Greenhouse guides
Where our data comes from, how the 0 to 10 score works and what we do not do: we have not put up or tested any of these greenhouses ourselves.
Size, glazing, base, vents and price: the questions to answer before you buy a greenhouse in the UK, with links to the detail.
Light, warmth, safety and lifespan: how horticultural glass, toughened glass and polycarbonate compare in a UK garden.
4 mm, 6 mm or 10 mm: how twinwall polycarbonate panels work, why thickness matters in a UK winter and what to check before you buy.
Why your greenhouse needs a level base, which base types work in a UK garden and how to anchor a greenhouse against wind.
Permitted development rules for greenhouses in England, from the Planning Portal: heights, boundaries, the 50% rule, designated land, listed buildings and building regulations.
What a cold frame does, how to harden off plants, and what to look for in a wooden or raised cold frame for a UK garden.
Electric heaters, paraffin heaters and bubble insulation: how to keep a UK greenhouse frost free without wasting money.
How to water a greenhouse so your plants stay healthy and you can go away in summer: drip irrigation, timers, capillary matting and water butts.
Roof vents, louvres and automatic openers: how to keep a greenhouse from overheating in a UK summer and why air flow prevents disease.
Size, fox protection, cleaning and registration: what to check before you buy a chicken coop for backyard hens in the UK.
How much rain a roof collects, what size water butt you need, how diverter kits work and how to link butts together.
How wide and deep a raised bed should be, metal or timber, and how to fill one without buying tonnes of compost.
Which wall to choose, why a lean-to stays warmer than a freestanding greenhouse, what to check before you fix it to the house, and the models we list.
How much floor space you need for tomatoes, seedlings and overwintering, what fits in each common UK greenhouse size, and how to convert feet to square metres.