In the warm summer months you prefer to spend time in the garden. The warm rays of sunshine warm the body, moving around among the plants cheers up the mood and you can gather new energy for everyday life. When the days get shorter again and it's cold outside, many people suffer from limited outdoor activities. If you like to lie in the garden and read a good book in the winter months, you should choose a winter garden. This is an extension of the living space. Thanks to high-quality insulation, you can enjoy a tropical atmosphere inside, even when the temperatures outside are frosty below zero. Below you will find out what you need to pay attention to when building your winter garden and how to set it up for summer.
Constructions according to design
The winter garden is not a uniform concept that is implemented equally by every client. Rather, you have a lot of design freedom that you should use to your advantage. First of all, you need to consider the architecture of the existing house. Ultimately, the winter garden should fit in harmoniously because it is an extension of the house. Furthermore, the location of the property on which the winter garden is to be built and its size must be taken into account. Once these factors have been clarified, you can incorporate your personal budget and preferences into the design of the winter garden. Do you want a tropical design or are you leaning more towards an industrial look? Do you want a flat glass roof or an ostentatious structure? To do this, it is important to get in close contact with a specialized architect.
Advantages and disadvantages: different materials
The selection of materials for building the winter garden plays a crucial role in two respects. On the one hand, they give a certain look and atmosphere. Where metallic materials quickly embody the industrial look, natural materials contribute more to the boho style. The materials also have different requirements regarding care, maintenance and handling. Many people choose aluminum when building their winter garden. The material has numerous advantages, such as lightness combined with high load-bearing capacity. In this way, slim profiles can be designed that are hardly noticeable and can still carry very large loads. Aluminum is weather-resistant, so it will not rust. This reduces the maintenance effort enormously. Also available is a combination of wood and aluminum. This interaction offers you the load-bearing capacity of aluminum with the natural look of wood. Inside, a very homely atmosphere is created that invites you to linger for a long time. By using aluminum cover shells, you benefit from the weather resistance of the material. The wood is protected from environmental influences.
Large glass fronts are used to give the winter garden a bright touch. However, these must be designed carefully so that winter cold does not penetrate the interior. For this reason, most architects rely on thermal insulation glass or insulating glass. This glass offers you high energy efficiency and is protected against burglary at the same time. The immense thickness of the material also absorbs sound. Even winter gardens that are located directly on a street do not become a noisy place. A special feature of the glass is its heat-retaining effect. Sun rays can penetrate from outside. The heat generated inside is retained and therefore does not escape to the outside. This saves you immense heating costs.
Air and shade – this is what the winter garden thrives on
In the winter garden, however, it's not just about high-quality insulation. In addition to a pleasant temperature, the winter garden also needs good ventilation and shading. There are two systems to choose from for ventilation. You can choose mechanical cross ventilation or the motorized ventilation device. The mechanical variation must be opened or closed with muscle power, whereas electrically operated motors do not just open at the push of a button. If you integrate a smart system, you can ensure that the winter garden is ventilated using an app. Make sure to fit all windows and ventilation units with fly screens. This means no insects can get into the winter garden.
Tip:
For the hot summer months, it is important to prevent the intense sun rays from penetrating your relaxing winter garden. Therefore, roller shutters are an option. These can also be selected in manual or motorized versions. This means you can freely control the intensity of the sun's rays as you wish.
Bring the winter garden to life
After the winter garden has been planned and built, it's time to set it up. The first thing to decide is whether the winter garden should be more of a living room or a flower paradise. Also decide on a style that should decorate the appearance of your winter garden. If you like it rustic, you can rely on lots of wooden elements that exude a rustic flair. You should choose robust plants to match this. A maritime style is characterized by the color choice of blue and white. Tropical plants such as palm trees or cacti go well with this. Would you like to make the winter garden your retreat for reading a good book? Then comfortable armchairs, a small table to put tea or coffee on and bookshelves should not be missing. Delicate plants such as orchids or lilies can be found very well in this room.
The larger the plants are, the more important it becomes to rely on plant rollers. In Marco Heger's online shop you will find stylish plant trolleys that will fit harmoniously into the flair of your winter garden. The function of these helpers is obvious: place heavy plants on the rollers. You can now move the plant as you wish without having to use muscle power to move heavy loads. This not only offers you safety and a reduction in the risk of injury. You can also spontaneously change the furnishings of your winter garden and offer the plants a new location.
Tip:
If you want to use the plant rollers outside the winter garden, they offer a special extra. There is a clearance in the middle of each plant roller. If plants are placed on the rollers without a planter, waterlogging can drain away easily. This saves you the additional weight of the planter.
Urban Jungle in trend
Creating an urban jungle is becoming more and more popular. A room in which you feel like you are in the middle of an African jungle offers a balance from the stressful everyday life. This requires numerous robust plants that bring the winter garden to life. The winter garden also offers a place where non-hardy plants can overwinter.
