Plants

It is difficult to define just what we mean by a greenhouse plants.There are some plants which live their whole lives within the confines of a greenhouse of conservatory. Then there are others which produce their ornamental display or their crop under glass, but have to start their life outside the greenhouse or must spend part of their adult life in the open. The Final group of plants have a life pattern which is just the opposite they produce their ornamental display of their crop in the garden. For them the greenhouse is a place which provides a protected environment.

This is either at the start of their life as seedlings or cuttings, or when they are established plants in pots and in need of frost-free conditions.

The first group described above are true greenhouse plants in every sense of the word.they spend their whole life under glass, although there are a few which benefits from being stood outdoors in the fresh air during the summer months -

Examples include Citrus, Jasmine and passion flower.
In this true greenhouse plants group are the vegetables which needs protection in order to crop satisfactory in this country or to ensure an earlier crop then would be produced outdoors.Here you will fine the greenhouse varieties of Tomatoes and Cucumbers the short rooted types of carrots the winter and spring varieties of Lattuce and tender vegetables such as Aubergines and Capsicums.In addition to these vegetables there are the greenhouse fruits Grapes, of course but also figs peaches, Melons etc.

These foods crops dominate the average small greenhouse in summer but in the conservatory it is the ornamental plants which is king. Depending on the size of the structure and personal preferences these ornamental can be as small as a tiny rock plant or as large as a stately palm. However, even when money and space are no problem you cannot chose just any ornamental plant for your greenhouse or conservatory its minimum temperature requirement will have to be met in winter.

For a cool house minimum temperature 45F and most peoples aim for a mixed collection of widely different sorts. But Then there are the hobbyists who devote all or a sectioned-off part of the greenhouse to a specialist collection. there is much to be said for this approach if you are a keen collector of alpines, cacti, ferns or orchids you can enjoy adapt and run your greenhouse to satisfy the specific needs of your specialist collection.