It is that time of year when any thoughts of putting my feet up can be put to one side for a while yet because it is an ideal time to get some of those on the back burner jobs sorted and one which has been there for a while is getting an old greenhouse back into service again and it is already looking really good.
When turning around a garden there are so many jobs to do and it can be difficult to know which to do and in what order. This particular garden is a 5 year project (as it is just me!) and I am coming to the end of year 2 – I am now very familiar with the garden and can really start the process of getting it back on track again.
So now I think is just the right time to get the greenhouse back into shape again – the cold snap also made for the perfect opportunity. Unlike, for example, clearing a forgotten corner of elder and hazel saplings, sorting out a greenhouse is a clearly visible change that shows the client things are happening but also encourages the client to become more involved again in a garden which has become too much to deal with.
This greenhouse had seen better days and had just become a dumping ground for various bits of rubbish whilst a grapevine, a peach and a greengage all gamely were hanging on in there. It is around 10m long and split into two sections and after putting some temporary glazing in to stop the leaves creeping in and keep it a bit warmer, the job I really wanted to tackle was the floor which was a right state.
It was mess of gravel, weed fabric, broken glass and weeds. Quite why someone thought it a good idea to cover the floor with gravel is beyond me. All that happens is the gravel shifts around and eventually you get soil/compost/decaying leaves breaking down and providing weeds with a means to get established. I am sure it looked lovely on the day it was done but really it was a very bad idea.
I already knew there was a solid surface underneath but hadn’t quite appreciated how good it was. After many bucket loads of gravel, soil, weeds and other bits of rubbish later were removed (into two bulk bags for later sorting) and then giving the floor a good brush we had ourselves a greenhouse that already looks a hundred times better and has a lovely brick floor to boot as you can see from the before and after photo below:
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I think you will agree a massive improvement and as I said, why the gravel was put down is a mystery and not a good idea at all. The brick floor is perfect for a greenhouse, nice and thick and solid. Pretty easy to keep clean and it will also be better and retaining the heat and if needed sprayed with water to improve the humidity.
It is still too cold to get started on some of the other work namely clearing the roof of leaves, fixing the gutters, giving the inside and outside a thorough clean, repainting the wall, sorting out the support wires and so on… but fortunately I have the other smaller section to tackle yet and that looks like more of the same oh well. Better get cracking…


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