Greenhouse Decor
Why I love NGS open gardens plus fun stuff to put in your greenhouse
It is peak garden season - I know this because this weekend, there are more local NGS open garden listings than we can possibly manage to visit! We love going to NGS gardens and I think it is a perfect weekend activity for anyone with kids. There is almost always tea and excellent cake, the open garden is usually much bigger than ours so there is masses of space for small people to run free and I always leave inspired and having found some new plant I’d like to acquire. There is often a plant sale and if you’re lucky, you can even bug the owners for gardening advice.
Whilst I obviously take a great deal of interest in the plants, first I make a beeline for the greenhouse. I like seeing what people are growing. I’ve always loved greenhouses from the most humble back garden ones filled with tomato and cucumbers to the grandest glasshouses at Kew. I swoon over the Alitex insta feed, spend my pennies on precious terracotta pots and save all my seeds in an old biscuit tin. A greenhouse is always full of promise and hope. And it usually smells amazing too.
When we had to replace a rotten conservatory earlier this year, we decided to go for a greenhouse instead and it has been such a good decision. There is more glass so it just feels so much more connected to the garden and I love that it is good for both growing and for hanging out in. It has become a lovely spot for sitting quietly with a cup of tea, for fussing over my tomato plants and for gazing at the garden in rain as well as sunshine.
Like many people, we wanted this greenhouse to work hard and serve not just as a growing space but also as an extra entertaining space. Using greenhouses for dinner parties, wellness spaces or just the perfect coffee spot is becoming a thing - I wrote about it in The Times a couple of months ago. Whilst our own is still pretty empty - and this year I’m mainly enjoying the light and space - I do have a wish list of bits and pieces to go inside and I thought it would be fun to share some of them this week.
Wavy Terracotta Pot, £10, Maison Flaneur
I cannot get enough of these. They are perfect little pots and given the funds, I would fill my greenhouse and garden with them
Scalloped Metal table, Sarah Raven, £199.95
Such a sweet table - ideal for pots but also pretty enough to eat off should you want to.
Curato Garden Chair, Birdie Fortescue, £396
This range from Birdie Fortescue is right up my street. All the vintage feels, but it is actually made from aluminium and is extremely durable. I’d love to have these in my greenhouse - I’d feel like I was in an E M Forster novel.
Twisted Brass Wall Sconce, Graham & Green, £24
I love a sconce and I have some beautiful vintage ones in other parts of the house. These are a really good price and would look great in the evening if we want to have a candlelit dinner.
Tiered Plant stand, Cox&Cox, £125
I like a plant stand - it creates a bit of theatre and it is a good way to cram as many pots as possible into a small space.
1950s Vintage watering can, £55, Merchant & Found
We have a lovely vintage can already (see above) but should you want one too, Merchant & Found have a good selection. I have mine permanently on display - mainly so I don’t ever forget to water the tomatoes - so it has to look nice too.
Large Natural Rattan & Pink Chinoiserie Pagoda Lantern, £138, Mrs Alice
This is so fabulous - I don’t really know why I want it so much but like a lot of Mrs Alice kit, it just feels decadent and fun.
Indoor / Outdoor Rug, Oka, £197 (in sale!)
This is a great outdoor / indoor rug option and it is currently on sale at Oka.
If you’ve found The Frill suitably thrilling this week, please click on the little heart icon. It will send other interiors lovers my way and appease the Substack algorithm. Thank you x
