Before I realised that gardening was my true passion I got myself a greenhouse. Now I see that it wasn’t a proper one – it came in a number of boxes (the glass) and long packages (the frame etc) and our family worked hard to put it together. It certainly paid for itself. I remember getting it very soon after I started my nurse training – this was the first time I had ‘my own’ money. Before that, as a housewife with three children and just one wage coming in a greenhouse wasn’t on the top of my shopping list.

How things change. I did a bit of research and found Rhino greenhouses and ordered one.

I read somewhere that when buying a new greenhouse you should get the biggest possible, something that will fit into space you have and the price is just about right.

I did just that and I’m happy. Mind you, there are times, like now, that I wish I had either a bigger one or another greenhouse altogether.

The good thing about this was that it came with a man who put it together (only a bit extra money but when you’re spending quite a bit, a little bit is neither here nor there).

The glass panels are large, have a rubber seal and the guy had a special suction implement to fit them in place. All he needed was level ground and fortunately my son Mike was on hand to help.

We worked very hard, we even put up a little top shelf and two benches but by the evening the job was done.

I wouldn’t be without it now, it has certainly paid for itself. It has been in the back garden for about 17 years.

One of the many good things about it is the possibility to have two tall water buts and that way I can nearly always have rainwater to water my seedlings. I keep a couple of watering cans full inside the greenhouse to warm the water a bit – my seedlings are pampered!

Another thing I did was to line it with bubble plastic – a reminder to myself – choose a cool day in the future if you want to re-do it! Because it was such an arduous undertaking I decided to leave it in situ and just make sure I ventilate the greenhouse well on hot days and keep the floor wet.