Some help with a garden idea

[GreenIdeas]

Hi, I am about two thirds through and Open University degree course and a full-time working Mum (with 3 older children - or this would be impossible!!) I am working on a design project for a garden product and would really appreciate some comments and feedback on the concept if you can spare a moment to take a look. I would like to use any feedback received to try to develop the concept further for my year end project and would really value both positive and negative opinions. I have uploaded some pictures:

The GrowBox would be made from transparent phtotvoltaic glass that allows light to pass through so that plants can grow but is able to generate enough electrical power to to power led growlights for for an additional couple of hours of light each day early in the season when the daylight hours are shorter.

The concept also includes water butts in the wooden boxes either side of the growbox for irrigation along with compost bins a the back of the growbox for garden waste and would also help to generate heat as the waste decomposes.

An automatic ventilation bracket opens the back window to prevent the growbox from becoming too hot.

Thank you for taking the time to help me!

I'm getting a bit confused as to the size. You don't mention what it is, but assuming the pots used in the illustration are 'normal' sized pots then my main comment would be that there seems to be a lot of technology (read: cost) for the number of plants you could fit in the box.

Are you supposed to be building a business case for your product or is this purely a design assignment? If it is I may be able to come up with some more 'designy' suggestions.

From a design perspective, I would say that your design requires circulating space all around it, which would not make the most efficient use of space in a small garden. I would change the access to the compost bins to be on the sides, in order to allow for them to be emptied when the box is up against a fence.

It looks like it should sit against a wall or a fence, but it can’t because of the access to the compost bins would be blocked. I suggest you redesign access so that both filling and emptying can be done from the sides rather than the back.

Also I didn’t spot any taps on the water butts, how are you supposed to get the water out?

Looks very heavy and difficult to move too.

I like the idea of it... but similar to @CatherinedeBourgh it seems too small to be worth what I would assume it would cost. Could it be more on the greenhouse size? Also, good point on the space needed for access. I think most people would want to put something like this against a wall or fence.

What problem is this trying to solve? What is it for?

Can the photovoltaic glass produce power for heat mats rather than growlights, as that's what is needed at night to stop plants from freezing?

If it were me, I would be interested in the aesthetic as well as the practical. Could you use more attractive materials?

The compost and warmth reminds me of a Victoria design to grow pineapples in the UK!

I agree with others- what problem are you solving and what is the purpose? Other than seedlings, it looks too small to grow any meaningful veg to make it worth while.

What sort of plants would be grown in it?

The only thing I can think of is growing pineapples, and something has already been invented for that. Apart from the growlights and the special glass they have been using something similar in stately home gardens for quite a long time. The pineapple houses at Chatsworth were built in 1738!

Agree with others regarding the need for all-round access, which limits it to the larger garden, and also the lack of taps for the water butts.

The only heat source appears to be the decomposing compost, and this would grind to a halt in very cold weather. I agree with someone else who suggested that some of the energy from the glass is used for heat mats instead of growlights. There's no point in fooling plants into thinking that spring has arrived by increasing daylight hours, but then not have the additional warmth they also require.

Interesting idea though.

This is an ugly monstrosity.

At the moment I could buy a compact greenhouse (lots of styles/shapes/sizes to choose from) plus a solar heatmap/heatlamp.

I already have compost bins and water butts from my main guttering.

What is the point of this?

I think it's interesting and promising but agree that people would want this against a wall or fence so need to make clear how the compost bin would be accessed and easily emptied. Also, how are the water butts emptied? Normally you have a tap but it's not clear from the image.

Who do you imagine is your target market? I can't imagine many experienced gardeners spending out for a pricy, giant structure for starting seedlings that incorporates features they likely already have tucked away out of sight, e.g. compost heaps or water butts.

If I had space for that, I'd sooner invest in an actual greenhouse.

If your target market is beginner gardeners, you'll need it to be affordable and probably more compact.

Are the water butts harvesting water from the roof of the structure, or will this need to be sited alongside the house/garage/shed?

Have you considered how this would be installed, both from an assembly point of view, but also with regard to ground preparation? I'd ideally want water butts on a hard standing for stability, but compost heaps on soil.

Just read the diagram annotations which answer the water butt collection question.

Hi CatherinedeBourgh, thank you so much for taking the time to respond. My project brief revolves around innovation - taking a new material - in this case transparent/semi-transparent photovoltaic glass and seeing how it might be used in a new garden product. I am now looking to evolve the initial concept from the feedback I get from everyone - I have to document my process and come up with something that is hopefully feasible. The problem I have been looking to address using the pv glass is to extend the growing season. Your comments are really helpful. I am in the equivalent of the final year at university (although it has taken be 5 years to get this far) - and am working towards my year end assignment - it's really a struggle!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate the time everyone has taken to respond as it will enable me to change and develop the idea from the feedback that get. Many thanks for your comments.

Hi Whatevergetsyouthroughthenight, Thank you so much for giving me feedback on my design - I will be going back to the drawing board to pick up on access to the compost bins. Initially I had thought that by surrounding the growbox with composting bins and water butts would be a way to add thermal mass around growbox which absorbs the suns rays during the day, releasing heat at night (in the same way that some gardeners put black water butts inside unheated greenhouses to help raise the temperature by a degree or two). It seemed like a good idea to 'insulate' the three sides in this way - with an 'all-in-one' solution but I can see it does a make it bulky. You have given me great food for thought and I should be able to come up with some ways to make improvements. Thank you!

Thanks Imicola, really helpful comments - I will certainly be making changes to make the concept more space saving. I know that using pv technology will make the design more costly - another reason why I had looked at combining the growbox with other garden products in a 'all-in-one' solution - hoping I could achieve some kind of saving by doing this. I will look at what I can do with the design to make the addtional cost worthwhile. Lots of thinking to do!! Thanks for your comments.

Hi sylvandweller,
I am looking at coming up with aa product that will help extend the growing season using a new material (clear/transparent pv glass).

That will only work if the compost is at leasylt a metre cubed in volume and either filled with fresh manure or put together in one session.

And it would be better off under the planting area as it is the cold that does the damage in winter.

As someone who has literally spent 20 years trying to extend the growing season, you have to break it down into what activities you do in early spring and what you do in late autumn winter.

Late autumn winter you are trying to keep plants alive and I don't think the volume of space you would have would be enough for say, all my scented pelargoniums, a citrus tree or two. And the space would then be taken up when you want it for the spring sowing.

Early spring is seed sowing. So they need night time heat rather than longer days. Unless you can heat them, they will still freeze overnight.

The other thing to think about is that you could heat the water in the water butts and use them as a thermal mass to keep plants warmer at night.

i can see it being a good idea for smaller gardens who don’t have space for greenhouse.

The design works for gardeners who do hot-composting. I do cold-composting i.e. just add to the compost on an as-and-when basis. It would be interesting to find out what percentages of gardeners do HC or CC. The ones who achieve HC are probably the more serious gardeners who are less in need of your all-in-one concept.

Sorry if my feedback sounds unhelpful, it's not meant to be.

Hi AlisonDonut, I did look at heating options but they seem to take a considerable amount of electricity and I don't think that the PV will generate sufficient energy - will revisit this again as it would be a good option just to see if it is technically possible. Thanks for responding.

Hi Zippyzoppy, thanks for responding - do you have any suggestions about what materials you would like to see used?

Hi CC4712 and Tailinthejam - Thank you for your comments - the Victorians were certainly master gardeners - it must have take a lot of effort to grow pineapples! You are right - perhaps I need to give more thought to what I am trying to grow.

Thanks Goldpanther, appreciate the feedback.

Thank you jelliestfish, you have given me some really good pointers in terms of looking at my target market as well as the practicalities of the structure. I will certainly take all of this feedback onboard as I make changes to the concept. Hopefully it will help me come up with something that is going to be more practical and fit for purpose. Appreciate your help.