in Ronseal, Cuprinol or Sadolin, wash down windows, choose from modern with a pent green roof and summerhouses, but they and have a good clear out. You can boost storage can double as offices. clean lines, or steeply apex and classically English by adding hooks for hanging tools. A cedar potting with slate tiles or cedar shingles. Malvern Garden tray from Alton Greenhouses (01782 385409; Buildings (01932 783999; malverngardenbuildings. altongreenhouses.co.uk) or the Rowlinson Premier co.uk) offers the Bloomsbury Garden Retreat, Potting Station from Marshalls (01480 774555; modelled on a shed used by Virginia Woolf. marshallsgarden.com) could be just what is needed, It features barn-style cladding, four pairs of while Selina Lake’s book, Shed Style (£19.99, GAP/CAROLE DRAKE opening windows and insulation to walls and Ryland, Peters & Small), illustrates just how
IMAGES ceiling. Crane Garden Buildings (01760 444 229; beautiful these valuable spaces can be.
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SPACE TO ENTERTAIN An nglish summer is cherished largely because it can be so fl eeting and comes with the imperative to make the most of every clement day. or this, summerhouses and their glamorous cousins, orangeries and conservatories, are a boon. hese cherished spaces have been on our wish lists for centuries, with many grand houses including a classically themed summerhouse folly within sight of the main house. or gardeners, the timeless summerhouses at Hidcote are the benchmark for what can be achieved of a building like this. Mull over materials that would suit your garden and what your budget will allow. asic tongue-and- groove kits are relatively inexpensive and can be set up in a few days – cotts of hrapston (01 2 2 66 scottsofthrapston.co.uk) off ers a range of sizes and designs. ut if you’d like something with a classical bent or even a loggia, contact a builder. Haddonstone (0160 0 11 haddonstone.com) and Redwood tone (01 6 red oodstone. Top The 4x4m Sun Ray separated from the main house by a door, but the com) off er products with a classical mood but why Garden Room with contemporary taste is for a large, open-plan space not make a small holiday out of visiting historic a cedar shingle roof, incorporating a kitchen, dining table and even a properties for inspiration hink about scale and Scotts of Thrapston. sofa and entertainment area. ith direct access to Above The Grade II design and the eff ect each will have on your garden. listed summerhouse at the garden, usually with large windows and glass rangeries and conservatories are in a league of Newark Park, a National doors, they off er a seamless transition between NATIONAL TRUST/ANDREW BUTLER. WWW.NATIONALTRUST.ORG.UK BUTLER. TRUST/ANDREW NATIONAL their own and can add signifi cantly to the footprint Trust property in indoors and out. pecialists include ale arden Gloucestershire.
IMAGES of the house. hese structures were traditionally Houses (01 6 6 valegardenhouses.co.uk),
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David Salisbury (01278 804123; davidsalisbury. Top left An Oakwrights conservatories. These sunlit rooms are wonderful com) and Westbury Garden Rooms (01245 326500; garden room extension for lovers of exotic, tropical plants and offer a great westburygardenrooms.com). Each of these will on a period building. opportunity for growing vines, melons, palms and Top right Sensitive offer a range of designs intended to blend with planting integrates the like. Decorate them accordingly, with a nod to the architectural period of the house, so look out building with garden. the colours of the garden beyond the doors and the for Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian themes Above left A good rest of the house behind it. in particular. One of the simplest ways to add a conservatory, like Build times are reduced when a structure is this one from Vale conservatory without upheaval is to use the side Garden Houses, will separate from the main house, or attached simply return. These are modest in scale but can add be sympathetic to the by a door, and much increased when any structural a critical extra couple of metres to a house. period of your home. element is fully integrated with the house. Extending Timber-framed garden buildings such as those Above right David the house by adding a larger structure can also Salisbury specialises from Oakwrights (01432 353353; oakwrights.co.uk) in timber and glass increase your property’s value, so while the initial offer a distinct mood. These are bespoke structures orangeries and outlay and commitment are greater, it may bring with wide-ranging applications: garages, stables conservatories. a significant return over the years both in terms of GAP/JULIETTE WADE
and barns in addition to regular sun-rooms and space and financially when you come to sell.n IMAGES
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