Most calls to the shop start the same way. Someone in Boaz, Albertville, or up on Sand Mountain has a sunny patch and wants to know if a mini greenhouse is enough, or if they should wait and put up a walk-in.
Start with the pad, not the catalog photo. A 4 by 6 frame needs a level spot about that size, plus room to open the door. A 6 by 8 needs a wider level run. If the only level ground is against the house, look at the lean-to before you buy a freestanding kit and then fight the slope.
Summer is the real test here, not January. A closed polycarbonate house in June will cook seedlings by late morning unless a roof vent can open. The hobby and walk-in kits include a vent. Add the automatic opener if nobody is home at noon to lift it. A shade cloth on the 6x8 is for those same weeks, not for winter.
Winter is a smaller problem than people expect, and a sharper one on the ridge. A mini house will not keep tomatoes alive through a hard freeze. It will let you start trays earlier and hold lettuce when a late frost rolls through in April. If that is the job, a cold frame may be the better first purchase, and the greenhouse can wait until you know you will use the space.
We pack six kit sizes on Carver Road. The 4x6 is the patio house. The 6x8 is the one we suggest most often. The 6x10 and 8x12 are for people who already know they want benches and a path. The 10x12 is a heavy kit. The lean-to is for a sound south or east wall.
Prices on the site are draft prices while we replace the checkout shipping rate with real carrier numbers. If you are between two sizes, call +1 256-593-2621 or write contact@HillsideGreenhouse.shop and tell us the footprint you measured.
The sizes are listed with the greenhouse kits.