Greenhouse question

rubiales

Wow! Great ingenuity and minimal expense.:T

Just wondering whether the cheap (in the sale and BOGOF) rose arches in Argos at the moment could be used in a similar vein - i.e 4 in a line equally spaced to give a sturdy, tunnel-like structure...? Got me thinking now!!!:D

yve112

Well done you! looks brilliant:T

susieb

Thats really good, you are very clever.

squiggle37

thats brill well done :T

Lotus-eater

While I appreciate the ingenuity that has gone into building it, unless its in a very sheltered area, I think you are going to have problems.
There is no support down that long side, thats going to cause the plastic to blow right in. The roof is going to collect water in it, you need more supports in the middle.
I've used the wilkinsons duct tape and its OK to start with, but soon gives up in the great outdoors, you will start to see the silver backing come off first and then the rest degrades.
I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think it will last long.

Larumbelle

Thanks everyone for the nice comments! I get a bigger kick from improvising and making do than I do from buying new. Especially as I can't afford new anyway...

rubiales wrote: »

Wow! Great ingenuity and minimal expense.:T

Just wondering whether the cheap (in the sale and BOGOF) rose arches in Argos at the moment could be used in a similar vein - i.e 4 in a line equally spaced to give a sturdy, tunnel-like structure...? Got me thinking now!!!:D

Funny you should mention that... at the weekend we bought four of them. At the moment they are in a line to support beans, peas and the like. We have put old netting between them for climbers. The carrot and strawberry pots are in the resulting 'tunnel' and the whole lot is currently covered in old net curtains to keep birds and carrot flies away. It looks a bit strange but it does the job!

At the end of the season we are going to hang plastic over them to create a polytunnel and hopefully extend the season a little for some of our vegetables and then overwintering the half-hardy plants.

Next year they will be used for runners and climbers again. But I'm going to do things a little differently and try and make it look a little nicer and save on space. So the two halves of each arch will be separated and used to build 'ladders' against our south-facing wall - we live in a bungalow so they will come almost up to the guttering! Then the runners and climbers can run up those.

I think if I had paid full price for the arches I would have been absolutely gutted - they are quite flimsy, really, and not very well made. But I love that they are modular, they are handy 'elements' for building all sorts of things. I keep a stock of such things, the rose arches are rare in that I bought them, most of them are rescued from skips or the rubbish, or from friends and neighbours who know me well enough to know I hoard that sort of thing. The most useful kinds of things are old tubs, chicken wire, canes, and modular stuff like the arches or old hanging rails. Like I say, some of it might not be to everyone's taste, but I kind of like the 'improvised' look, it fits in with my philosophy on things.

Right now I am on the lookout to scrounge one of those wire bins that shops like woolies and wilkos stock up bargains in at the ends of aisles - I think one of those lined with a slit compost bag would make an ace strawberry planter! And I'm on the look out for an old water butt or plastic drum to build a tumbling composter with.

So anyway... just a few ideas there. If anyone has any brainwaves please share them with me, I love seeing other peoples ideas and learning new ways to do things on the cheap!

ceridwen

..and yet more creative thinking here....that I think could usefully go on your blog perchance?;)

Keep at it gal - thinking up those ideas. Some may work, some may not - but hey "life is a series of experiments".

Lotus-eater

silvercharming wrote: »

I think if I had paid full price for the arches I would have been absolutely gutted - they are quite flimsy, really, and not very well made.

Absolutely, I bought 2 this year from a discount place,( they all come from the same place, China ) and they are junk. And I mean really junk....
Do not expect to build up a greenhouse around these, they will buckle and bend until the whole lot collapses. Which tbh, with what looks like the plastic poles on silvercharmings greenhouse, I'm a bit worried about as well.

Edit, they are metal. just realised still, unless you are in a forest glade and never get any high winds............

Larumbelle

Lotus-eater wrote: »

While I appreciate the ingenuity that has gone into building it, unless its in a very sheltered area, I think you are going to have problems.
There is no support down that long side, thats going to cause the plastic to blow right in. The roof is going to collect water in it, you need more supports in the middle.
I've used the wilkinsons duct tape and its OK to start with, but soon gives up in the great outdoors, you will start to see the silver backing come off first and then the rest degrades.
I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think it will last long.

Well, we've been lucky with the wind so far. Those gales we had the other weekend barely touched it! I agree what you say about the long ends, though, we keep meaning to add an extra support halfway down each side but there always seems to be something more pressing to do out there! The rain barely collects at all, we get a little bit collecting in the gussets but otherwise it slides down the sides very efficiently. And the thing about the bags is, I am happy to re-tape every now and then if needs be, and after I took some home-grown strawberries and lettuces in as a thank-you for the one I scrounged, the bossman told me to come back if I ever need anything else, so I could get another if needed!

So I appreciate what you are saying, I agree that it will definitely need maitenance but I am optimisitic for its survival... I hope you're wrong too!

lucylema

Hello,

I have an rather overgrown allotment which we will sort out eventually and hopefully a 10 x 8 shed but, I would really love a greenhouse to help things along next year.

Could I make one? I have seen nice new ones but at about £200+ it not really money saving.

If not, anyone know where where I could get one cheap from? I am in Leicester if that helps for buying one.