If you want to know how much fun it is to own a greenhouse, “Ask the man who owns one!” FLOWER GROWER did just that.
But we didn’t ask one man. We asked 140 greenhouse owners in all sections of the United States about their greenhouses and the plants they grow.
After all the facts and figures were in, we came up with a real story about home greenhouses and the people who live in glass houses. Here it is:
We received a very pleasant surprise in the marvelous selection of plants these people enjoy growing. Although most of the greenhouse owners we asked had had greenhouses for five years or less (90 percent).
They were quick to learn that a greenhouse is a place to grow plants that are impossible to grow successfully in the home or garden.
Almost all of the ten most popular plants fell into this category.
Growing Orchids
Topping the list by a big majority was the orchid; almost half the people enjoy growing orchids of one type or another.
The cattleya (the big flashy florist type) is extremely popular, as are the spray types such as cymbidium, dendrobium, and epidendrum.
As an electrical engineer in Chicago put it: “They’re fascinating, yet so easy to grow in a greenhouse!”
Several people grow orchids exclusively. A Navy wife in San Diego wrote: “When we were living in the Islands, my husband and I became so interested in orchids—we grew them outdoors there that when we returned to the mainland, one of the first things we did was to get a greenhouse and start growing orchids again.”
Others started with a single plant and soon had to add to their greenhouse to keep up with a growing collection.
Geraniums and Tuberous Begonias
Another surprise was the number of people who liked to grow geraniums. Of course, there are many interesting kinds available—and tuberous begonias.
At first, you might think these are rather common, but if you have ever tried them in the house, you will agree they can be difficult.
Vegetables and Flowers
We also found that the greenhouse goes hand in hand with the outdoor garden. We can presume from our questioning that many, many flower and vegetable gardens get their start in home greenhouses every year.
The goal of a retired businessman in New Jersey is to be the first in his neighborhood with ripe tomatoes. He wrote: “This year, the first year that I started my plants in my greenhouse, I picked tomatoes in the middle of June.”
Other gardeners like to start special vegetables and flowers—things that must be started early yet are difficult to find in nurseries and garden centers.
Bird of Paradise
Along with the love of orchids goes the yen to grow exotics. “My ambition,” answered a housewife in Michigan, “is to flower a bird of paradise.
I have a fairly large plant in my greenhouse now that looks as if it might bloom this year. When it does, I’m afraid my family will be neglected because all I’ll want to do is just sit and look at it.”
Queen of Houseplants
The queen of all house plants, the African violet, and its close cousin, the gloxinia, are also among the top ten favorite greenhouse plants.
These, of course, do well in the average home, but several people remarked that in a greenhouse: “We can get gloxinias to grow the way they should, not the least bit leggy.”
Growing Cut Flowers
Growing cut flowers out of season for arrangements is also a favorite pastime with home greenhouse owners.
Many claim their chrysanthemums rival the florist’s; some say they can force spring bulbs just as well.
Home Greenhouses
Home greenhouses, we found, are quite diverse in size and shape. However, if we could construct the “average,” it would be between 8′ and 15′ feet long and 8′ to 10′ feet wide.
The largest percentage of people we questioned had greenhouses which fell within these ranges.
There were some, though, as small as 7′ feet long, and about ten percent had glass houses over 25′ feet long.
Our “average” greenhouse would also be freestanding (even span), either standing alone or with one end against a house, shed, or garage. Three-quarters were this way, and one-fourth were of the lean-to type.
Many, too, were built to the specifications of the individual owner. One family constructed their greenhouse along with their house to become an integral part of the setting.
Heating Greenhouse
We would also have heat in our average greenhouse. The importance of the heating unit would depend on where we lived.
In the South and Southwest, where winter temperatures are not too severe, the heat is merely a supplement, but it is extremely important in the North.
Ours, too, would be a separate heater, not connected to the house furnace (70% percent were like this). It would most likely be a warm air space heater (60% percent), burning either natural gas or oil (40% percent each).
But we might find that hot water heat would be better (30% percent claimed it was) and we might use electricity (20% percent).
The question may come up among potential greenhouse owners: “Don’t you have to be made of gold to afford a greenhouse?”
We found that over half the people questioned spent less than $1,000 for their greenhouse, including the cost of the greenhouse plus the foundation and other construction work.
In fact, almost a fifth of them spent less than $500; about the same number spent more than $2,000.
Prefabricated greenhouses were the most popular, and two-thirds of the owners assembled them themselves.
The cost of heating a greenhouse depends on many factors. Fuel costs per year ran front tinder $25 to over $200. Again, in the South, the costs were negligible; in the North, they were greater.
Heating costs also depend on the size of the greenhouse and also the plants that are grown—it costs much less to heat a greenhouse to a temperature of 45° than it does 65° degrees Fahrenheit. In general, though, the average heating costs range from $25 to $75 per year.
Enjoying The Greenhouse
It is also much evidence that people enjoy their greenhouses and are not slaves to them. When growing plants, you have to spend some time in a greenhouse each week regularly, just as you do in an outdoor garden.
However, half the people spent less than eight hours a week. This is about an hour a day, less time than many people spend watching TV or on the golf course.
Today’s greenhouse owners are also making the best use possible of all the newer automatic aids to help relieve their daily greenhouse chores.
Almost all of the owners we questioned (90 percent) have automatically controlled heat; half have automatic ventilation in addition.
Twenty percent, generally those living in the warmer sections of the country, have automatic humidification.
Some have even installed automatic watering. It almost goes without saying—the more automatic controls present in a greenhouse, the less time spent on chores.
The greenhouse is also a family venture. More than half the people replied that one or more persons shared with them the enjoyment of the greenhouse. More than half have special illumination for lighting the greenhouse at night.
Although most of the people questioned had ten or more years of gardening experience before building their greenhouse, some started right out with a greenhouse. Needless to say, all enjoy allowing visitors around – and frequently.
All of the people we questioned had purchased their greenhouse from one of the following concerns:
- Ikes-Braun Greenhouse Mfg. Co., Lord & Burnham
- Metropolitan Greenhouse Mfg. Corp. Redfern Greenhouse Factory
- Southern California Greenhouse Mfrs. Texas Greenhouse Co.
- Waldor Greenhouses
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