When you don’t have a lot of space but want to both extend your growing season AND grow some vegetables and herbs that need a little more warmth than your current climate brings – you need a small greenhouse. A mini greenhouse was one of our first investments – it helped us to that first year of 400 tomatoes. It grew chilli plants and in the winter it packed down, was cleaned and stored away. The world of small greenhouses has come on leaps and bounds since then and there’s so much more choice – so here are the best mini greenhouses for the UK – perfect when you’re short on space and also don’t want to spend a fortune. Welcome to our guide on the best buy greenhouses in the UK.
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Best Small Green Houses at a Glance
Top PRODUCT PICK
This mini greenhouse is small, compact and easy to put up and store in the winter. It’s not expensive and its reasonably robust.
The Best Mini Greenhouses in the UK
When space is tight, but you want to grow more and for longer, there’s nothing like having your own greenhouse. Gone are the days when they’re all glass and wooden frames (although you can get them like that). Today’s mini greenhouses are easy to put together and can be taken apart easily for cleaning and storage. Small greenhouses are a great way to expand your growing capacity both throughout the year and in terms of what it is that you want to grow! Here’s the best of what’s available.
| Best Greenhouses | Highlights | What It Looks Like | Read Reviews & Buy Now! |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall mini greenhouse | • 4 tier greenhouse • Roll-up door with zip fasteners • Size H130 x L50 x D45cm (51 x 20 x 18in) • Weight: 3.82 Kg | Buy our best buy mini greenhouse now and expand your veggie growing potential! | |
| Best medium sized greenhouse | • 4 Tier single greenhouse • Waterproof PVC cover • Keep your small plants dry and safe from harsh weather • Roll up zip door • Mesh shelves to allow for water drainage • Measures 160 cm H x 50 cm D x 70 cm w | Buy this excellent medium-sized greenhouse now. | |
| Best wooden framed mini greenhouse | • Wooden Framed Mini Greenhouse • Twin walled polycarbonate • Hinged top and doors • 3 Shelves • Measures 76 x 57 x 110 centimetres | Buy this fabulous wooden greenhouse now. | |
| Best raised mini greenhouse | • Maintenance-free, easy assembly • Raised garden bed with storage compartment • Clear, virtually unbreakable polycarbonate panels provide over 90% light transmission • Includes base, adjustable lid for multi-position, plant hangers and 2 planting trays • 5-year limited Manufacturer’s Warranty • Measures 121 x 120 x 148 centimetres | Buy it now and save your back! | |
| Best walk in greenhouse | • Measures 143cm W x 143cm D x 195cm H – easy to walk into • Powder-coated steel tubal frame. • Layered mesh shelves that hold up to 25 kilos in weight. • Roll-up zippered door | Buy this full-size walk-in greenhouse now |
Best Mini Greenhouse Reviews
These small greenhouses, available in the UK, are the best on offer with fabulous features, easy to put together and provide greatly extended use of your small spaces. We especially like the raised bed greenhouse! What about you? Which do you prefer?
Overall Best Mini Greenhouse UK market
This is a fabulous value for money mini greenhouse – with four shelves, and a mini greenhouse cover that comes with a roll-up door and zip fasteners. It measures 130cm H x 50 cm L x 45 cm D. It’s easy to put together and a great starter option when it comes to mini greenhouses. Check other reviews (there are LOTS!) and buy now.
Features of the best overall mini greenhouse for the UK
- 4 tier greenhouse
- Roll-up door with zip fasteners
- Size H130 x L50 x D45cm (51 x 20 x 18in)
- Weight: 3.82 Kg
Buy our best buy mini greenhouse now and expand your veggie growing potential!
Best Medium-Sized Greenhouse UK market
If you need a little more space, then this is a great option but still a small greenhouse. This metal frame mini greenhouse is easy to put together and the PVC cover is waterproof and weatherproof. A roll-up zip door allows easy access. Metal mesh shelves will let water drain through without pooling. Check reviews and buy this medium-sized greenhouse now.
Features of this medium-sized greenhouse
- 4 Tier single greenhouse
- Waterproof PVC cover
- Keep your small plants dry and safe from harsh weather
- Roll up zip door
- Mesh shelves to allow for water drainage
- Measures 160 cm H x 50 cm D x 70 cm w
Buy this excellent medium-sized greenhouse now.
Best Wooden Mini Greenhouse UK market
This excellent wooden mini greenhouse is also a lean-to mini greenhouse. This greenhouse with a wooden frame comes with polycarbonate inserts to provide protection against the weather but allow the sunlight through and has a cold frame section at the top. This polycarbonate mini greenhouse really looks the part with its wooden frame. This small wooden greenhouse measures 76 x 57 x 110 centimetres and has wooden slatted shelves inside. Read other reviews and buy now.
Key features of the best wooden mini greenhouse
- Wooden Framed Mini Greenhouse
- Twin walled polycarbonate
- Hinged top and doors
- 3 Shelves
- Measures 76 x 57 x 110 centimetres
Read more reviews of small wooden greenhouses and buy this fabulous wooden greenhouse now.
Best Raised Bed Greenhouse with Storage – No Bending Needed!
If you have problems bending down, or even with getting up again, or simply want some storage for your greenhouse then this is a fabulous option. It’s easy to assemble and maintenance-free. This mini polycarbonate greenhouse has polycarbonate panels that let through 90% of light but protect from the elements – think of this as a raised bed greenhouse with storage underneath. This is a superb mini greenhouse for herbs or smaller veggies. We LOVE it. Buy it now!
Key features of the raised bed mini greenhouse
- Maintenance-free, easy assembly
- Raised garden bed with storage compartment
- Clear, virtually unbreakable polycarbonate panels provide over 90% light transmission
- Includes base, adjustable lid for multi-position, plant hangers and 2 planting trays
- 5-year limited Manufacturer’s Warranty
- Measures 121 x 120 x 148 centimetres
This is a fabulous way to keep gardening without bending. It’s such a brilliant design. Buy this raised bed greenhouse now and save your back!
Best Small Walk In Greenhouse
Ok so this isn’t mini by any stretch of the imagination, but if you do have a little extra space, then it’s a really good small walk-in greenhouse for the money. This steel-framed greenhouse is big enough to walk into. The steel frames are powder coated and easy to fit together. Each small greenhouse shelf is made of a layer of metal mesh and the cover easily zips closed. The greenhouse measures 143cm W x 143cm D x 195cm H – it’s a great budget option if you want to go to a full-sized greenhouse without a massive expense. Check of our best small walk-in greenhouse reviews and buy now
Features of the best walk-in greenhouse
- Measures 143cm W x 143cm D x 195cm H – easy to walk into
- Powder-coated steel tubal frame.
- Layered mesh shelves that hold up to 25 kilos in weight.
- Roll-up zippered door
Read more reviews of walk-in mini-greenhouses and buy this full-size walk-in greenhouse now
Mini Greenhouse Buying Guide
Mini greenhouses are a fab extension to your growing area and garden, we think that they’re an essential garden tool. Growing vegetables, herbs and fruit under cover lets you grow a much wider variety and for longer. Overwinter vegetables, start things off a lot earlier and manage cuttings more easily. Our buying guide to small greenhouses covers all the important aspects – from materials, size, and location, to ease of putting together.
What to look for in a mini greenhouse
The primary consideration when it comes to selecting a mini greenhouse is the space that you have available – that usually dictates what you can buy, but you should also look at the materials, where you’re going to put it and what additional area it gives you. Here’ what to look for when buying a mini greenhouse.
Mini Greenhouse Materials
We have included one mini wooden framed mini-greenhouse because we think it looks rather lovely, but our main material of choice for the frames are powdered steel. There is no point making life hard for yourself and if you’re going to need to treat and or paint frames every couple of years, then it’s taking time away from other things that you can be doing. So if you decide to go for a mini wooden greenhouse then make sure it’s treated and you keep up to date with its maintenance.
Equally, we’ve gone for PVC or polycarbonate material in the “glass” area. Not that I have anything against glass, just it tends to break and sieving shards of glass out of my compost is not something that I want to repeat. Ever.
Top PRODUCT PICK
This mini greenhouse is small, compact and easy to put up and store in the winter. It’s not expensive and its reasonably robust.
Space Availability for Mini Greenhouses
The reason we’re writing about mini greenhouses is that we have had a limited amount of space available, but wanted to expand our growing area. We also didn’t have a huge amount of money and couldn’t afford a big outlay. One thing is for sure – going for the biggest greenhouse you can fit in (and afford) is the best way forward because there will always be something else that you’re trying to fit in! Most of the options that we’ve included have roll-up zippered doors, which saves a HUGE amount of space – you don’t have to keep extra space for opening doors!
Ventilation of Mini Greenhouses
Ventilation is important when it comes to greenhouses whether they’re large or small. That location that you picked for the greenhouse in winter might have caught the rays of the winter sun, but in summer it could literally bake your plants unless you can get some air into them. All of the greenhouses that we’ve selected let you either remove the covers or open the doors to provide decent ventilation.
Glazing of Mini Greenhouses
If you do opt for glass in your mini-greenhouse then you’ll want to ensure it’s a toughened safety glass, for, well, safety’s sake. We always try to use polycarbonate or PVC covers. We’re clumsy, we know it and we work around it.
Where to Locate a Mini Greenhouse
Often you won’t have much choice if you have a small amount of space to start with, then you’re limited to well, just that. You’ll want to make sure that it’s going to be
- Out of the wind
- With some sun coverage, but with the ability to get full ventilation if it gets too hot
- Not somewhere you need to move it!
Traditionally the best aspect for a greenhouse is an east or west aspect. It gives you sun for some of the day without getting too hot.
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FAQs on Mini Greenhouses
Got questions about mini greenhouses? Or want to know something specific about mini greenhouses and we haven’t answered your questions? Check out our frequently asked questions about mini greenhouses below, or ask us yours in the comments.
Where should I site my mini greenhouse?
Usually, you don’t have much choice, but if you do, then an east/west aspect will provide the best location for your mini greenhouse.
Is there a weight limit to what can be put on the shelves in my greenhouse?
Yes. Each manufacturer will have specific weight requirements, these are included in the product details with each product.
What can I grow in a mini greenhouse?
It depends on the season, in the UK we’ve had great success with greenhouse growing of tomatoes, lettuce and salad leaves, cucumbers, coriander, basil and peppers. Want to read more about what to grow in your greenhouses? Here’s our guide to the best vegetable growing books and it includes greenhouses.
How do I keep a greenhouse warm in the winter?
First to keep your greenhouse warm in the winter make sure there are no draughts, rips or tears in your covers and windows. You can add bubble wrap or other forms of insulation to the greenhouse. You can also bring in a greenhouse heater, but if you’re using a PVC or polycarbonate cover then you’ll want to be VERY careful of where you site it.
Is it best to have clear or green covers on my mini greenhouse?
For small greenhouse covers, either clear or green works. Clear coverings, usually made of PVC mean that you’ll get more sunshine to your plants. You’ll be able to see them more clearly. Green plastic (sometimes called PE) greenhouse covers tend to last longer, but less light gets in. Plants that prefer less light will do better in green covered greenhouses. We haven’t seen a significant difference between the two, but aesthetically prefer clear.
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Final words on the best mini greenhouses in the UK
Opting for a mini greenhouse is an excellent way to expand what vegetables you can grow in the garden or back yard and when you can grow them. Today’s mini greenhouses are easy to put together, almost maintenance-free and they’re a great way to keep a good flow of fresh vegetables and herbs throughout a much longer growing season. Let us know which you decide to go for!
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