The best new mini glasshouses

A glasshouse is an essential for the serious propagating of flowers and plants, keeping your seedlings warm and safe, protecting them from the elements and making all kinds of growth possible in the chilly UK climate.

As well as protecting delicate leaves and early growth from wind and rain a glasshouse warms plants by trapping air inside which is heated by the suns rays passing through the glass. The result is that through spring and summer the interior of a greenhouse is far warmer than outside, convincing plants that they are in far sunnier and warmer climes.

Meanwhile in winter it's possible to continue the illusion though the use of a simple electric or oil or gas fuelled heater, keeping the chill off whatever you grow inside.

The only downsides to ownership therefore are the cost to build and the size of plot required to provide a home for one. However, mini greenhouses have no such drawbacks. They come in huge range of designs and sizes, and there's an option to suit every budget. And if you're just starting out and don't need a full-size glasshouse, they're a great way to get started with growing!

Best mini glasshouses in 2023

The Socker Greenhouse

Perfect for first timers or anyone who had previously dismissed the possibility of a greenhouse due to a lack of space. Now you can have your own on a balcony or even a windowsill. And at just £12 this simple, easy Ikea option is hard to resist. Grow your own herbs right there in your kitchen. Or cultivate your first flowers. This able and attractive little home is sure to find the perfect place in yours.

Ikea.com

£12

The Plantpak Grow House

If you're in the mood for something a little larger this all-in-one features simple wide doors and plenty of options for the propagation and storing of plants. Adjustable shelves means you can store a range of plants at different heights and the shelves fit three standard size seed trays by width with adjustable locking stays so you can control the degree of ventilation.

Marshallsgarden.com

£125

Half Growhouse/ Growhouse Raised Bed

Get the best of both worlds with this combination that's half raised bed and half protective glasshouse top. The sustainably sourced, tanalised three tier timber base is designed to fit our 2ft x 4ft half cold frame, perfect for growing soil grown crops such a salads and vegetables. Then, the glasshouse cold frame on top ensures that the soil warms up much more quickly than outside, allowing earlier planting. And once planted your young plants will be sheltered from the cold, wind and rain.

Gardenproducts.co.uk

£119

VegTrug Cold Frame

This attractive sturdy combo also comes in two parts. The base part of the small wooden patio planter gives easy waist height access for tending to your plants then the wooden cold frame top fits perfectly providing the perfect solution to starting crops off earlier in the year for earlier harvest, and for getting greenhouse-raised seeds conditioned for growing outdoors. And all without breaking your back.

Marshallsgarden.com

£79.99

Juliana-Vertical-Greenhouse

It's everything you could need all in one perfect package. It's a glasshouse and a traditional potting bench, all in a footprint that will be at home in any conservatory or sunny spot. And all housed in an attractive modern black aluminium frame. There's even castors on the base so you can move it around to catch the sun or merely to change your garden's look. Work on the top... Place the fruits of your labour in the glasshouse space below. Perfect.

Greenhousestores.co.uk

£499

The Patio Glasshouse

Add a splash of colour to your garden. The Patio Glasshouse can fit neatly into your compact garden, providing a space-conscious, compact planting area, tiered to maximise on the available growing area without increasing the footprint of the glasshouse itself. There's a hinged top pane and double sliding doors on the front for ventilation and it's easy to reach all of the plants inside even when filled to capacity. Not taken by the red, don't worry there's a huge range of colours to choose from!

Hartley-botanic.co.uk

£Price on request

Growhouse Mini Greenhouse

The Growhouse has unique sliding doors for easy access and maximum ventilation and the slim frame allows light to flood in. The adjustable shelves (two are wide and two are narrow) are very versatile and can also be removed entirely for growing larger plants such as tomatoes below. The tough frame is designed to withstand strong winds, and can be anywhere without a need for a special base.

Harrodhorticultural.com

£389

Victorian Tall Wall Greenhouse

If you're looking for a mini greenhouse that's as attractive as the plants you'll be growing inside it, then this is the one for you. Perfect for patios or smaller gardens where space is at a premium, it features two tiers of shelving with a collapsible central section to make room for taller plants or growing tomato plants in grow bags. There's even the option to purchase this one with an automatic vent opening mechanism which will allow for one of the windows to open automatically and help regulate the temperature inside.

Gardenoasis.co.uk

£464

Latchmere Raised Cold Frame

Now there's no excuse not to grow your own flowers or your first salad crop. This Latchmere Raised Cold Frame is compact but has all you need. Its simple raised lid features a plexiglass top and sides and a sturdy metal hinge of varying heights allowing air to circulate easily and the lower slatted shelf provides an extra level of storage for pots, watering cans and more.

Gardentrading.co.uk

£140