Outdoor SunSpaces News

After nearly 12 months of living under strict restrictions thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there may finally be some light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel.

With vaccinations well underway and the number of new cases falling all over the UK, at last, we may be heading towards the end of what has felt like a very tiresome 12 months but how long until you're able to meet back up with people in the comfort of your garden? Well, that very much depends on what each of the four UK nations believes to be the best way out of their respective lockdowns. 

In the last week, we have heard from all four national leaders on their individual plans to ease lockdown restrictions. Some provide clear dates of when certain restrictions will be eased, whereas others have been a little vaguer. If you happened to miss these recent updates and are wondering when you can meet people in your garden, read on to find out!

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A recent survey conducted by SunSpaces asked: If you could add ONE thing to your garden, what would you choose?

Of the 16 options given, the most popular - chosen by 13% of respondents - was Veranda / sheltered area.

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A customer in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire recently decided to add a lean-to sunroom to her property. She got in touch with the SunSpaces team, explored our product range, and eventually settled on a Panorama glass room.

This project was a little unusual because the customer opted to have her sunroom installed with the roof sloping upwards from the house in the manner of a reverse pitch conservatory. This resulted in a very striking aesthetic, as the photo above shows!

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It's national house plant week! A time to celebrate indoor gardening and the beauty of bringing nature inside. Adding house plants to your home has a lot of physical and mental health benefits, as well as creating cleaner air for you to breathe, having houseplants around will help to improve your mood.

Since most of us are stuck at home due to the latest COVID-19 restrictions, we thought it would be fun to share some different species of house plants that you can grow in your sunroom. Growing plants is a great activity that the whole family can enjoy, so we hope this inspires you to get out your gardening gloves and add a touch of greenery to your sunroom.

Why add plants to your sunroom?

With lots of natural light and insulation from the cold outside, sunrooms are ideal for growing a wide variety of house plant species. While you might grow fruits and vegetables outside, having a sunroom gives you space to grow more exotic or tropical species of house plants that you can admire while you drink your morning coffee. 

Of course, some house plants are easier to grow than others, but by having all of your house plants in an easy-to-access space, you'll be able to keep an eye on them and tend to their needs without having to trudge outside in the rain. Let's take a look at some of the most popular house plants you can grow in your sunroom.

What plants can you grow in a sunroom?

Most house plants will thrive in a sunroom but it's important you research each species to find out what conditions it needs before you plant it. Some house plants need to be kept out of direct sunlight, while others need high humidity, it really depends on the type of house plant you choose. Here are a few popular house plants that you could try growing in your sunroom during national house plant week.

Spider Plants

If you're looking for an easy house plant to grow in your sunroom, a spider plant is the way to go! They can adapt to all kinds of environments and are generally very durable, meaning they're ideal for house plant growing beginners. They thrive when they're in a pot with plenty of drainage and when they're kept out of direct sunlight. For this reason, most homeowners choose to hang them in planters in a shadier part of their sunroom. 

Over time, you might notice a new shoot developing on one of the plant's tendrils. In the spring months, these will flower (shown above) meaning a new baby plant (or spiderette) is developing. If you want to, you can remove this part of your spider plant, allow it to grow roots and plant it in a new pot - expanding your spider plant colony around the house!

Hibiscus

Hibiscus is a tropical plant that homeowners favour for its colourful flowers. This is a great plant to grow inside your sunroom because it thrives in temperatures between 16 and 32°c. Since we're currently in one of our coldest seasons of the year, growing hibiscus in your sunroom is a great idea. It's guaranteed to brighten up your SunSpace, even on the grey winter days.

Some people will start their hibiscus off in a pot inside and then move it outside during the summer. In total, hibiscus plants need around 6 hours of daylight per day, so if your SunSpace catches the afternoon sun, this could be a great choice for you.

Orchids

Orchids are beautiful flowers that, compared to other flower species, are fairly easy to grow. They thrive in bright light, making them ideal candidates for your sunroom. They like to be watered regularly, but they'll happily be left to dry out completely between watering (so you don't need to panic if you forget for a day or two). 

Succulents

Finally, we couldn't recommend house plants for your sunroom without giving these guys an honourable mention. Succulents are adorable little plants that everybody loves - and they're perfect for your sunroom!

They require little to no maintenance, only the occasional water, and can cope with really warm temperatures. Even if your sunroom gets up to 35°c and over during the summer months, you won't have to worry about your succulents dying. Some popular types of succulents are jade plants, cacti, aloe vera and snake plant!

So there you have it, a few different house plant species that you can plant during house plant week 2021! Share a picture of the house plants in your sunroom on Facebook or Twitter by tagging us and using the hashtag #HouseplantWeekUK. For any other SunSpaces enquiries, give us a call on 01727 845 788

Winter is coming! Which means it's time to start thinking about ways to keep warm in your garden. Nowadays, there are plenty of things you can do to stay warm outside so you don't have to abandon your garden until spring. With a SunSpace, you can enjoy the outdoors whatever the weather.

Insulated Glass Rooms

If you want to make more use of your garden during winter, we'd highly recommend taking a look at our insulated glass garden rooms. The Solarlux Wintergarden is designed to retain as much heat as possible so that you can relax and enjoy your garden surroundings without feeling like you're sat out in the cold.

Other non-insulated garden rooms have a tendency to get a little chilly through autumn and winter, so these insulated glass rooms are a perfect alternative. This style of sunroom acts effectively as an extension to your living space, meaning you can dine, relax and enjoy your garden while keeping warm.

Learn more about Solarlux Wintergarden >

Add Heating

Some garden designs feature verandas and awnings, which are great for keeping the rain off but aren't so great for retaining heat. Don't worry though, there are accessories you can add to your garden to help you keep warm. For example, outdoor heaters! 

Here at SunSpaces, we offer a wide range of outdoor heaters that can be used with all our Sunrooms except, Horizon, Dynamic and Solarlux Wintergarden. We know that staying warm in your garden is important, especially at this time of year, which is why we offer outdoor heaters with different features and at different price points. 

All of our outdoor heaters are controlled via remote control, making them easy to operate and adjust as required. We even offer a garden heater with a built-in Bluetooth speaker so you can have your favourite tunes blaring while you stay warm in your garden. 

Shop Garden Heaters >

Back to Basics

If all else fails, there's no harm in going back to basics and heading into the garden with your coat, a blanket and a hot drink in hand. Whether you're using your garden for a spot of stargazing or a late afternoon BBQ, you really can't beat getting cosy to stay warm in the garden.

While we don't recommend having a fire pit inside your garden room or directly under your veranda or awning, there's no harm in having one elsewhere in your garden. Fire pits are a great source of heat, they're charming and they're perfect for roasting marshmallows... and who doesn't love roasted marshmallows?

We hope that these tips will help you stay warm in the garden whether you have a SunSpace or not! Of course, if you're interested in adding an insulated garden room, a veranda or an awning to your garden this autumn/winter, don't hesitate to get in touch - 01727 845 788.