Greenhouses

GREENHOUSES – A Buyer’s Guide
There are various types of glass greenhouses available, each designed to suit different purposes, plant varieties, and seasonal needs. Most conservatories from the HOFHEIM Collection are also available as greenhouses, typically with single glazing. Here’s an overview of the most common greenhouse types, tailored to meet the specific requirements of your plants.

Propagation Greenhouses
These greenhouses are specifically designed for nurturing young plants, vegetable seedlings, and ornamental plants. They provide optimal conditions for germination and growth by regulating temperature, humidity, and light. They are most commonly used in spring to give plants a head start before being moved outdoors.

Features: Excellent light transmission, ventilation systems, often equipped with shelves or propagation benches.

Purpose: Raising vegetable plants (e.g., tomatoes, cucumbers) and ornamental plants (e.g., flowers, perennials).

Cold Greenhouses (Conservatories)
Cold greenhouses are intended to protect winter- and frost-sensitive plants during the colder months. They do not offer active heating but maintain the ambient temperature above freezing.

Features: Simple construction, minimal or no heating.

Purpose: Shelter for plants such as camellias, olive trees, lemon and orange trees, typically kept in pots.

The HOFHEIM Collection offers a range of beautifully designed conservatories that are spacious and tall enough to serve as functional greenhouses. Take a look at the BRISSAGO Pool House for inspiration.

A more distinguished term for larger, more decorative greenhouses of this kind is Orangery.

Orangeries
An orangery is a refined form of greenhouse traditionally used for overwintering citrus fruits and other delicate potted plants, such as lemon and orange trees. Historically, they were grand structures found in the gardens of stately homes.

Features: Large, elegant design, often with heating for added protection during colder months.

Purpose: Frost and cold protection for Mediterranean or tropical plants in winter.

The HOFHEIM Collection offers a select range of exquisite orangeries for discerning gardeners. Explore the SUNNY JAMES orangery or the romantic OLD GREENHOUSE model. The PAVILLON FRANÇAIS and NEWBURY TRIPLE conservatories also provide the generous space expected of traditional orangeries.

Palm Houses
Palm houses are grand, often strikingly beautiful structures designed for year-round cultivation of exotic plants. They recreate tropical or subtropical conditions, making them ideal for plants requiring consistently high temperatures and humidity.

Features: Spacious, light-filled constructions with automated ventilation and heating systems to simulate tropical climates year-round.

Purpose: Cultivation and care of palms, orchids, tropical ferns, and other exotic plants.

Frost-Free Greenhouses (Warm Greenhouses)
Unlike cold greenhouses, frost-free greenhouses are heated, ensuring a stable environment that protects delicate plants throughout the winter.

Features: Heating systems that maintain a minimum temperature of approximately 5–12°C.

Purpose: Overwintering frost-sensitive plants, including Mediterranean and subtropical varieties.

Tropical Greenhouses
This specialised category creates the warm, humid conditions required by plants native to rainforests and tropical climates. Heated throughout the year, they maintain consistently high humidity levels.

Features: High humidity, constant temperatures above 20°C, often equipped with misting and irrigation systems.

Purpose: Ideal for tropical plants such as bananas, orchids, and tropical fruits like mangoes and papayas.

Greenhouses for Edible Plants
Designed specifically for year-round cultivation of edible crops, these greenhouses provide ideal growth conditions, often featuring automated climate control and irrigation systems.

Features: High functionality with irrigation, ventilation, and heating systems.

Purpose: Year-round cultivation of vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, and other edible plants.

Speciality Greenhouses (e.g., Cactus Houses)
Tailored to plants with unique requirements, these greenhouses suit cacti, succulents, alpine plants, and bonsai, all of which thrive in dry conditions with abundant sunlight.

Features: Excellent light transmission, dry and warm environment.

Purpose: Ideal for cultivating and caring for cacti, succulents, alpine plants, or bonsai.

Summary
The type of greenhouse you choose depends largely on the plants you wish to cultivate and the conditions they require. From simple propagation greenhouses to grand, heated palm houses or elegant orangeries for Mediterranean plants, the variety is extensive and tailored to specific plant needs. The HOFHEIM Collection offers an impressive range of steel and glass structures—from compact to expansive, with designs that are as practical as they are beautiful.