Greenhouse advice

Morning.
I currently have an 8ft*10ft greenhouse. That is decidedly crowded at the moment. So I am thinking of a getting a second one to stand alongside. The first question is how much of a gap to leave between the two.
Secondly recommendations on make would be appreciated.
Double doors are a must, the new greenhouse will be put up on a base of hardcore and topped with gravel to ensure good drainage. At the moment there are no plans/budget for power for lighting or heating.

 

@JWK
Thanks for the answer. I was looking at the Rhino range. I like the fact that they are a pretty complete package.
I will certainly bear in mind your tip about the drainage pipe.
Have to get the tape measure and graph paper out soon and replan that end of the garden.

 

Thanks JWK, I too am looking at the Rhino range, also an 8 x 10, a recommendation always makes you feel a bit more confident when buying a quite expensive item.

 

Can 99.99999% recommend the Rhino, I bought 1 3 years ago (treated myself for giving up the dreaded fags!)I live in Scotland and my house is quite high up in the hills so not the most sheltered. I got a Rhino built by 1 of their recommended fitters who I actually knew (Danny something) prior to ordering a Rhino. Mine is 20ftX6ft and BULGING atm with over 40 tomato plants etc etc. I also got it built with toughened glass because daughter insisted for when not if I fall over in it...cheeky cow that she is, but right!
The toughened panes are big and not your usual 2ftx2ft. I think the lack of joins strengthens the greenhouse, each side pane is just 1 sheet of glass. The system they use for fitting the glass is great, nothing like the old metal clip type. Head room is excellent. I'm 5 ft 7ins and have felt slightly cramped in other people's greenhouses due to lack of headroom not in this 1. I was going to get an 8 ft wide 1, then Kristen (extremely knowledgeable contributor to GC who sadly doesn't post on here anymore) advised I'd be much better getting only 6ft wide, then you don't struggle to reach the sides. Personally I think he is absolutely right for me anyway. Unless you are limited to size I'd maybe go longer and 6ft wide unless you have a very long reach @burnie.
You'd be more than welcome to come and see mine, you too @NigelJ although a bit of a trek for you. Mine has double sliding doors and low threshold so getting a wheelbarrow in and out is a cinche.I am not saying I am an expert on greenhouses but have had 5 over the years. To me The Rhino is the perfect compromise between excessively expensive paying for unnecessary "pretty" bits and really well constructed to stand severe weather and a pleasure to be in. Just let me know if you would like to pop over Burnie, I'll need to get the machete out so you can actually get in it. Why not 100% recommendation? because it has a rather small cheapo looking door nobs! Everything else is spot on. If I was younger and could cope with doing more I would get another 1 in a minute but with the garden to look after and the amount of veg I already grow I think I will stick with 1.

 

Thanks JWK and Silu, brilliant information, I have trees in the garden which basically restrict me to one area for the greenhouse. There's a tall stone wall at the bottom of the garden which throws a shadow, so after a lot of deliberation an 8 x 10 seemed the optimum size. I am 6 foot 4 so I too need head room , I have a good long reach so the 8 foot width shouldn't be a problem(I hope). My idea is to grow mostly in containers/grow bags, my thoughts were to place grow bags at right angles to the central "path", so 6 foot would be too narrow for my planned location. I might just pop down to Fife to see your garden(you are more than welcome to visit mine). My daughter stays in Perth, so me and my wife are constantly nipping over that direction, so a detour to the Kingdom isn't out of the way.

This is what I'm looking at, my wife would like it in the green colour
http://www.greenhousesdirect.co.uk/Greenhouses/Rhino/Premium 8ft/8x10/

 

I only live 12 miles south of Perth so not a million miles out of your way. My greenhouse is just the silver colour which I am happy with but the "posh" green would be nice too. You won't be bent double with the height of the Rhino eave even at 6ft 4ins! Maybe you will be able to reach across an 8 ft one. Mine has 2 ft earth borders either side of a 2ft slab path. I like having earth borders as it makes watering so much easier than everything in pots/grow bags altho I do have 10 or so mini Tomato plants in pots as well as the borders bulging plus MORE Tomato plants in hanging baskets on the hanging basket rail. I currently am having to hurdle down the 2ft path as it is smothered in pots of Tomatoes which have grown bigger than expected....note to self to not grow quite so many next year!
If you would like to see the greenhouse in the flesh as it were just PM me @burnie and I'll give you my address and phone number so we can organise a visit and maybe I could pop up to see yours some time. I would seriously recommend getting Danny to put the greenhouse up for you. He has been erecting greenhouses for years and carries lots of spares should something be needed. He took 2 days on his own to erect ours. We had the area cleared and pretty level (Well I thought it was perfectly level...Danny wasn't too impressed and got it right to his satisfaction!) No doubt the young and very able would manage to erect the greenhouse themselves. I wouldn't fancy dealing with the big panes of heavy glass and didn't regret getting Danny to put it up. He often works with another person so if there were 2 of them they could probably get yours done in a day maybe. He lives near Cupar so not very far from you. My only worry was the delivery lorry as I live on a single track road and the lorry was BIG, however with a bit of an effort the lorry made it to us!

 

I've got the 12 x 8 Rhino, absolutely brilliant greenhouse! Staging along both sides, which leaves room for my toms at the end. If I could, I'd have another of these in a heartbeat.

This pic is from when I first had it. It looks a heck of a lot tidier in there then than it does now.


I'll take a piccy later on this morning when I pop over to talk to the tomatoes. xx

 

Wow that's tidy @Joolz! Glad you too are pleased with your Rhino. I am thinking of hiring mine out so the film makers can shoot a sequel to Tarzan in it, who needs to go to a jungle with what I can offer. If Burnie decides to pop over to see the standard of the Rhino he'll be able to confirm I don't exaggerate!

 

@silu It most certainly doesn't look like that now!



My *shrub* tomatoes have gone bonkers this year!


As you can see, no self-respecting greenhouse can be without a bed for the cats. Luna has claimed this shelf as her own. She's in the cool of the lounge atm. Ooo, ps, I responded to your message earlier this week chick. xx

 

But you can still use you pathway @Joolz , I can't really even see mine for Tomatoes, altho yours is coming along nicely and in time will also be junglesk! My greenhouse is ridiculously full and I also have an ancient summerhouse thingy which you can't get into either as it's choka with all my 1000s of pots, gardening tools, cloches, bags of compost etc. I really must sort that out as it's a death trap atm.
Last night I was squeezed into the greenhouse watering and discovered both my cats were asleep in there under the 2 huge Cucumber plants. Unfortunately for them I didn't realise and they got watered too and weren't impressed...ooops!

 

So Rhino it is I need a new green house this winter so the Rhino recommendations makes the task a lot easier.
Can a 8 x 8 greenhouse be assembled single handed ? Or is it a 2 person job ?

 

I think on reflection I will use the Greenhouse suppliers fitter, just for peace of mind with the glass panes being so big, I would guess fitting large panes on the roof on your own, if you've not done it before, could be tricky.