[ChattyA]

Hello friends! When I was surfing the Internet I came across the topic of green houses, polytunnels and hot-beds. Which one is the best? What do you think? I would like to have one of them in my garden; however, I don't know which one is the best. Plants that I would like to grow are some veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers etc. and also fruits like strawberries. I don't want a big one, but one that will be sufficient for me.

[I Love Spuds]

Polytunnels are more cost effective but greenhouses are more pleasing to the eye (imho), so if it's in your garden I'd say greenhouse. With careful planning you can get a surprising amount of fruit and veg from a standard 6ft by 8ft greenhouse, but general advice would be to get the biggest you can afford and fit comfortably in your garden. I started with a 6x8, but have now gone up to a 8x18 and sometimes still wish i had more space in there!

I have no experience of hot beds, so can't offer anything advice on those!

[Mr Dog]

2nd hand greenhouses can often be picked up quite cheaply - internet auction sites and also if you see a neglected one in a garden ask, often the owner will be glad to be rid, being good places to look. I'm not entirely convinced that tunnels are that much cheaper (certainly not significantly) when you factor in replacement covers over the years. Many greenhouse sellers often have sales with big reductions on normal prices - eg The Gteenhouse People often have end of line offers, usually with added extras such as staging and auto vents.