Want to Add a Greenhouse to a Small Garden? Designers Say This is the Trick That Makes it Work

Last year my partner and I set up a little garden at his new rental. It's by no means the space of our dreams and we hope someday when we buy somewhere that we'll have a bigger yard for all kinds of fruits, veggies, and possibly even chickens.

We sat down the other week trying to figure out what we want to grow, more than aware that we're working with limited space. We've both said before that we wanted a greenhouse, but it's not something we ever pursued because we didn't want to eat up the small amount of space we had.

So before casting the idea of greenhouse gardening aside for the ten millionth time, I decided to take research into my own hands and speak to an assortment of garden design pros to see if they had any recommendations. It turns out there is one simple trick that can make a greenhouse work in even the smallest of gardens – and I'm already excited by the possibility of finally having a greenhouse in the yard!

What's the Magic Design Trick?

When most of us think about greenhouses, our mind races in one of two directions: we either think of spacious glasshouses or the flimsy pop-up structures that need tethering down to stand a chance against the wind. The latter can work in a small space in a pinch, but there's something far more effective and aesthetically pleasing: a lean-to greenhouse.

A lean-to greenhouse, also called an abutting greenhouse, is a tall, often narrow structure that often features a slanting roof. Its back leans against a wall or fence in your yard, tucking into the space instead of existing as a separate structure on its own.

As Oliver Burgess, director of Oliver Burgess Garden Design, explains: "Lean-to greenhouses sit against a boundary, creating less visual clutter than a typical greenhouse by following the existing lines of structures already in your yard. They can be quite spacious while taking up a small footprint."

Where Should I Put My Greenhouse?

A lean-to greenhouse needs to sited against a flat, sturdy surface. A solid brick, block or stone wall is the best option, but the side of a strong shed should be fine, too. A house wall brings the added benefit of potentially providing your plants with secondhand heat from the home.

The aspect of your plot will also dictate which walls are suitable, as a greenhouse needs to receive plenty of sun. For a lean-to greenhouse, where a wall will inevitably bring shade, it's a vital consideration. Think about what kind of plants you wish to grow and when you'll use the space, as you work out the best position. Are you planning to simply raise spring seedlings? Then anything other than north-facing will be fine. Want to use it to overwinter plants and grow tomatoes over summer, too? Then south-facing would be better.

Placing a sun meter in your yard like this 4-in-1 Meter from Amazon can help work out just how much light hits different parts of your yard throughout the day. Move the meter around and jot down your discoveries to find out where the prime spot for your greenhouse is.

How Do I Blend It Into My Garden?

To further disguise an abutting greenhouse, there's another design trick to take advantage of: choose a model that's a similar height to the wall it will be positioned against, so it continues that line. Your eye will then register the greenhouse as part of the wall rather than a separate structure. If you're positioning the greenhouse against a house wall, then look at matching the top of a door or window frame.

Lean into the color palette of the natural world, too, and surround your new garden structure with additional greenery to blur harsh lines.

"I recommend camouflaging your greenhouse by having it the same color as the rest of the garden," suggests Oliver. "Imagine a greenhouse built from dark green frames, for instance, as opposed to brilliant white. Then, use soft planting around the outside to disguise it further."

Rather than using shrubs or small trees, which would shade the greenhouse, think about groundcover plants that stay low. Growing an evergreen climbing vine up the wall and training just a couple of stems onto or around the greenhouse is another option, but make sure it's a slow grower so it doesn't steal too much light.

If your garden style is on the wild side, then align your greenhouse ideas to match. There's no rule against having a bright yellow frame, pink nightlights, and blue shelving!

What Top Tips do I Need to Know?

According to Joanne Imhogg, a gardening enthusiast and part of the team at Sunrise Structures who build sheds, barns and greenhouses, the prime thing people forget to consider when bringing a greenhouse into their space is adequate ventilation – and that's an even more important consideration with a lean-to.

Plants need adequate ventilation in order to grow and survive, let alone thrive. So it's a must to check whether the greenhouse you build or purchase invites enough airflow into the structure. In a smaller greenhouse, too, the air will become stale even faster, leading to drooping greenery and even the possibility of diseases.

"Make sure you get a greenhouse with proper ventilation as plants do not grow well in stuffy environments," explains Joanne. "Some greenhouses come with ventilation windows that open and close based on the interior temperature. These ventilation windows are very handy to have and help with managing humidity. Especially if you're the type of person who has a day job and you can't manually adjust ventilation during the midday direct sunlight."

You can purchase automatic greenhouse ventilation lifts like this 2 Pack of Automatic Window Openers from Amazon to ensure your plants receive ventilation even when you're away.

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