Do You Want To Build An Alpine House? Feature Article On The Alpine Garden Society Website

In the latest feature article on the Alpine Garden Society website, we contributed our expert advice on the 7 Key Things To Consider When Planning An Alpine House. Take a look at the AGS website to find out more.

As a partner piece to the previous article on creating alpine glasshouses and an exploration of the differing needs of alpine plants, we’ve been delighted to help put together this new piece that advises gardeners on planning the alpine house of your dreams.  Contributing to the article too is Dr Adrian Cooper for whom we built a glasshouse to house his ‘Alpine outcrop’ in his garden in the heart of the decidedly non-Alpine county of Kent, who provides invaluable pointers on getting the most out your glasshouse.

It will come as no surprise that choosing a good site is the first consideration for building an alpine house. Avoiding the full sun and full shade, but providing a year-round combination of the two is the best siting for your glasshouse, and so a critical evaluation of your plot and where you might be able to site it takes some upfront planning.

Where there is full sun in the height of summer that siting your glasshouse can’t account for, many of our customers opt for shading systems to allow sufficient light levels to get through without scorching your plants. And where the temperatures drop over winter for varieties that need some protection from very low temperatures, we also advise the installation of space heaters that can be electrically wired into the framework of the glasshouse as an elegant solution to this problem.

Providing good ventilation for the structure is also really important. How the air circulates around your alpine house is a crucial factor to the success of the plants you intend to grow in there. We have lots of experience in designing effective ventilation systems into the overall design of your glasshouse and so we are always here to advise you, to help you get it right first time.

The layout of your benching and access to good watering systems are a feature of the interior that also needs a careful design where you will need access to a good supply of harvested rainwater in preference to a mains water supply.  Our concealed 540 litre water tanks harvest rainfall through drain piping concealed within the framework of the glasshouse structure.  This is both a neat solution, needing no additional drainpipes to spoil the aesthetics of your glasshouse, as well as an effective way of harvesting rainwater that keeps a steady temperature by being concealed underground within the glasshouse itself. No more frozen water butts in winter!

There are plenty more tips in the blog on the AGS website, so take a look and learn more about this specialist form of gardening.

If you are looking to add a glasshouse to your garden for a specialist application or just because you’ve always dreamed of adding a glasshouse to your garden, then get in touch. You can request a brochure for inspiration, or you can email us on sales@griffinglasshouses.com or call us on +44 (0)1962 772512 to have a discussion about your garden design plans