A winter garden in a private house, on a balcony or in a country house is something that can warm you up on long winter evenings. If you want to create this non-trivial place to relax, then you will have to seriously try, since such an idea requires care at all stages of implementation. If you take into account all the nuances at the very beginning, then caring for a winter garden in a private house will become your favorite pastime. With the help of our article, you can learn more about all the details of arranging this interior highlight.
The main characteristics and features of the winter garden
Winter garden is a room whose purpose is quite specific. In order for the plants for the winter garden not to wither in the first year of existence, it is necessary to choose a suitable place, think over the heating and water supply system, and also make the use of sunlight and heat as rational as possible. The ideal room for this is a glass structure with a metal frame. Sometimes the winter garden has a kind of continuation in the form of a terrace.
The benefits of the winter garden
Contrary to popular belief, plants for the winter garden do not grow separately from the house, but in an adjacent room, which is protected from the negative effects of the atmosphere by a wall and a glass roof.
Beautiful and pleasantly smelling flowers are not only beauty, but also benefits for humans. Winter garden plants are useful for several reasons:
- enriching your home with oxygen;
- protecting your home from dust and reagents;
- the emergence of a new hobby in the form of plant care;
- a place to relax in cold winter.
In order to please yourself with a winter garden, it is not necessary to have a huge house with a large area. You can plant plants that you like on an insulated loggia.
History of winter gardens
Winter gardens in private homes appeared a long time ago. According to historical data, the appearance of the first winter gardens in the world dates back to the 4th century BC. This is clearly evidenced by wall paintings in ancient Egypt depicting plants for the winter garden. The followers of the ancient Egyptians, the ancient Romans, were the first to place flowers on the windowsills. The peristyle was considered one of the indicators of prosperity among the ancient Romans. It was a kind of garden in the middle of the building, surrounded on all sides by columns.
In European countries, the first winter gardens appeared only in the XI century. One of the kings of Holland named William arranged a flower greenhouse right in his palace. Soon, the so-called orange houses began to appear in Europe, which delighted the townspeople with the flowering of citrus plants all year round.
The Orangery of Versailles of King Louis XIV has survived to this day and is considered one of the most beautiful in history. Also, the most beautiful winter garden of those times can be called the greenhouse of the Potsdam Palace Sanssouci. In the 18th century, the fashion for citrus fruits was replaced by the fashion for plants from the tropics. Having a conservatory was considered a luxury until the 19th century, but later Nathaniel Ward made the first successful attempt to grow flowers and trees under a glass dome.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Englishman Joseph Paxton built the so-called Crystal Palace, which became the progenitor of modern winter gardens.
Currently, the winter garden is no longer a luxury item. If desired, it can be placed on the terrace or even on the balcony.
Similarities and differences between a winter garden and a greenhouse
The principle and design of the winter garden, greenhouses and greenhouses is similar, but there are still certain differences. The purpose of these rooms is to cultivate plants in the winter in the area between the living room and the street. The greenhouse and the greenhouse are independent buildings, and the winter garden is rather a continuation of the living quarters.
The purpose of the greenhouse is the cultivation of various crops, but only up to a certain period. In the greenhouse, mainly exotic plants are grown, such as citrus fruits, tropical flowers or orchids. Conditions suitable for these plants are created with high humidity and temperature, which are simply unacceptable for the human body. You won't be able to stay in the greenhouse for long, even if you wanted to, because it's quite difficult to breathe there.
Features of the winter garden
The purpose of a winter garden on a plot or at home is to enjoy and enjoy the pleasant environment that greenery gives, at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions. It is very important to create a favorable climate in the winter garden, in which both the person and the plant will be comfortable enough. It is impossible to create a favorable environment in the winter garden if you do not follow all the rules for landscaping and construction.
It is worth clearly understanding the difference between a winter garden and a greenhouse, which serves to grow vegetables and rare plant species. Separate such concepts as a flower greenhouse and a winter garden, because in the first case, the temperature and humidity are not suitable for humans, but are ideal for plants.
Date palm in winter garden
How to grow a date palm at home? This question visits some owners of winter gardens. This plant is not one of the capricious, and if you follow simple recommendations, your work will pay off handsomely.
When choosing a place for a date palm, it is worth remembering that although she loves light, but allowit should not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise burns will occur on the leaves.
The temperature in the room where the palm tree grows should be maintained between 12 and 18 degrees. A pot of date palm should be placed near a window or wall in the conservatory to keep the temperature around the plant cool.
In winter, keep your palm away from heat sources, otherwise the tips of the leaves will start to dry out. In summer, you can spray the plant with a spray bottle, and wipe the adult leaves with a damp cloth.
How to germinate date seeds? Take the seed of the plant and carefully make an incision so that the plant sprouts faster. A date seed germinates better at a depth of one centimeter in peat or moss. The temperature in the room should be from 20 to 30 degrees, the germination time of the seed should be from 3 months to six months.
Aloe
Aloe vera is an unpretentious house plant, it is the best suited for breeding in the winter garden. Only two conditions must be observed: good drainage and protection from direct sunlight. The plant can rot from too much water, so keep an eye on watering.
Fern
This plant does not require special conditions and thrives both outdoors and indoors.
If your conservatory is humid enough, the fern is sure to grow, turning your small conservatory into a Jurassic park
There are several types of fern suitable for the winter garden:
- curly fern;
- bone fern;
- fern-derbyanka;
- nephrolepis.
Orange tree at home
One of the most common plants grown in winter gardens are beautiful and colorful orange trees. If you're serious about beautifying your conservatory, pick up a kilo of oranges at your local store and start growing your own slice of citrus heaven!
The orange seed itself is covered with a hard shell on the outside, which simultaneously protects it from damage, and on the other hand prevents its germination. Dry seeds should not be used to grow orange trees as it is difficult to get them to hatch.
In order for orange seeds to germinate, you need:
- wash them in warm water;
- soak for 8-12 hours;
- planted in peat or loose soil to a depth of 1 cm under a sealed film.
Until the moment when the stone begins to sprout, the container is best stored in a warm and dark place with good ventilation and humidity levels. It is worth taking the containers out into the light only after a month and a half.
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a beautiful shrub plant, some species of which tolerate persistent frosts, and some get along well in greenhouses and winter gardens.
If you plan to plant a rhododendron in your winter garden, opt for more heat-loving varieties of this plant, for example:
- Indian rhododendron;
- Japanese rhododendron;
- dense rhododendron;
- Smirnov's rhododendron.
The most comfortable temperature for growing rhododendron is 10-15 °C. The extreme point of heat for these plants is 18 ° C, if the temperature gets higher, then the plant may begin to grow uncontrollably. Don't put the rhododendron in direct sunlight because it doesn't like it.
Dark, cool corners of the greenhouse are the best for growing rhododendron.
Winter garden at home
The winter garden is a rather complex structure both from the technical and engineering side. It is designed to protect plants from environmental influences, maintain comfortable conditions for both humans and flowers and trees. When designing a winter garden, the following conditions must be met:
- constant room temperature;
- regular supply of fresh air;
- optimal humidity;
- tightness of the glazed room.
The winter garden, regardless of its location, should be a transparent, lit, aesthetic, sustainable structure. It is possible to single out several of its conditional zones:
- communicative, through which the house is connected with the garden;
- recreational, where rest and meeting with guests is supposed;
- decorative, where the plants themselves are located;
- office, where fertilizers are located.
There are quite a few winter garden projects, where the latter are, as it were, part of a residentialpremises, but glass outbuildings and loggias are much more popular.
Planning the winter garden as an extension to the house
If you want to attach this structure to the house, then you need to not only think about the size and trees for the winter garden, but also about its location.
It is better to place a winter garden on the east side of the house. The structure will not overheat, and the plants will receive the solar energy they need from the mild morning sun.
If it is not possible to place a winter garden on the east side of the house, try the western one. There will be significantly more solar energy, but this can be compensated by increasing the amount of watering.
It is widely believed that the south is the least suitable for the location of the winter garden. On the one hand, this is true, and the south side can really contribute to overheating of plants. In order to avoid the negative effects of high temperatures, it is necessary to increase the amount of moisture and air. The advantages of the southern location include the preservation of high temperatures in winter.
Variety of gardens
Flowers for the winter garden can grow in the following designs:
- Buffer - a glazed part of a house or apartment. Example: balcony or vestibule.
- A winter garden in a private house is a specially equipped room that can be used as a dining room or living room.
- A home greenhouse is a place not connected to the home and used for cultivating tropical plants.
- Garden-extension to a rectangular house. One of the most popular types of winter garden. Has a hollow glass roof.
- Angular winter garden. It can be equipped with an extension to the outer corner of the house.
- Two-facade extension. This is a winter garden, equipped on the basis of the inner corner of the house with a gable, four-beam or combined roof.
- Three-façade construction is one of the most cost-effective solutions in terms of lighting. Three of the four walls of the structure are glass, the fourth is the base.
