So you're thinkin' about a greenhouse...
Printer-friendly versionThere are a variety of things to take into consideration when researching your new hobby or backyard greenhouse. Primarily, you should consider the budget you will be working on. This will help narrow your search right off the bat. Also, keep in mind there are several varieties of inexpensive or "portable" greenhouse options, and while they are great solutions for certain applications, most hobbyists will find that these are usually just a temporary solution.
If you want to get started with a backyard greenhouse, a good budget to have in mind is $1,000. This will get you an aluminum framed, twin wall polycarbonate greenhouse sized 6' x 8'. You can even throw in a simple electric heater and still be at or below $1,000. From there, the options you choose will influence price. A larger size, glass covering, a steel frame...all of these options will influence the final price you pay.
Everyone has different tastes, and there is enough variety when choosing your hobby greenhouse to be able to exactly match your building to your wants. We have produced some handy guides that go into much greater detail in regards to the things you should consider when researching your new hobby greenhouse. Feel free to view, download, print, and pass along these guides as you see fit, and happy hunting!
Complete Hobby Greenhouse Buyers Guide
WHERE you buy your new greenhouse is just as important as what you buy. Since greenhouse kits are generally not available at your local hardware store or garden center you are limited to purchasing from the Internet or a mail order catalog. When researching greenhouses on the Internet you will have the choice to purchase your kit from a "big box" retailer like Costco.com or Lowes.com or from a specialty retailer like greenhousemegastore.com who focus exclusively on greenhouses. Purchasing from a major online retailer can provide the "peace of mind" that you are dealing with a legitimate company who will more than likely still be in business years down the road and pricing from the "big boys" is usually pretty competitive.
However there are some drawbacks to purchasing from these large companies that buyers should be aware of. Specifically, most of these sites do not offer knowledgable customer service representatives who can answer questions about the greenhouse kit you are considering - many do not provide a phone number at all. Of course you can always obtain technical details from another company and then buy the greenhouse from a big box site; however, keep in mind that service AFTER the sale is often more important than service before the sale. Few of these sites are able to offer technical support for the greenhouse you purchased - most, if not all will require you to deal with the manufacturer. Specialty greenhouse websites like greenhousemegastore.com have knowledgable sales staff who can provide technical support both before and after the sale. This can be of great comfort when the delivery company drops off five boxes of greenhouse components and the instructions are missing!
When purchasing anything on the Internet be sure to check out the company's standing with the Better Business Bureau - reputable companies will almost always advertise their participation with the BBB's Online Reliability program right on their website and provide a link so you can check them out. A speciality retailer with a solid BBB record can be just as safe as purchasing from one of the big boxes. Also, judge the appearance of a website just as you would judge the appearance of a retail store you would visit. Is the site "clean" and organized? A poorly designed website which is hard to navigate will more than likely not be around down the road.
In conclusion, if you know exactly what you want and price is the most important factor purchasing a greenhouse kit from one of the big box websites may be the right thing for you. If you are unsure or value after the sale service as much as a good price a specialty website like greenhousemegastore.com would work best. Either way a new hobby greenhouse is a great investment which can provide both recreation and healthy, wholesome food.