A Garden Room for Growing Roses

For rose grower Emily Cave, the greenhouse is much more than a place to grow plants. Set within a richly planted kitchen garden, her Alitex greenhouse has become a focal point of the garden, a practical growing space that sits naturally within its surroundings while providing a dedicated home for roses, seedlings and tender plants. 

Emily, who runs Rosa Cheney, chose Alitex for the strength and longevity of its metal framework, as well as its ability to complement the landscape around it.

A Mottisfont greenhouse at the heart of the kitchen garden

 

Emily’s first greenhouse is a Mottisfont from our National Trust range, measuring 2.6m wide by 4.0m long. Finished in Bronze Manganese, the greenhouse has been deliberately understated, allowing the surrounding planting to take centre stage rather than making the structure feel like a feature in its own right. 

“The colour – Bronze Manganese – was chosen for its ability to blend into the landscape rather than become a feature.” 

That sense of integration is particularly evident in the way the greenhouse sits within the garden. Surrounded by abundant planting, gravel paths and established trees, the Mottisfont feels as though it belongs to the garden rather than being placed within it. The entrance is especially characterful, framed by a carefully trained arch of fruiting plants that leads the eye towards the greenhouse door. 

Inside, the greenhouse is equipped for year-round growing, with Strawberry Board shelving, Benching, a Potting Shoe and lighting providing a practical set up for everything from sowing seeds to nurturing established plants. 

For Emily, the greenhouse has become a versatile growing space. It provides a home for Pelargoniums and Jasmins, which are later used as house plants within her home. It is also used for seed sowing and housing plugs, giving Emily a dedicated space to raise plants at different stages of growth. 

One of the highlights of the growing season is the central flower bed, where sweet peas bring colour and fragrance into the greenhouse. 

Designed to work with the landscape 

The decision to choose a metal framed greenhouse was partly driven by practicality. Emily wanted to avoid the ongoing maintenance associated with a traditional wooden structure. 

“We chose Alitex for its metal frame and hopefully avoiding maintenance of a wooden greenhouse.” 

The result is a greenhouse that combines the permanence Emily was looking for with a finish that sits quietly within the garden. The Bronze Manganese colour works particularly well against the surrounding foliage, while the traditional proportions of the Mottisfont complement the character of the kitchen garden. 

Rather than standing apart from the planting, the greenhouse is woven into it. Tall plants, fruit trees and perennial borders surround the structure, while the gravel paths create a sense of movement through the garden and towards the greenhouse entrance. 

A focal point for growing 

Although Emily initially chose the greenhouse for its practical benefits, it has become an important part of the garden’s character. 

“It has become a focal point of our kitchen garden.” 

The photographs show just how naturally the greenhouse sits within the space. From some angles it is partially concealed by planting, creating glimpses of the glasshouse through foliage; from others, the full structure comes into view at the end of a gravel path. This layering of planting and architecture gives the kitchen garden a sense of depth, with the greenhouse providing a destination at the heart of it. 

For a rose grower, the greenhouse also provides an invaluable controlled environment for nurturing plants. Alongside her work with roses through Rosa Cheney, Emily can use the space for propagation, raising young plants and protecting more tender specimens. 

A smaller Alitex, too 

Having enjoyed the Mottisfont so much, Emily later chose Alitex again – this time for a smaller, bespoke structure. 

The greenhouse came about after the family’s children’s wooden Wendy House had rotted for the second time and needed re-thatching. Rather than replacing it with another wooden structure, Emily opted for a bespoke mini greenhouse 

At just 1.8m wide by 2.2m long, it is even smaller than the Hidcote, the smallest greenhouse in Alitex’s National Trust range. It is also finished in Bronze Manganese, creating a visual connection between the two structures. 

Inside, the compact greenhouse has been designed with a children’s table and chairs, ready for grandchildren to enjoy, while retaining its practical potential as a space for seed and plug growing. 

It is a lovely example of how an Alitex greenhouse can evolve with the needs of a garden – from a substantial growing space at the centre of a kitchen garden to a smaller bespoke structure with a more playful role. 

For Emily, the decision to choose Alitex for a second time was a simple one. The Mottisfont had become such a successful part of the garden that when the opportunity arose to replace the Wendy House, another Alitex greenhouse felt like the natural choice. 

Emily’s Alitex greenhouses 

Mottisfont – National Trust range 

• Dimensions: 2.6m W × 4.0m L 

• Colour: Bronze Manganese 

• Style: No cresting 

• Interior: Strawberry Board shelving, benching, potting shoe and lighting 

Use: Roses, Pelargoniums, Jasmins, sweet peas, seed sowing and plug growing 

Bespoke mini greenhouse 

• Dimensions: 1.8m W × 2.2m L 

• Colour: Bronze Manganese 

Use: Children’s table and chairs, with the flexibility for seed and plug growing