How not to build a Norfolk budget greenhouse

In March and April I documented the construction of my Norfolk Greenhouses New Budget Greenhouse.
Overall, I was quite pleased with my efforts. The greenhouse, for most of the summer, has been home to my tomatoes, peppers, chillis, aubergines and all the seedlings for my vegetable patch.
But now...
After weeks of variable weather - hot, dry, humid, wet, windy and, at times, chilly - the seemingly magic "transtape" gone all gooey and come unstuck. The covering on the back of my greenhouse has collapsed after THREE MONTHS.
What's that I heard at the back? What do you expect for £69?
Well, actually, what I've bought is a greenhouse frame and roof - the roof and sides of the greenhouse are just fine. It's the front and back coverings that are coming away - too much weight hanging on a bit of sticky tape.
I think the assembly instructions require some modification to prevent this happening so early on.
I've solved the immediate problem of my chillis getting a chill by using wire sandwich ties to hold the weight of the sheeting. I kinda wish I'd done that from the start.
So, if you've bought one of these things and you haven't built it yet or if it's still intact, I advise you to put some kind of batons or ties to the front and back of the covering to reduce the weight that is pulling on the tape at the roof apex.
Alternatively, just opt for the conversion kit at the beginning when it works out cheaper.

Garden visit: Parham House and Gardens

It's rare for me to have free time these days but today was one such occasion.
I spent the afternoon at the stunning Parham House and Gardens before having dinner in the Red Lion in Ashington - I highly recommend both.
These are some of the photos I took of my visit today.
If you do visit Parham, be sure not to miss the beautiful greenhouse and the marvellous long room on the top floor of the house.

How to build a budget greenhouse Pt.2

I recently bought a greenhouse - a very cheap one - and decided to document my efforts to build it.
It's a Norfolk Greenhouses New Budget Greenhouse.
You may have already read Part 1 of my greenhouse diary during which I put down a base and built the frame before calling it a day.
The next phase of the task was to attach the plastic sheeting.
The sheeting came in two rolls about 2ft wide and I got hubby to help me drape them over the apex of the frame one by one and tack them into place before stretching them taught and taping them firmly, with the transparent tape provided, onto the metal.
The instructions tells you to bury the "tails" of plastic in the ground to anchor the structure but I decided instead to thread them under the frame and screw the frame to the ground. I'm not sure whether this made construction more complicated or much easier but it seemed to work for us.
The next phase was to cut and tape the plastic sections over the front and back of the frame then seal the whole covering with transparent tape. There were some additional sections to screw onto the outside of the sheeting to strengthen the structure and hold the plastic in place - this would have been impossible without assistance and someone needs to hold the bolt on the outside while someone on the inside attaches the nut.
A small panel was attached over the door and the runners were screwed to the outside of the frame.
The door was built in much the same way as the rest of the greenhouse - bolting together the frame, stretching over the plastic and taping it into place.
Two plastic pieces were screwed onto the top and bottom of the door to fit into the runners. When the door was put in it didn't run particularly smoothly and the fact that it has no handle didn't help.
To open and shut the greenhouse, I now have to hold the door on either side and slide it along with both hands. It's not bad and I'm not sure exactly what I expect from a £69 greenhouse but it's not the best workmanship in the world - perhaps I built it wrong but I'm not sure how.
Anyway, greenhouse complete, now I'm off to fetch my seedlings from my dining table.

How to build a budget greenhouse Pt.1

A few days ago I ordered a greenhouse - the cheapest one I could find. It was £69.
There has been a fair amount of discussion about Norfolk Greenhouses New Budget Greenhouse.
Some people say it is too complicated to build, too flimsy, etc. but I thought, for £69 (plus £10 postage), it was worth a try and I decided to document my efforts for other people who were considering buying one.
When it arrived I admit to being a little concerned - the whole thing fitted in a long thin box which was relatively easy to lift.
I waited for a warm dry day and unpacked the contents - a whole bunch of labelled components and four sides of A4 with dodgy hand-drawn diagrams explaining how to put it together.
Having been warned that it was a tricky task, I decided to lay out everything and read the instructions carefully before I started - something I can never usually be bothered to do.
The instructions tell you to build the thing on level ground and anchor the plastic sheet covering by burying it in the ground.
I had decided to situate the greenhouse on the site of a child's playhouse that was left by the previous tenant but because my garden is on a slight slope I used four paving slabs to create a firm base on ground which I had prepared and levelled out beforehand.
This was trickier than I had anticipated and took the best part of a morning and a lot of help from my other half.
Next I assembled the front and back parts of the frame. The instructions were, I thought, fairly clear and I didn't have too much of a problem. The only tricky aspect of the build was the size of the nuts and bolts - they were tiny - or at least much smaller than I would have expected for something like a greenhouse. Although I had borrowed a ratcheting ring spanner, it wouldn't fit into some of the ridges in the frame and I ended up using some mini pliers and a screwdriver to tighten most of the bolts.
The next stage definitely needed a helper to hold the front and back sections while the joining pieces were bolted into place. After securing two or three, the structure was able to stand on its own and we continued bolting together the rest of the frame. It is possible to do some of this alone but having a buddy makes it a whole lot easier.
Because of the time we spent levelling the ground and making sure the paving slabs were level, I had not started building the frame until the after lunch, so by the time the frame was together, light was starting to fade. We therefore drilled four holes in the slabs, attached the frame to the base and called it a day.

Is this the cheapest greenhouse?

A few weeks ago I bought myself a portable plastic 'greenhouse' to grow a few salad crops but after a conversation with my mum, I decided to take it back.
Although it was only £17, I decided it was false economy. There was only room inside to grow a few things and the plastic on my mother's greenhouse had perished and subsequently ripped to shreds in only one season.
I decided instead to buy myself a greenhouse.
I looked at quite a few on eBay but they were not much cheaper than buying a new one. Sellers were also asking people to come and dismantle the frame and collect it themselves. It just didn't seem worth the money and hassle for something second hand.
After a hunt around I discovered Norfolk Greenhouses who are selling a 6'x4' budget greenhouse for £69.
The description says, instead of glass or polycarbonate, the steel frame is covered with PVC sheeting, supplied on a roll. The sheeting is buried in the ground, anchoring the greenhouse and preventing the sheeting from being blown away - a common complaint of people with plastic clear-as-glass panels in their greenhouse.
I imagined the PVC on a roll to be semi rigid like a coke bottle so ordered the thing.
Norfolk very kindly contacted me after I had made the order to clarify I knew exactly what I was buying and offered to send me a sample of the PVC before processing my order.
The plastic is not semi-rigid as I had imagined, but completely soft. Having said that, it is very strong, so I decided to get it anyway. Norfolk also offers a polycarbonate conversion kit so, if at a later date I am feeling a bit more solvent, I can upgrade.
The only health warning on the reviews I have read of this greenhouse is that it's a nightmare to construct.
Watch this space to find out how I get on.