We may dream of a potting bench and a full size greenhouse, but even the smallest greenhouse can be a garden powerhouse, a brilliant way to extend your gardening seasons and save money growing your own plants from seed. It’s something kids will enjoy and a great way to ensure plants get a great start in life. if you have ever planted out only to have your seeds come to nothing in unseasonal weather conditions, a greenhouse could help keep your spirits and your plants up. It is hard knowing where to start, so here are a few ways to use a mini greenhouse in your garden:
1. Buy lots of smaller plug plants and use the greenhouse to grow them until they are big enough to plant out
2. Grow your own plants from seed, sure to delight little gardeners!
3. In summer you can use them to grow plants that need protection like chillis, tomatoes, aubergines or cucumbers.
4. Have salad leaves much of the year with a mini greenhouse to warm and protect them.
5. Greenhouses help your grown more exotic crops and Wayfair have a great guide to growing your own superfoods that you could use to inspire some extra healthy crops! Head over for lots more tips and advice from expert gardeners.
6. Take cuttings to prepare plants for the next year, like Geraniums.
7. Get ahead and over-winter plants like peas, by planting them in the greenhouse in Autumn, ready to plant out early Spring.
There are lots more, and I would love to hear your ideas in the comments, you could win a mini greenhouse.
Things to consider when choosing a site for your greenhouse:
Avoid placing the greenhouse where it will be shaded by plants, walls or the house.
If you site it on soil, you can grow directly into it.
Plastic structures will need to be tied down and placed where they can’t blow away in high winds, you don’t want to loose all your hard work!
If you are looking for mini greenhouses, cold frames or larger greenhouses, Wayfair have a wide selection here.
Giveaway

Today I have this gorgeous Kingfisher at Wayfair mini greenhouse on wheels to giveaway (wellies, plants and watering can for illustration only) . It is a great way to experiment and find out if greenhouse gardening works for you.
Features
- 3 Tier
- Roll up front door panel with zip fasteners
- 132 cm H x 70 cm W x 51 cm D, 3.8 kgs
- On wheels
How to Enter
- 1. Leave a comment letting me know what you would like to try to grow in a greenhouse.
2. Fill in the rafflecopter to unlock extra entries!
T&Cs There is one prize of a Mini Greenhouse from Wayfair.co.uk, as specified in the blog post. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered.
Open to UK residents aged 18 and over, excluding employees and relatives of Wayfair and A Residence.
Closing date for entries is 30/04/2016 12 AM
One entry per person
Entrants must log into rafflecopter and comment on the blog.
Optional entry methods are to follow on Twitter, Facebook and tweet on Twitter.
The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries
The winner will be informed within one week of the closing date and will need to respond with a postal address within 14 days or a new winner will be chosen
The winner’s name will be available on request
This is a joint promotion between Wayfair and A Residence.
Entry to this confirms that participants have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
Picture credit – Shutterstock potting shed, Mini Greenhouse by Kingfisher at Wayfair. Listed at The Prizefinder.
tomatoes, potatoes
Tomatoes, chillies and peppers – all from seed
Have always wanted to grow peppers
tomatos
strawberries would be awesome
chilli peppers
Courgettes and peppers
Tomatoes and cucumbers
I would love to plant flowers, from seeds, ready for hanging baskets, would save a fortune doing it myself, than going to a garden centre
some veg & tomatoes!
always wanted to grow sweet corn
I would love to grow tomatoes!
Id love to try growing a pumpkin
Tomato plants
Would love to have small backgarden please count me in
tomatoes, lettuce and other salad veg.
tomatoes 🙂 x
Tomatoes and peppers.
i’d like to have a go at strawberries
Tomatoes and cucumbers
Tomatoes x
Tomatoes and peppers
Tomatoes & Sweetcorn
strawberries
Strawberries!
Tomatos and strawberries!
Tomatoes and peppers
Tomatoes!
I have already planted tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, cucumbers and lots of other things. They all are still on my window ledge I’m afraid 🙁
Tomatos. I love them!
i would like to try growing my own salad bits like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
I want to grow summer herbs and veg with my son
I love growing veg. I tried Sweetcorn last year and it went completely wrong so would love to try growing that again.
fruit and vegetables
Strawberries and chillis
Tomatoes, Strawberries, carrots, Peppers.
Tomatoes,there is nothing like freshly picked homegrown tomatoes.
Cucumbers and courgettes.
Sweet peas
Courgettes and peppers.
Cucumbers. Our grandma and grandad used to and the children would love going in and picking one to take home. Or the really cheeky kids *Olive* would just sit in there eating them!
Tomatoes, peppers and herbs
I would plant chillis as my dad has plants to give me.
Tomatoes , Cucumbers , Herbs , Strawberries 🙂
I’d love to grow melons or aubergines. I tried them outside last year but think I need a greenhouse to really get the best from them
defo some tomatoes x
I plant beans and tomatoes every year. I would like to branch out too.
tomatoes
I’d get tomatoes and broad beans started off in it
I’d try aubergines – I tried growing them outdoors with no shelter, they grew but never fruited 🙁
Bell peppers as they are something that I can’t grow in the garden.
I’l like to start off tomatoes and summer bedding plants from seed. Also I’ve previously tried growing melons but without a greenhouse it didn’t work!
tomatoes, peppers and cucumber
Cucumbers
tomatoes and chillies thankyou
Tomatoes and sweet peas
Tomato & Cucumber Plants
Some fruit maybe strawberries
i’d try growing some tomatos 🙂
Tomatoes, you just can’t get decent tasting ones in the supermarket and homegrown are always the best.
As many plants as possible from seed as I love the transformation from seed to fully grown plant.
Honeydew melons
Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers and Courgettes
Tomatoes and chillies x
Tomatoes, peppers and chillies
TOMATOES AND PEARS
Pea pods, have tried toms and failed badly
Radishes,tomatoes and peppers 🙂
Some beetroot, spinach and tomatoes.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce
Id plant some tomatos and hot chilli plants
Tomatoes and melons 🙂
Salad leaves, tomatoes and peppers
tomatoes and strawberries
Strawberries and raspberries 🙂
I’d love to try and grow my own cucumbers.
my own herb and tomatoes
Tomatoes and Cucumbers
cucumbers
I would grow different varieties of chillies so i can use them fresh in recipes or dry them for later use.
I’d love to try growing asparagus
Loads of salad
Potatoes
Cucumbers
I’d grow bee attracting flowers to transplant to a cutting garden.
Quinoa sounds like a good idea
summer salad
some tomatoes and peppers
Tomatoes and aubergines
I’d like to try and grow some varieties of squash this year
I would like to grow tomatoes
Tomatoes
Tomatoes, strawberry’s & I would love to grow some bedding plants from seed 🙂
tomatoes
runner beans
Strawberries and blueberries.
Tomato and peas
tomatoes and chillis
Tomatoes and peas
Tomatoes
Green beans
I would like to grow tomatoes & cucumbers x
I love to grow strawberries and lots of vegetables. 🙂
Tomatoes
i would grow some tomatoes and cucumbers
I would like to grow my own strawberries, tomatoes and lettuce.
peppers x
Tomatoes
My favourite things to grow are french beans and courgettes – manily because they are productive, but also they taste so much better than the shop bought varieties!
peppers and chilis to make jam
tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers
tomatoes
Aubergine
Strawberries and tomatoes
Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers
Tomatoes, strawberries and salad leaves
Cucumbers and peppers 🙂
Tomatos and strawberries
Tomatoes, strawberries and basil x
I love to try strawberries as my kids love them .x
Runner beans and courgettes always benfit from a start in pots before palnting out once frost is past so both would be on my list.
tomatoes and peppers
I’d like to grow a mini lemon tree.
toms, peppers and basil.
i’d love to grow peppers
Tomatoes and an avocado plant
peppers
All the usual suspects + liquorice is my special for this year
Tomatoes, green beans, peas, peppers, courgettes & aubergines.
Some tomatoes and herbs
tomatoes and strawberries
Tomatoes