Green Acorn Greenhouse
Are you wrapped up warmly in your potting shed, or sitting in a kitchen stocked with homegrown veg? January may not be the best time of year for activity on the plot, but when it comes to planning ahead, this month is hard to beat. Whether you're looking through seed catalogues or choosing next season's tools there will be plenty to organise before spring arrives. One of the most important pieces of kit on any gardening wish list has to be a greenhouse. Not only does it let you sow seeds early, it can offer year-round harvests of semi-hardy crops.
GYO's teamed up with Eden to give readers the chance to win a greenhouse of their own. The 6x8 Green Acorn has plenty of room for a range of fruit, veg and herbs. Measuring a whopping 191cm wide, it's over 250cm long, with a ridge height of more than 2m. The prize also includes aluminium-coloured staging and shelving for housing pots and trays as well as creating a handy working area. Use this area for potting on or pricking out young seedlings as well as overwintering heat-loving plants. Guttering and pipes are part of the package, too. Direct them to your water butt to make the most of any run off from the greenhouse roof. Although few UK gardeners are short on rainfall at this time of year, during scorching summer weather storing a little extra water could help with irrigation and save money on your utility bills.
Good ventilation is also essential for healthy greenhouse-grown fruit and veg. Gardeners keeping their plants warm in winter with a gas or paraffin heater will need to establish some form of air flow. A gentle breeze is just as important in summer – pests such as red spider mite thrive in hot, dry conditions and lowering the temperature by a few degrees can help to see them off. The 6x8 Green Acorn has a roof vent, plus a standard-sized single sliding door.
Opening both during the warmest weather will control heat levels and protect your crops.
Time-strapped gardeners will appreciate the greenhouse’s modern design. Traditional, woodenframed models need regular maintenance to keep them in top condition. Eden's high-quality aluminium frame and green polyester powder-paint finish offer an easy-to-care-for alternative. The attractive colour will blend in with your veg plot while the long-lasting paint only needs to be wiped down with a damp cloth. Toughened safety glass is used to ensure the panels do not easily shatter or crack.
If you're puzzling over where to site your greenhouse, just pick an open, sunny spot away from trees and spreading branches. The standard metal base can be fixed securely onto a patio using self-tapping screws or simply placed on a level area of your plot. Concrete the supplied anchor stakes at each of the four corners into the ground to give the greenhouse a strong, firm foundation. Use the assembly instructions to guide you through the process.
An 8x6 Green Acorn Greenhouse with a standard metal base, guttering, drainpipes and staging costs just under £1,000, though prices can vary between individual stockists.
For more information, call 01242 676 625, visit eden-greenhouses.com or email mail@edengreenhouses.com. Alternatively, follow the instructions below for your chance to win the greenhouse we have to give away.
To enter online go to growfruitandveg.co.uk and click on 'competitions'.
To enter by text, send GYOEDEN to 87474*.
