Winter gardens were big rarity in our country until recently. Owners of country houses have not been sure that these transparent constructions will be able to sustain severe temperature and snow loads. However with the advent of the latest materials and development of modern technologies creation of winter garden has become possible for normal house owners who are able to afford not to leave with summer all the year round now.
Construction of greenhouse
For a start it is necessary to decide on the location of winter garden. It can be broken in one of rooms of the apartment or the house, loggia, small extension or the certain room near the house. Experts recommend to give preference to the last two options as transparent walls will allow plants to receive enough sunlight.
For the special building or extension it is better to choose East side. Sunlight will act in enough this way, without doing to harm plants.
Prepare the project of future building. For this purpose it is possible to see previously photo of greenhouses in the magazines and Internet resources devoted to construction and improvement of personal plots. Determining the amount of construction and choosing construction materials, consider that the good transparency, ease and protection against external climatic influences have to be the main characteristics of design.
For construction of framework it is possible to use the wood or aluminum having small weight. Double-glazed windows with electric heating will be suitable for glazing. Choosing this material and for roof, do not forget to add hardness and high strength of glass to its characteristics.
In winter garden it is desirable to install additional thermal devices which can be turned on in process of air temperature change.
For ensuring ventilation on opposite walls of the building it is necessary to install forced-air and exhaust devices. Provide illumination of two types: for the winter period and the period of off-season. Choose way of irrigation, being guided by the fact that in process of expansion of garden the need for automatic system of its watering will increase. The drop system of watering at which water gets directly to roots of plants through openings in perforated hose is recognized as the most effective.
Selection of plants
Having solved technical aspect of question, it is possible to start the choice of plants for garden and to landscaping creation. At the same time one of the styles inherent in winter garden can adhere: desert, subtropical or tropical. Admirers of the Wild West should place aloe, cacti, kalanchoe and euphorbias in the greenhouse. Choosing these plants, it is necessary to take care of creation of more arid climate. The subtropical winter garden will require maintenance of lower temperatures (5-12os). It is necessary to place emphasis on green palm trees, ivies, the blossoming lianas. Also effectively in such garden the honeysuckle, azalea, hibiscuses, camellias and citrus will look. Dragon trees, ficuses, asparaguses, bilbeliya, dieffenbachias will be suitable for settling of tropical winter garden. Temperature optimum for cultivation of these plants in the conditions of greenhouse, is 18-27os.