The Greenhouse Effect

Part of the problem with gardening in the western world is that our climate is often very changeable and it can be hard to second guess the conditions from week to week. Think of the hardy crops that are often destroyed by inclement weather or a lack of rain in any given year. Then think of how much less “hardy” a garden variety plant will be. It is not difficult to see why you will face problems if the weather for the months when your preferred plants should be growing turns out not to be what you were expecting. It’s disappointing when it happens, but there is no doubting that it does happen.

One solution that is certain to work is a greenhouse. OK, greenhouses are not cheap. So they are pretty much out of the question if you do not feel that you have the money to spend on getting perfect conditions for your gardening. But they are also not hideously expensive, particularly as there are so many different sizes of greenhouse. Are you a gardening fanatic with money to spend? Go for a big greenhouse and fill it with all sorts of different things? Do you specialise in a few things which are dependent on the correct elements? A smaller greenhouse will suffice perfectly. It won’t cost the earth, and it makes gardening a heck of a lot less hassle.

The advantage that a greenhouse has is that inside one, you control the elements. If you need it to be a certain temperature, then you set it to that temperature. If you need a certain amount of light, you can hook up artificial lights. Although they may not be the perfect substitute for direct sunlight, they are a whole lot better than no light at all. If you have a variety of plants which all need different levels of light and heat, then you can partition areas off for each separate section of your gardening repertoire. The great thing about having a greenhouse is that they give you an element of control that you cannot have over the outdoor climate, unless you are Mother Nature. And if you are, you don’t need this advice anyway.