What is essential in a greenhouse?

[nibblingfingernails]

I have just bought my first greenhouse! What is an essential to have in my green house - I'm hoping to grow mainly flowers and a couple of tomato plants. Would like to attempt to grow from seeds (no idea how that will go) if seeds don't work out then small plug plants.

Alternative that sounds fantastic.

I'm only in my second year with a greenhouse - it's in a courtyard too so has one very shady wall.

Best thing for me was getting electricity put in (v easy as it was just putting a cable through the wall from the utility room - but got an electrician to do it) so can plug in propogator and have a light.

The light means i can potter in there after work.

V important is the cat's chair - he gets very upset if anything is put on it and he can't use it.

I wish I'd gone for foldable staging - but I've kind of made it work by putting one bit of staging upside down on top of the other so I can still use it as a table in the darker side of the greenhouse.

The max min thermometer is fab.

I also have a chair for me to sit on that folds away so I can sit in there when its raining with a cup of tea and turn a deaf ear to calls from the house.

I am so jealous, your greenhouse sounds lovely. My greenhouse eventually arrived at lunchtime today by a very grumpy delivery driver, I was out at the time (typical) but my DD was at home and she asked him to put it by the side of the house. Not a great ask but he wasn't thrilled and did it ungraciously. Now I have to wait until Friday for my Dad to come and help to erect it.

I keep on changing my mind where to put it. Where I originally wanted it, I have decided to keep that area for my garden furniture as it gets the most sun. Not sure whether to put it on my decking or under a tree. (the tree isn't in my garden but over hangs, think I have more of the neighbours tree in my garden than they do)

I'm really looking forward to planting stuff, this year I have 2 tomato plants and can't believe that I have got real tomatoes off them to eat and they are so tasty and even look like real tomatoes!

What were the first things you grew and what is the best thing for me to grow over the winter??

I am on the lookout now for a stool and small radio.

I wouldn't put it under a tree. The glass will get dirty with tree debris and end up with verdigris on it.

Really! I had thought it may have with a bit of shade! Back to the drawing board - my garden consists of 3 terraces, 1st terrace is decking, 2nd terrace I have had turf laid this year and the 3rd terrace has large pebbles. In time I want to clear all the large pebbles, its on the 3rd terrace where I was going to put greenhouse.

Any chance your neighbours have had enough of the tree and would allow it to be removed? How big is it?

It's a decent size - think it's a cherry tree. But most of the branches are over my side of the fence and if I got someone into take the branches off I honestly think they would lose most of the tree.

I have been shopping! I bought a dustpan and brush (DC thinks that's hilarious as we actually don't have one in the house!) Seedling trays, a tin that has twine in, cable ties, bamboo sticks, 2 pairs of gardening gloves, round recycling pots, seed labels, waterproof notebook and a plastic case with lid to put my seeds in (I am going to put them in months to sow order and make my own dividers)

I am praying that the sun shines tomorrow so my greenhouse actually gets put up!

Oh my! My Dear old Dad (bless him) came to help me and my 2DC. Didn't even enter my head that it would take hours and even then still not be complete! We just have to put some of the polycarbonate panels in and then it's finished - I hope! We are talking pretty much 6 hours of putting together.

It is looking good, I'm desperate to put stuff in, looks good where we put it. It makes my garden quite cosy.

We get our green house tomorrow to go along our poly. God I hope it doesn't take 6hours we have to dismantle this one first

Good luck! It didn't help that the instructions weren't very clear!