Small Greenhouses & Mini Greenhouses

Types of Small and Mini Greenhouses

Here we look into our range in more detail, including a wide range of styles and materials:

Mini Greenhouses

A mini greenhouse is tiny (even smaller than a traditional small greenhouse), aimed at either being very low to the ground, or tall and narrow up against a wall.

This type includes cold frames and wall gardens, and can measure as narrow as 2ft wide. The wall gardens are sometimes known as a tier mini growhouse.

It also includes balcony greenhouses, which are very small, and can attach to railings to create extra floor space. Excellent for starting seedlings, growing herbs, growing beautiful flowers, and storing planters outside during the colder temperatures of winter and the early spring months.

You won't find wooden miniature greenhouses, as they tend not to be very practical.

Small Lean-To's

A small lean to greenhouse leans against a wall. It almost looks like a traditional greenhouse that has been cut in half. They tend to be made from aluminium. They are sometimes called an "attached greenhouse".

These are perfect when you may have some height to work with, but have a lot less floor space.

These include traditional wall gardens, but do go up in size to much larger variations too. Plenty of space for small plants and a seed tray or two.

You can browse all small lean-to 's here.

Indoor

An indoor greenhouse kit is usually thought of as a very small and compact, and can be fitted inside an existing room or conservatory.

Our range tends to include cold frames and wall gardens mainly, as these are slim enough to take up less room, while also being light enough to move around should you need to (making them a great portable greenhouse or portable hothouses too).

Small Polycarbonate

A small polycarbonate greenhouse kit is simply a small greenhouse that is using polycarbonate glazing. Polycarbonate is a safer glazing option as it doesn't shatter like glass does, and so is ideal for public places, anywhere around children, or for anyone who wants to lower the risk. Some people known these as walk-in's. Mini polycarbonate greenhouses tend to be cold frames with polycarbonate glazing.

Small Victorian Glass

A Victorian garden greenhouse has many features, such as high eaves, usually made from wood, bringing back traditional memories of Victorian glasshouses.

Our range of small Victorian glass greenhouses gives you this grandeur, but in a size that can fit in anyone's garden. They're like a mini conservatory in your garden.

Patio

A patio greenhouse is ideal for a small patio area, allowing you to grow plants without taking up loads of room that you may not have.

They consist of wall gardens and cold frames for the most part, as they take up a lot less space.

Our compact glasshouses are ideal for tight spaces.

Greenhouse Shed Combination

A greenhouse shed combo is designed to give you all of the benefits of a greenhouse and a shed in one structure. Many people known these as potting sheds, but the combo range goes above and beyond this, allowing you to customise the size of the shed extension, and many other features.

The extra space can be used for storing garden tools, compost, and other useful gardening equipment. They are slightly more premium than other options, but you get a lot for your money.

Space Saving Greenhouses

A space saving greenhouse is designed to give you a similar amount of space as a traditional one, but saving you floor space by using a narrow and tall structure instead.

This consists of wall gardens with many different shelves, helping to let light in all the way up, while saving a lot of space. While you may not be able to grow taller plants, you can still grow a nice harvest of small herbs and vegetables (maybe even a tomato or two!).

Small Free Standing Greenhouses

A small free standing greenhouse simply refers to a small greenhouse that isn't leant or fixed against a wall. The majority of our wider small greenhouses would fit into this category, including the Eden Birdlip Zero Threshold, and the Elite Aluminium Streamline to name a few.

Aluminium Mini

An aluminium mini greenhouses is a mini-sized greenhouse with an aluminium frame. This has the usual benefits of an aluminium greenhouse, such as the frame being weatherproof (aluminium doesn't rust).

They also benefit from being lightweight, which makes them more portable than a wooden greenhouse. This is perfect for moving around the patio or balcony, or using it as an indoor greenhouse.

Here is the link to the full range: Aluminium mini greenhouses

Small Potting Sheds

Small potting sheds are a combination of a shed and a greenhouse, with glazing down one wall for growing, and a solid wall for tools on the other side. They are all made of treated timber, and are a very sturdy option.

4x4 Small Greenhouses

A 4x4 greenhouse is a popular favourite among gardeners looking for a more streamlined structure, but still a large enough size to get a decent amount of growing done.

We have a range including both aluminium and wooden 4x4.

Strong and Sturdy Greenhouses

For high wind areas, or if you think you're on slightly uneven ground, you may want to invest in a stronger small greenhouse. The Clearview Sussex, and Swallow 4ft Wide Lark can be considered some of the strongest we stock.

Long and Narrow (Slim)

A narrow greenhouse is perfect when you have a long but narrow shaped space to work with, such as the side of a house or balcony.

Our narrow range includes traditional lean to greenhouses and wall gardens that run right up against the wall, and also narrow free standing options like the 4ft Wide Powder Coated Compact.

Low Ceiling (Short)

If you're struggling for height, then the obvious option is a cold frame, as this sits on the ground with very little ground clearance.

Alternatively, we have a range of low ridge height lean-to greenhouses available, which may be more suitable if you still want that traditional design, while retaining a maximum high point of 6ft 7 inches. These low-threshold greenhouses are ideal if you have limited overhead space.

Flat Pack

All of our small greenhouses are available in flat pack form, so you can assemble them yourself and save money. Flat-packed greenhouses come with an instruction manual so you can work through the assembly step by step.

Benefits of Small vs Other-Sized Greenhouses

The main benefit of a smaller greenhouse is that it lets you grow flowers and produce at home all year round, even when you have a small space to work in.

The small size makes it less time-consuming to control the soil, water, temperature, and humidity levels, as well as sun exposure, so your plants can thrive in optimal conditions.

Like all greenhouses, they're useful for controlling the elements in a dry, humid, or wet climate (rain and snow being worse in the UK!), but they're also more efficient due to their smaller size.

They can also be used as a beautiful decoration either indoors for adding greenery, or outside on the patio or in the garden. You can either use potted containers to hold your plants, or plant them directly into the soil beneath your greenhouse.

They protect plants, encourage blooms and fragrance, and maximise yield and growth for all types of gardeners.

Browse our related blog for more info: What to grow with a small greenhouse kit

What's the Cheapest Small Greenhouse?

The cheapest greenhouse you can buy is a mini greenhouse with horticultural glass. The small size reduces the price, and the horticultural glass is the cheapest glazing option. The cheapest greenhouse at the time of writing is the Halls 4ft x 2ft Cold Frame at £159.

Smaller Greenhouse Kits

A small greenhouse kit is the same as any of our greenhouses. You may think of a diy greenhouse kit (something you have to assemble yourself) and while you do have that option with our products, we also offer installation - so why wouldn't you take advantage of that!

If you want a large greenhouse kit then click here.

Best Small Greenhouses In Stock To Buy from Swgreenhouses.co.uk

Here we break down the best greenhouses by type, so you can make an informed decision. We have a more detailed article on our blog titled Best Mini Greenhouses UK.

Most Affordable: Halls 4x2 Cold Frame

The most affordable small greenhouse is by far the Halls 4x2 Cold Frame. At £99 it's by far the cheapest way to get into buying your first greenhouse. Perfect for growing basil or other herbs at home.

Best Greenhouse Shed Combo: Swallow Jay 6ft

The best small greenhouse shed combo/potting shed that we stock, is the Swallow Jay 6ft, with a streamlined footprint, whilst still having the dual purpose of a potting shed.

Best Aluminium: Halls Popular

The best choice for a full length, small aluminium greenhouse is the Halls Popular range (also available in green here) which has been a top choice among amateurs for generations. This gives you easy access with a large front door for its size. An aluminium frame is more durable than steel, making it an excellent choice.

Best Wooden: Clearview Sussex

The best small wooden greenhouse is the Clearview Sussex, which has traditional styling, while keeping a very compact footprint.

Best Lean To: 2x6 Elite Easygrow Lean To

The best small lean to greenhouse is the 2x6 Elite Easygrow Lean To, which combines a very narrow footprint with the traditional shape and style.

What is a Small Greenhouse?

A small greenhouse is a greenhouse that takes up less space (which can be height, width, or both). There are many different types of small greenhouse kits, including cold frames, wall gardens, lean to's, wooden, aluminium, and polycarbonate options. It can also be known as a grow house, or a glass house (if it has glass glazing).

They provide you enough room around the greenhouses to stop them getting in the way. It's best to avoid a steel frame, instead choose aluminium or wood as they're more durable and heavy duty.

Double doors tend not to be appropriate in a small greenhouse, although some offer the option of having a door at each end. Some greenhouses include pvc materials which are also very sturdy.

Glazing

Our entire range has glazing options to customise them as you wish, see more details about each type below.

Toughened Glass

Toughened safety glass is one of the most popular choices for a greenhouse, as it provides that traditional look and clarity of the glass, with the toughened safety feature to ensure it's far safer in the case of an accident.

Horticultural Glass

If you want the cheapest glazing option, then choose a horticultural glass greenhouse. It has the downside of smashing into many dangerous pieces when damaged, so ensure you're careful.

Polycarbonate Glazing

Polycarbonate glazing is the safest glazing option you can choose. The clarity of the material is not as good as glass however, so you have to consider that as part of your decision. The glazing is also not recommended in exposed areas. Twin wall polycarbonate is the strongest type available. This is often popular for public places, allotments, or anywhere around children.

Accessories

For the vast majority of our range, you will have the option to customise your order and add accessories, and in some cases another sliding door.

Ventilation

The use of roof vents and ventilation in general is very important in a greenhouse. You have the option to add extra windows, louvre vents, and even auto vents to your order. These all help to control heat and airflow. You can also customise your greenhouse gutters.

Heating

For heating, we recommend you browse our greenhouse heaters here.

Shelving/Staging - Maximise Your Available Space

You can customise the shelving included in your greenhouse, to really make the most of the space you have, for the maximum growing space for plant pots, young plants, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables, and any more propagation.

Reviews

Here are a small selection of the thousands of reviews we've had:

John, 10/06/2020 Reviewed the 4x8 Elite Compact Aluminium Finish

"Excellent service from SWG, advised of delivery date and the greenhouse arrived a day earlier. Although I am a keen DIYer, the instructions sometimes were a bit of a challenge, however my wife was on hand to help! Also good support from Elite as needed. On my own it took about 18 hours in total to complete the build and it was easy to secure to my ready made base. Some areas of the instructions could have been a bit more explanatory (e.g Highlighting when extra bolts need to be inserted would have helped), but good when you figure it out. Only criticism is the door handles, did not fit them, will look for something locally a bit more friendly."

Nigel, 26/12/2017 Reviewed the 5x8 Elite Streamline Aluminium Finish

"Excellent phone service from both SW Greenhouses and Elite, delivery on time. Erection not for the faint hearted as much of the instrictions were vague, maybe more illustrations could help. The quality of the mouldings and accuracy of the fittings are superb resulting in a quality greenhouse. Fitting large panel toughened glass difficult until I slackened off most nuts. I Would recommend this greenhouse. Nigel. Cirencester"

Raja, 20/07/2015 Reviewed the 2x4 Elite Easygrow Lean To

"Well built and sturdy small green house. The instruction booklet was simple which helped assembling and fixing fairly easy. Lots of spare nuts, bolts and clips were in the pack. Good quality glass.The base fit very well. Thank you for your excellent service."

South West Greenhouses are rated 4.94/5 based on 2161 reviews.

UK Delivery and Installation

We offer free delivery on all small greenhouses to UK mainland postcodes, with some exceptions of the Scottish Highlands and other hard to reach areas (which will require a custom quote). You can click into the individual product pages to learn more about delivery of each type. Visit a product page for more information on availability, free delivery area, affordability, and product lead-time.

Need More Help? Contact South West Greenhouses

We know shopping for a greenhouse might be overwhelming, which is why our helpful team is always on hand to help you make an informed decision on our product range.

You can submit your question on our contact page form here, or email us at support@swgreenhouses.co.uk and even call us on 01225 710479