If you want your greenhouse steps from the house with easy access in all weather, an attached greenhouse is usually the better fit. If you have room out in the yard and like the idea of a separate garden hub among your beds and trees, a freestanding greenhouse is often the right choice.
Choosing a greenhouse style is not only about what looks beautiful in your yard. It's also about how you live, how much space you have, and what your climate asks of you. For many gardeners, the first big decision is whether their future greenhouse should attach to their home or stand on its own as a freestanding structure. Both choices can be incredibly successful. Let's try to find which option works best for you.
Before you look at models and glazing options, it helps to understand the basic difference between attached and freestanding greenhouses.
An attached greenhouse connects directly to an existing structure, usually your home, garage, or a sturdy wall. It shares at at least one wall and is often built in a lean-to r sunroom style. The greenhouse roof ties into your existing roofline or sits just below it, and the structure is designed to seal cleanly to the finished wall.
In day-to-day life, an attached greenhouse can feel like an extension of the house. You may enter it through a door from your kitchen, mudroom, or hallway, then out into your yard from a secondary door.
A freestanding greenhouse is a fully independent structure with four exterior walls and its own foundation or footing system. It does not rely on your home for support. Instead, you place it wherever it best fits your yard and your light.
Many gardeners position a freestanding greenhouse as a focal point in the landscape. it may sit in the middle of the garden, at the end of a path, or off to one side where it can catch the best winter sun.
Attached and freestanding greenhouses can use similar framing, glazing, and accessories, but the way they interact with your property is very different.
When you choose between them, you are really deciding how you want to:
With that foundation in place, let us look more closely at each style.
Attached greenhouses appeal to gardeners who want their growing space to feel very close to home. If you picture stepping out in slippers on a winter morning to check seedlings, an attached style may already be on your wish list.
An attached greenhouse usually connects along one long wall of the structure. Common locations include:
With a BC Greenhouse the greenhouse roof is set to work with your existing roofline, windows, and doors. This is where engineered design and careful measurements matter. You want a greenhouse that looks like it belongs with your home rather than a last-minute add-on.
Attached greenhouses offer a ew clear advantages:
Attached projects involve more coordination with your existing structure and local rules. Before you commit, walk through these checks:
Attached greenhouses tend to work especially well in a few common scenarios.
From a model standpoint, BC Greenhouse Builders offers two options for attached greenhouses, Lean-to and Gable attached.
Freestanding greenhouses attract gardeners who like the idea of a dedicated garden hub out in the yard. If you picture walking down a path to a light-filled structure surrounded by beds or borders, a freestanding style may be your best match.
A freestanding greenhouse stands on its own. It has four exterior walls, its own foundation, and does not depend on your house for structure. You choose its location based on light, access, and your overall garden plan.
Common placements include:
Because you are not limited by an existing wall, you have more freedom to orient the greenhouse for ideal winter and shoulder season sun.
Freestanding greenhouses offer a different set of advantages:
Because freestanding greenhouses live fully inn the landscape, the site itself become the star. Before you decide on a location, walk through these checks:
Freestanding greenhouse models tend to be an excellent fit when:
BC Greenhouse freestanding greenhouses include our Backyard series and freestanding Meridian Estate structures, each offering different rooflines and aesthetics while all providing the strength needed for real weather. The right choice comes down to your climate, preferred style, and how you want the greenhouse to sit within the wider landscape.
Use this quick comparison to see how attached and freestanding greenhouses perform side by side.
|
Question |
Attached Greenhouse | Freestanding Greenhouse |
| Where does it sit | Connects to an existing wall on your home, garage or another structure | Stands on its own anywhere in the yard with suitable light and access |
| How you reach it | Step through a door from inside or from a nearby patio or path | Walk across the yard on a path from the house, often through the garden |
| Best for space | Making use of narrow side yards and walls where every foot matters | Yards with enough open rea to place a structure among beds, trees, or lawn |
| Light and exposure | Works well when your best winter sun is along one house wall and you want some shelter from wind | Works well when your best year round sun is out in the yard and you want full light from multiple sides |
| Utilities | Often closer to existing heat, power, and water services | May require more planning for power, water, and a clear all season path |
| Future changes | Uses less of the main yard so you can still add decks, sheds, or beds elsewhere | Creates a clear garden hub that you can build around with paths, raised beds, and seating |
| Overall feel | Reads as a garden room that is closely ties to the house | Reads as a destination that pulls you out into the garden |
This kind of comparison does not choose for you, but it can make your preferences more obvious. As you read across the rows, notice which column feels more like the way you honestly use and enjoy your yard.
You do not need a perfect plan before you talk to a greenhouse expert, but a few points are worth keeping in mind as you move from ideas to a real project.
Once you have noticed your light, checked your basic rules, and thought through how you really like to move through your yard, you are in a strong position to decide between attached and freestanding styles. From there, our team can help you match that choice with the right model family, glazing, and accessories so your greenhouse feels like it was always meant to be part of your space.