Winter Shelter for My Tropical Trees

What made you get a Planta Greenhouse?
I wanted something sturdy that I knew was going to last for years and could withstand lots of wind, rain, and some snow. I also liked the visual style of the Sungrow.

What competitors did you consider before purchasing from Planta Greenhouses?
I don't even remember all the other brands I considered. I Googled, I checked locally, I clicked on ads, and I thought about buying something on Wayfair.

Why did you choose to buy from Planta Greenhouses?
They seemed like a business that had been around for a while, and I could see that they supported their customers well. Looking through pictures and testimonials of other Planta owners was also helpful in making me decide it would be a good brand to go with.

What do you grow inside your greenhouse?
Mostly edible foods.

Fall: spinach, beets, avocados, oranges, camellias

Winter: spinach, beets, overwinter roses, avocados, oranges, camellias, plumbago

Early spring: seedlings galore! Tomatoes, bell peppers, nasturtiums, marigolds, basil, squash, zucchini, thyme, cucumbers, peas, sunflowers, borage, berries, chamomile, chives, mint, lemon balm, okra, petunias.

How did your Planta Greenhouse improve your gardening experience?
It allows me to keep my tropical trees alive during winter, and it lets me start seeds much earlier in the season than I could do outdoors. It also gives me a lovely place to sit and relax in the fall and winter.

What was your experience like buying from Planta Greenhouses? 
Buying was easy. Customer service was just okay. Everyone is friendly and seems to try to be helpful, but when I bought the heater I did not get a clear message from the product page that it would require a special electric connection. I sent it back, but the warehouse was apparently so busy they didn't even mark it down as received so I never got the refund. It would be nice if Planta would do more user testing around how to word things like the special electric connection so it's clearer upfront.

What's your favourite thing about the Planta Greenhouse?
Sitting out in the greenhouse in winter and early spring. I keep the temperature moderate for 3 seasons (skipping summer), and it's a really nice place to go do some work on my laptop or sit and enjoy a cup of tea. Having all the flowers and seedlings around me on gray days helps keep the SADD blues away.

What would you say to a person considering purchasing a Planta Greenhouse?
Installation is quite complex and will take you far longer than you expect, so buy the greenhouse when you are not immediately planning to use it. Construct it in fall or spring, when it's comfortable outside, and then slowly start moving things in. It helps if you plan out your floor space carefully from the beginning - decide whether you want raised beds or large pots you can move around. If in doubt, go with pots you can move around and rearrange. And then consider everything an experiment. It is more of a challenge than you expect to keep the temperature moderate for plants, so get thermometers for outside and inside and experiment with different things like the automatic vents from Planta, fans, and shade cloth.

Anything else you’d like to add?
I'm glad we struggled through installation. That was a one-time pain for at least a decade of gardening fun to come!