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#83377 February 28th, 2007 at 09:49 PM
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Hello
we are about to buy a house with a north facing living area to which we would like to add a verandah (conservatory). Does anyone know if this is workable (light, temperature and most important plants as I love to have it full of plants. I love tropical plants but I fear that a north side is not good for them). The garden is also facing north but has sunshine from the centre to the back.
Is anyone familiar with this and if so, I would appreciate some advice.

Thank you

Yves

#83378 February 28th, 2007 at 10:37 PM
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is the area going to be enclosed? with glass? or is it just a regular room that has some windows? 3

or is this an area that is open to the elements? if so, does it have a roof?

#83379 February 28th, 2007 at 10:57 PM
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It will be full glass sliding doors on the garden part to create a wider view and more light and the roof will be 3/4 glass. Left and right walls will be stone walls.

It will not be open to the elements.

#83380 March 1st, 2007 at 03:38 PM
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Hi Yves,
I just joined the forum because in real terms I just became a gardener. However, in my old house, and small garden, I did grow a few exotics. Palms, cycads, carnivores, etc. I've retired, moved, and at last I can put up a proper greenhouse. I was going to put it in the back garden which is north facing and took professional advice. That advice was that if I want to grow loads of exotics then northern aspect is not advisable (in fact it's a no-no). It's not just a case of temperature but mainly of that good old God given thing - sunlight.

We went back to the planners and my greenhouse is now moving to the side of the house, westerly facing but with full sun from about noon. (It appears that afternoon sun is better than morning sun for plants). West is apparently OK.

Hope this is of help to you.

#83381 March 1st, 2007 at 04:40 PM
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Thank you Webwise for your advice. It is just a shame because everything about the house is good except that it is facing north (actually north - north west). I don't think we can find a better home with our financial resources.
The conservatory would be an extension of the living area, so temperature might be ok for tropical plants, it's just the sunshine as you mentioned.
I would have loved to have it facing south or west, but you can't have it all, can you. I'll just have to find another way to grow my plants.

#83382 March 1st, 2007 at 04:55 PM
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I HATE phony. But have you thought of putting in grow lights? If the temperature is OK then these would provide light at the right wavelength if sunlight is not available. A friend of mine has a large house with spare rooms but no grounds. She is growing loads of stuff in a very low light room with grow lights - and it's working. Although she is not into palms she is growing cannas, pineapple lilies etc. indoors and then just putting them out into her very small garden when the time is right. These would put up your electric bill a bit but not a lot.

#83383 March 1st, 2007 at 05:33 PM
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yves, if it's north-northwest facing, then you might do pretty well!

altho it's not ideal, you could do a nice mix of plants - some with a higher need for sunlight in the spots where the afternoon sun will really shine in and in the spots with less direct sunlight you can do some other plants that require less.

i'm sure it's a very workable situation! and, you can always add in some growlights to supplement the natural lighting!

#83384 March 1st, 2007 at 07:54 PM
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Thank you everybody for your good advice. This really makes me feel much better. I hadn't really considered growlights but now I do.
Thanks

#83385 March 3rd, 2007 at 01:43 PM
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Yves,
I do hope you get that house, and grow lot's
of flowers/plants and post here lot's of pictures...
We'd love to see it, the out come, what ended up
doing good and so on...

And do tell, where is Antwerp??
Soooooooo curious!!!

#83386 March 4th, 2007 at 10:38 AM
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Hi Weezie13,
thank you for your positive interest.

We signed for the house last week so it is ours and I plan to grow as much plants and flowers as I possibly can and I will try to show pictures.

As for your question: Antwerp is the second city (and biggest port) of Belgium. I think we are the second biggest port of Europe, just after Rotterdam. A fact we are very proud of.
;-) .Belgium is a very tiny country, squeezed between Holland, Germany and France.

Hope to be back on the forum soon

Yves

#83387 March 17th, 2007 at 12:53 AM
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That is strange how one picks that.

I do all my inside gardening in the southern side.....
However we are snow country and it is the warmest spot......
Outdoors I plant north,south,east and west sides of he house and full sun.....
I find the no sun areas of north hardest to grow on.
But I dont do it like others.


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