Collection: Greenhouses

Glass stays clear season after season, so the light inside stays consistent. Plastic sheeting clouds over, goes brittle and tears, so you replace it every few years. Glass also holds warmth better on cold nights. That stretches the growing season for seedlings and tender crops.

A glazed timber frame is heavier and steadier in wind than a hooped tunnel. It's also far easier to fit out with staging, shelves and hanging hooks. It looks like part of the garden rather than temporary cover, which matters when the greenhouse sits in view of the house.

A timber frame with glazed panels, doors and windows, supplied as a European flat-pack kit. The timber is slow grown European spruce from FSC certified suppliers, kiln dried and machine cut before packing. Our manufacturers have more than 30 years of experience building this way.

Every kit arrives pre-cut and numbered, with the fixings and an illustrated assembly guide. There's no cutting or sizing on site. Frame construction, timber thickness, glazing and the style of the door and window units are set out on each product listing. That's the place to compare one model against another.

It depends on the model. Check the glazing type before you order. It changes how the building behaves and how safe it is to work around. Toughened safety glass is much stronger than ordinary horticultural glass. It breaks into small blunt pieces rather than long shards, which matters in a garden used by children or pets. Horticultural glass costs less but is more fragile. Rigid polycarbonate trades a little clarity for impact resistance.

The type used is stated on each product listing. If you're not sure which suits your garden, call us on 03 6145 0600 and we'll talk it through.

Both work, so it usually comes down to warmth, appearance and upkeep. Timber insulates better than metal, so the temperature inside swings less overnight. You can screw hooks, shelves and staging straight into the frame wherever you want them. A timber frame also blends into a garden setting rather than standing out against it.

Aluminium asks less of you over the years. It conducts heat and cold quickly, and it tends to look utilitarian. Timber asks for a protective finish that you keep sound. If you're happy to put a weekend into recoating now and then, timber repays it. The kits we supply are timber framed, and the frame details are on each listing.

Decades, with care. Slow grown European spruce is stable and holds fixings well. It stays sound as long as you protect it and keep it out of standing water. How long any timber building lasts comes down to three things. How well the timber is protected, whether you use products suited to the job, and whether you recoat on the manufacturer's schedule.

A level, well drained base helps more than people expect, because it stops the bottom timbers sitting damp. Good ventilation and clean glazing do the rest, along with replacing any cracked pane promptly.

It depends on the model, because they don't all arrive with the same finish. Some are supplied untreated, others come pre-treated or factory painted. The listing tells you which one you're looking at.

Where the timber is untreated, coat every face including the cut ends while the parts are still flat and easy to reach. Refresh the coating in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended schedule. From there the upkeep is light. Keep leaves off the roof and the glazing. Expect to adjust doors and windows over the first few seasons, because timber moves with temperature and humidity.

A firm, level, well drained base. The frame needs flat, square ground to sit true and for the glazing to seat evenly. Time spent levelling is never wasted. A concrete slab, pavers on a compacted bed, or a timber or steel perimeter frame all work well.

Keep the bottom timbers slightly clear of the ground so water drains away from the structure. The footprint you need is given on each product listing. Foundation kits are available there as optional items on selected models.

It depends on where you live. Approval is set by your state and your local council. It turns on floor area, height, siting and setbacks, and on overlays such as bushfire, heritage, flooding and easements. Many small structures are exempt, but the thresholds differ from one council to the next. Nothing here is legal advice.

We offer a free council permit check by postcode. Confirm the position with your council before you order.

Yes, most people do. Kits arrive pre-cut and numbered, with the fixings and step by step instructions. The work is assembly rather than construction, and hand tools plus a drill will cover it. How long it takes depends on the size of the building and how well the base is prepared before the pallet arrives.

Glazing is the stage where a second pair of hands counts, both for safety and for seating the panes evenly. Plan to have someone with you for that part. If you'd rather not tackle it, any competent builder or handyperson can put one up for you.

It can, anywhere, if the building is closed up with no shade. Enough ventilation keeps it under control.

Leave the door open on hot days, and run shade cloth over the roof through the peak of summer. Water early so plants aren't stressed by the middle of the day. Siting matters too, because some afternoon shade makes a real difference. Damping down a paved or gravel floor cools the air around your plants.

Your greenhouse arrives flat-packed on pallets by freight truck. We offer free freight to metro depots in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. Request a freight quote if you live outside our free delivery zones.

From the depot you can pick up for free, or arrange delivery to your property with the depot. Items held in stock are dispatched within one to four business days. Made to order buildings take roughly eight to fourteen weeks. They're manufactured in Europe and shipped once your order is placed. The listing tells you which applies to the greenhouse you're looking at. We confirm the timing with you when you order.

Timber does well in all of these places when you protect it properly and look after it. Site work matters as much as the building. Near the coast, rinse salt off the glazing and the hardware. Recoat more often than you would inland, because salt air is hard on finishes and fittings.

In termite prone areas, keep the timber clear of the ground on a base that drains. Keep mulch and firewood stacked away from it, and have the site inspected. In a bushfire prone area, check the requirements for your address with your council before you order. They can affect what you may build and where. Our free council permit check by postcode is a starting point.