How to build your orangery

Have you considered building an orangery? If so - go for it! Life is far too short to spend only dreaming about things that are actually quite easy to realise. Buy an orangery in a kit from Polhus and it will be cheaper than buying one ready-made, but much faster than building one from scratch. Put simply, it's the best of both worlds.

Contents

• A ready-to-build orangery in a construction kit
• Use the orangery as a conservatory
• Orangery or greenhouse - what's the difference?

A ready-to-build orangery in a construction kit

An orangery in a kit has many advantages. You know the cost in advance as well as what the finished result will look like. And most importantly - it's easy! A construction kit from Polhus can be put together by people with no construction experience, in no time at all. Everything is included: wood, windows, doors, fittings, etc. You don't have to calculate how much material you need and risk either ordering extra items or ending up with lots of leftover wood or screws. The drawings are easy to follow and could be used for a possible building permit application (check your local regulations).

There are two different types of orangery; free-standing and lean-to. The different types of orangery can have different rules: you can read more about the rules which apply for a greenhouse (in Sweden). . The Polhus customer service department are always happy to help if you have any questions.

£5,290

Greenhouse Elizabeth

10 m² and 14 m²

This classic and cosy greenhouse/orangery has a timeless design - ideal for pottering amongst plants or socialising. The greenhouse rests on an attractive and sturdy brick base and can be installed in just a few days.

• Inbuilt roof drainage
• Made in Europe
• 4 mm safety glass

Read more

Many people turn their nose up at the word orangery. It sounds a bit pretentious, like something a professional gardener would build in the gardens of a a stately home or large mansion. But an orangery is really just a heated greenhouse where you can keep trees and plants that otherwise might not survive the winter.

An orange tree is one such plant, hence the name 'orangery'. It doesn't come from the English word for orange, but the French word, because an orangery was originally a southern European phenomenon. When the orangery was introduced into botanical gardens in the thirteenth century, citrus trees were the main attraction, because they couldn't be grown outdoors in northern countries. From the beginning it was mainly lemon trees, oranges didn't appear till a hundred years later. The choice of materials for the buildings may have changed since then, but the other features have remained the same.

Use the orangery as a conservatory

An orangery often has a timeless design - not too complicated and with no excess details or strong colours. An orangery is a room where the greenery is central, and the building itself should blend into the surroundings where possible. It's logical that orangeries would come to the north because they are no less useful here than in southern Europe - quite the contrary. In addition to plants that require heat for their survival, a heated conservatory can be used to extend the growing season. In an orangery, the plants can be pre-cultivated so that you can plant small plants in the spring instead of putting seeds in the soil and starting from scratch.

£4,590

Lean to greenhouse Jonas

14 m²

This stylish wall-mounted greenhouse/conservatory offers a superb combination of growing and relaxing space! Choose one of our high-quality greenhouses and join our hundreds of satisfied customers. Simple and easy to construct, and in next to no time you’ll be enjoying the new space.

• Inbuilt roof drainage
• Made in Europe
• 4 mm safety glass

Read more

If you grow plants outdoors from seed, the risk of frost means that you have to wait several extra months. Otherwise, a few frosty nights can kill the entire plant population and you have to wait until the following year to grow things again. The months you gain from pre-cultivating indoors are lost. Gardening isn't something that can be rushed, so it's important to make good use of all the time you have. Exactly how much time you will gain depends on where in the country you live, i.e. in which growing zone, and not least on which plants you want to grow. Plants that contain a lot of water are especially sensitive to the cold, whereas others can be grown and harvested even when there is snow on the ground.

The same also applies when autumn comes around. Some plants might need to be harvested as early as August. If you put them in your orangery instead, they can continue to grow until the day you're ready to prepare them and enjoy a fresh and tasty meal. Harvesting your own fruits and vegetables and eating them right away is an unbeatable experience.

Orangery or greenhouse - what's the difference?

An orangery differs from a greenhouse in the way it's used. A typical greenhouse is usually just a house, made entirely, or partly of glass, and used for cultivation. These have plants or cultivation beds in straight rows to maximise the amount of plants per square metre. An orangery, on the other hand, can be so much more - a conservatory, a house to enjoy and a nice mix of outdoors and indoors where you get the benefits of nature, in the form of light and plants, in combination with the heat from your house and protection from the weather. If you've built a house that can be heated all autumn and winter, it seems a shame to just use it for gardening. In a cosy orangery, you can have coffee or lunch with friends, so it's a bit like combining a greenhouse and a gazebo . Make sure there's room for a table, a sofa, and some comfortable chairs or armchairs.

The key word here is flexibility. During the four seasons of the year, your need for a greenhouse will vary. In summer and autumn you can spend days and evenings in the orangery, where the temperature is always pleasant and you're protected from rain and wind. Relax with a glass of wine, play board games or just enjoy yourself socialising.

In late autumn and winter, the orangery becomes a lush oasis where both the plants and their owners can be cosy together waiting for the light and warmth to return. You can also use the orangery for storing outdoor furniture and cushions instead of jamming them into a garden shed for the winter.

When winter turns into spring, you can plant the coming year's flowers and vegetables in cultivation beds and seed boxes in the orangery. As the seedlings develop, they need bigger and bigger pots. Then life bursts out, filled with fragrant green leaves, as an effective hothouse . With each passing day, more and more plants are 'ready to leave the nest' and can be planted outdoors, giving you back the space in your conservatory.

Take your time when deciding where your orangery will be placed. Start from the direction of the sunlight - if your orangery is to be a greenhouse, it needs to be in a spot with good light. Also, think about where on your plot you'd like to spend both bright summer days and dark autumn evenings. Maybe the first place that comes to mind isn't the best one. The building needs a flat foundation, but since it's not that big, levelling the ground where it's going to stand is not usually too costly. If you're unsure, you can consult the Polhus experts and consult with them on what options are practical.

The kit is delivered in plastic packaging. Just open it up and follow the manual point by point. Soon enough, you'll have your own orangery. Then it's time to decide what to grow.

Related to Orangeries

All Polhus Greenhouses

Lean-to greenhouses

Building permission for a greenhouse

Build a greenhouse