The awning will basically give you a second dining room as well as living room and you will be able to enjoy all your meals outside under protective canvas. The awning will offer some protection for barbeques as well and offer some insurance against unpredictable summer showers. Not only will you be able to dine alfresco, but also with some privacy from onlooking neighbours.

Patio awnings is generally more expensive than you may imagine, particularly if you require a tailor made one. Generally speaking you will not need planning permission for a patio awning, but it's always wise to double check with your local authority. The fabric generally used for a patio awning is a teflon coated fabric which protects against elemensts and is treated with an anti-mildew coating. They will also be "UV-stablished" to resist fading. The treatments should be gauranteed by manufacturer.

A patio awning gains you extra living space and allows you to enjoy some alfresco dining for an extended summer.

Wooden greenhouses are slightly more expensive than aluminium and plastic ones, but do offer more to experienced gardener. Aluminium and plastic greenhouses are a better choice for beginner before upgrading to a timber greenhouse.

Aluminium Greenhouses

A major advantage of aluminium greenhouses is that they are relatively cheap and maintenance free. They are best choice of greenhouse if your priority is low maintenance. However, you should be aware of advantages of other types of greenhouse. For example, with wooden greenhouses it is easy to fix extra shelves and hookes, inside and out. Aluminium is certainly easier to maintain than a wooden greenhouse, but care should be taken to keep all structural components as clean as possible to deter pests and disease.Aluminium greenhouses are certainly most popular at moment and part of attractiveness is flat pack packaging and (relatively easy) self assembly. This helps keep cost down and aluminium is value for money choice of greenhouse.

Before erecting an aluminium greenhouse, there are certain considerations. Firstly you should decide upon location of greenhouse. Somewhere easily accessible during bad weather would be good. Observe areas of your garden during sunny days to see which parts get most sunlight. Some protection from wind would be good, but not at expense of blocking out light. Also, be aware of any stray footballs from next door !

If you're after a value for money and low maintenance greenhouse then aluminium is a good choice. You may lose some of aesthetic qualities of a wooden greenhouse, but you do benefit from modern technology and design.