There are several different types of greenhouses that are commonly available to the home gardener. The three most common greenhouses are the lean-to
greenhouse, the attached even-span greenhouse and the freestanding greenhouse. The basics of all three greenhouses are covered here along with the
advantages and the disadvantages of each to help you better discover which type of greenhouse is best for you.
Lean-To Greenhouse
The lean-to greenhouse is constructed attached to another building such as your house, garage or workshop. Lean-to greenhouses are an excellent
option for gardeners with limited mobility as this type of greenhouse can be attached to your home, with a door exiting from the home directly into
the greenhouse interior. With the lean-to greenhouse you also have the option of helping heat your greenhouse on cold nights with warm air from the
interior of your home. At the very least, if you had to run a greenhouse heater, you wouldn't find yourself running extension cords out in cold and/or
wet weather. Another advantage of this type of greenhouse is having electric and water within easy reach. One of the few disadvantages of a lean-to style
greenhouse is that this style limits greenhouse bench space for growing and can only be located where sunlight is sufficient to grow plants. Normally,
you'll want 5-6 hours of direct sunlight in winter for your plants to grow. You also don't have as much ventilation control as you would with a
freestanding greenhouse.
Attached Even-Span Greenhouse
The attached even-span greenhouse looks like a normal greenhouse only it is attached on one end to another structure such as your home, workshop or
garage. You can easily convert your freestanding hobby greenhouse into an even-span greenhouse by using an outdoor structure as one of the end walls.
Adding a door into the greenhouse from the outdoor building allows you to store your greenhouse supplies inside the structure, yet be easily accessible
when needed. If you happen to live in a rural area, you may also think about installing a wood stove in your outdoor building and piping the heat out into
the greenhouse in winter instead of utilizing a commercial greenhouse heater. This could help you save serious money on your greenhouse heating bills.
Freestanding Greenhouse
Undoubtedly the most common hobby greenhouse is the freestanding greenhouse. Widely popular with backyard gardeners and plant enthusiasts, freestanding
greenhouses offer as much space as you desire. There are several advantages of a freestanding hobby greenhouse. One of the more important advantages is
space. There is sufficient room to maneuver in this style greenhouse even with several rows of greenhouse benches. Not being attached to another structure,
you have a bit more discretion in where to locate your greenhouse. You can also locate it close to an electrical and water supply as that usually becomes
a necessity should your greenhouse operation really start to grow. Freestanding greenhouses, usually being much larger than the attached even-span and
lean-to greenhouse, have a greater air volume which means less fluctuations in air temperature inside the greenhouse. Free-standing greenhouses are likely
the best greenhouse to consider building should you have plans to expand your growing operation in the future.
