Greenhouse Vegetable Gardening (2015)

To sow rarer plants

Jekka McVicar, Seeds: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Successfully from Seeds, Kyle Cathie 2001

Leo Jelitto m fl, Hardy Herbaceous Perennials, Timber Press 1990

Older volumes

I also recommend some older books on greenhouse cultivation. Instructional materials for nursery gardens and textbooks on hotbed gardening from a century ago might be found at booksellers dealing in vintage books. These volumes are founts of forgotten knowledge that, while of little use to commercial growers, can still serve the hobby gardener very well—especially with advice on propagation and overwintering. However, they need to be quite old, since books from the 1950s and after tend to champion the use of chemical pesticides, some of which are banned from use today.

Shopping tips

Greenhouses and accessories

The advent of the Internet has changed the ways in which we acquire information as well as how we shop. In Sweden, two large companies, Classicum and Willab, sell greenhouses and their attendant accessories. Both have been in business for many years, are well stocked, and have their own websites. There are also smaller companies that sell their own models, or act as intermediaries for other greenhouse manufacturers. Building supply and discount stores also sell greenhouses, which are usually a special-order item.

Websites:

http://www.classicum.se

http://www.willabgarden.se

The specific insulation fabric used by commercial growers is manufactured by Ludvig Svensson, but is sold through BMS in Hässelholm, Sweden (Telephone: 011- 46- 451 - 38 - 48 - 50). They sell also to the public (see further information at www.bms.nu).

Seeds, plants, pots, containers, et cetera.

Only a few seeds and plants are mentioned by name in this book, because specimen availability tends to change quickly. One of the advantages of having a greenhouse, however, is that it gives us ample opportunity to try out new varieties of seeds and plants.

You can find seeds for growing plants in greenhouses at many horticultural companies, and they’re widely available over the Internet. In fact, there are so many retailers that there isn’t room to name them all. However, for vegetable seeds, names that stand out are Lindbloms Frö and Runåbergs Fröer. They don’t have a brick-and-mortar presence; everything is taken care of by mail order. They and other Swedish outfits have large seed selections to choose from, and their product is of premium quality. Lindbloms Frö also sells seed starting supplies and pots, as well as a variety of items geared specifically to commercial growers.

Impecta Handels is a mail order business selling seeds not only for vegetables and flowers, but also for many kinds of houseplants. Jelitto is a well-known German seed vendor specializing in perennials. They provide excellent seed and sowing information on their website.

Buying plants by mail order can sometimes feel confusing and a bit risky, especially if you’re not familiar with the seller and the shipping time is long. There are plenty of reliable vendors, however, and one of them, Rockdala, offers a large selection of their own Swedish grown geraniums and fuchsias.