Garden windows have taken on a variety of different meanings these days; windowsill herb gardens is one example, windows overlooking gardens is another and the glazed conservatory is yet another. So what do we mean when we start discussing ways to make one.
Well, I’ve already discussed the first option but I only mentioned how to turn the windowsill into a living, growing garden. Garden windows are more than just the sill on a two-dimensional plane.
The idea of a garden window, or “bay window” as some gardeners refer to them, is to capture light from as many directions as possible. Therefore, the actual window extrudes past the boundaries of the wall that it resides upon and seemingly holds itself suspended above the ground.
Some garden windows will just have three panes of glass: two smaller ones that extrude from the edges at an angle and another large piece that horizontally afaces the wall. Others will also add another pane at the top of this space and still others will also add another at the bottom where the sill normally resides. The extra top and bottom glass panes do have a reason; firstly the top pane allows more daylight hours of sunshine to penetrate the window while the bottom allows for the area to quickly heat up in areas where this is required.
So, the question is, “Is it possible to make your own garden windows?”
And the answer is “Yes…and No”. If you’re an able bodied person with the gift of window glazing then it should be a cinch for you to create one of these in your spare time. However, if you’re like me and a little tentative when putting holes in the side of your house then you may want to consider hiring a professional to give you a hand.
However, if you do hire a professional glazer/ builder to create your garden windows it doesn’t mean that you can’t be involved in the process – especially customising the design.
The most important decision required at the start of the process is to choose where to orientate your garden windows. If you live in the northern hemisphere then facing it south will probably mean it’s going to be too hot and north may not get enough sun. For southern hemisphereans the opposite is true. Therefore your best orientation is either east or west, regardless of which hemisphere you live in.
When you’ve discovered where to locate the garden window then it’s a matter of what type to install; full glazing (top and bottom), side glazing only or a combination of both. It really depends on what you plan to grow inside it and how hot your climate is – the cooler the better.
Then it’s time to install the window making sure that the weather is still kept at bay and can’t intrude through any gaps. Once installed, choose some plants that grow well in containers and enjoy the extra sunshine. Then you’ll become the envy of the gardening world – well, almost.