Hartley Botanic

Handmade aluminium greenhouses from Greenfield, England

Hartley Botanic designs and builds glasshouses and greenhouses by hand, a trade it has practised since 1938. The company states that its structures are precision-engineered and assembled at its workshops in Greenfield, a mill town in England, using parts still produced with traditional hand-operated equipment. Each unit is cut, welded, glazed and finished to order rather than taken from stock, and the firm describes its output as made exclusively for each client.

The manufacturer traces its origin to Vincent Hartley, who in 1938 patented an aluminium greenhouse design presented as an improvement on the Victorian wood and wrought-iron models that preceded it. The company's own account of its history also cites a 1940s headlamp cowl invented by Vincent Hartley and the registration of the original aluminium greenhouse patent in the 1950s.

Seven architectural ranges

The catalogue is organised into seven established styles, each offered in various sizes, colours and configurations:

• Victorian Glasshouses, a classic span-roof form ranging from compact to large structures.
• Heritage Greenhouses, a pitch-roof design intended for period gardens and landscapes.
• Modern Greenhouses and Contemporary Glasshouses, with clean lines, concealed engineering and generous glazing.
• Lean-to Greenhouses and Glasshouses, designed to sit against a wall or building.
• Brick-Base Greenhouses, raised on a traditional low brick base.
• Glass to Ground Greenhouses, with glazing running down to ground level.
• Bespoke Greenhouses, commissioned outside the standard ranges.

Beyond type, the range is also grouped by size, including patio, small and large glasshouses, and the company offers accessories and options as add-ons.

Made-to-measure and bespoke commissions

For projects that fall outside the standard styles, Hartley Botanic provides a bespoke design and installation service. The scope described covers modest modifications such as an additional porch, a specific length or an integrated cold frame, as well as fully original architectural commissions. The company presents this capability as extending from small plant houses to large glasshouses conceived as features of extensive gardens or estates.

Buying process and installation

The company sets out a six-stage route from first contact to completion: an initial enquiry; a discussion of requirements and ideas, either at a show site or at the client's location; placing the order with a technical specification supplied; manufacture to order; delivery; and erection at the final location. It also publishes guides on choosing a greenhouse, sizing and power calculation, plus assembly documentation and FAQs.

Royal Horticultural Society endorsement

Hartley Botanic states that it is the only aluminium greenhouse manufacturer officially endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society. The firm also refers to a lifetime guarantee on its structures and maintains a gallery, case studies and show sites where its greenhouses can be seen.

International reach and published material

The website lists country-specific editions for the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand. It also publishes a magazine with contributions from named garden writers, including Bob Flowerdew, Jean Vernon, John Walker, Lia Leendertz, Matthew Biggs and Val Bourne in the UK, and Beth Botts, Ethne Clarke, Mary-Kate Mackey and Roger Marshall in the US, alongside news, press releases and coverage of RHS flower shows.