kitchen window enclosures-does anyone...

16 years ago

I am redoing my kitchen and I want to turn one window into a greenhouse type enclosure for growing herbs and other stuff. I've hit a wall trying to research enclosures of this sort. I've heard there are some that can drain right into your plumbing and that they can have remote control venting windows. What I want to know is how does one reach over a counter to use the herbs or tend to the pots. Does anyone know where I can get started researching this? Does anyone have firsthand experience? Thank you.

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Comments (6)

greenhouser
16 years ago
I had a friend in NYC (may she rest in peace) with one of these windows. But she couldn't reach over the counter so had it installed in her sunny living-room window. In a few years the bottom rotted out and it leaked at the vent and where it was attached to her house. It also let a chill in because it was single pane glass. They eventually got rid of the thing.
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mudhouse_gw
16 years ago
I don't have any experience with these, and you may have already found this, but I think the best phrase to use when searching might be "garden window". I also pulled up some results using "greenhouse window" but you have to sort out the results that deal with windows in large greenhouses (not kitchens!)

"Garden window" on Google pulls up a lot of results for window manufacturers that sell them, so browsing through those might be your best way to find the features you mentioned.

For personal experiences, here are a few threads I found on this site and elsewhere using those phrases. (I'm sure you can find more.) Maybe these will help a bit:

Garden Window Question

Garden Window discussion

Garden Window, Any Suggestions?

Garden Window Facing North

Plant/Garden Window Advice

Garden Windows
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justplaindon
16 years ago
I have one with double pane glass and you can open the screened vent over the window. Mine is located on the south side of my house over the kitchen sink. I honestly only use mine for growing a few small herbs or small plants that can take a lot of light. I can't give any advice on make, etc. as it was in the house when I bought it.

It can be a bit of a stretch sometimes, but I do reach over the sink and pull what I need. Mine has movable shelves so I only have one shelf that I put the smaller stuff on. Now that is a stretch, but I can get to everything I need in the window. I have to manually vent the thing (mainly just for when weather is very nice outside and getting cross ventilation going in the house with other open windows). It has no plumbed drain, but I've not had any significant water spills either.

Hope that helps a little.

L8r,
Don
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cactusfreak
16 years ago
If your are near a Home Depot or Lowes they can special order one for you.
I got one several years ago that someone ordered and didn't pick up. It was a small 3x4ft but fit just right in my LR. I have cactus in there so not much water. The bottom is metal and has a manual crank open top vent.
My eves are 2 1/2ft deep so rain is not a problem. I have a down spout that drains over it and it has not leaked.
My DH installed it.
I think the over the sink ones would be hard to reach and keep clean. But if I had a window in my kitchen I would have one anyway. Never enough room for plants.
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dzaner
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you one and all. Your comments were really helpful and I feel I've gotten a good start researching this. I have to single out Mudhouse for really going above and beyond the call with all of your suggestions.
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mudhouse_gw
16 years ago
No problem dzane, just a little Googling. :-)

You will have to post back and let us know how your project turns out!
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kitchen window enclosures-does anyone...

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kitchen window enclosures-does anyone...

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