Quick answer
A greenhouse is glazed all round, so it gives the most light and warmth for growing. A potting shed is a timber shed with a big glazed side and a bench, so it's a sheltered place to sow, pot on and store tools, but with less light. If you want to grow tomatoes and overwinter tender plants, choose a greenhouse. If you want a workspace and storage with some growing space, choose a potting shed. If you want both in one building, look at a combi: half potting shed or greenhouse, half store.
It's a common question: do I need a greenhouse, a potting shed, or both? The answer depends on what you want to grow, how much you need to store and how much room you have. This guide explains the difference, and shows the combination buildings we sell that give you a bit of both.
Potting shed vs greenhouse at a glance
| Greenhouse | Potting shed | |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Glazed on every side and usually the roof | Glazed mainly on one side, over the bench |
| Best for | Growing crops, raising plants, overwintering tender plants | Sowing seeds, potting on, a sheltered workspace |
| Storage | Limited: staging and shelves | Good: tools, compost, pots and the mower |
| Temperature | Warms up quickly, so needs vents and shading in summer | Cooler and steadier, as most of the walls are timber |
| Privacy and security | Everything inside is on show | Solid walls and a lockable door |
| Upkeep | Aluminium frames need very little; timber frames need treating | Re-treat the timber regularly, like any shed |
Choose a greenhouse if…
- You want to grow crops that need lots of light and warmth, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
- You want to raise lots of seedlings or keep tender plants through the winter.
- You already have a shed for storage.
Our greenhouse buying guide covers size, frame, glazing, vents and staging, and glass vs polycarbonate explains the glazing choices. Browse all greenhouses.
Choose a potting shed if…
- You want a sheltered place to sow, pot on and prick out, out of the wind and rain.
- You need to store tools, compost and pots in the same building.
- You want a lockable building with solid walls.
Potting sheds we sell include the Power Sheds Apex and Pent Potting Sheds (two-tier shelving included), the Shedlands Potting Shed and Sunpent (slatted staging under the windows), the Sovereign Bath Mini Potter and Frome Maxi Potter, and the Suresheds Cotterdale. For layout ideas, see our shed storage and potting shed ideas.
Half shed, half greenhouse: combination buildings
If you want growing space and storage but only have room for one building, a combination building splits the space in two.
- Power Pent Potting Shed Combi and Apex Potting Shed Combi: a glazed potting end with two-tier staging included, plus a lockable 4ft or 6ft side store for the mower and tools.
- Coppice Collection Gisburn Combi Greenhouse: a timber greenhouse in 3mm toughened glass with an integrated pent storage area. A hinged door divider keeps tools and compost out of the growing space, and staging is included on each side.
- Bolt-on sheds: the Burnham Bolt-On Shed and Gisburn Combi Shed bolt straight onto their matching Coppice greenhouses to add a dry, lockable store.
- Sovereign Glastonbury Glass Roof Potter: a potting shed with a fully glazed roof, for much more light on the bench.
Coppice Collection and Sovereign buildings are delivered and installed for you.
Short on space?
A lean-to greenhouse fixes to an existing wall or fence, so it takes up less of the garden. Examples are the Coppice Hatfield Lean-To and the Elite Windsor Lean To. For small potting sheds, see our small sheds guide.
Common questions
Should I buy a potting shed or a greenhouse?
Buy a greenhouse if you mainly want to grow: raising crops such as tomatoes, keeping tender plants over winter and getting the most light. Buy a potting shed if you want a sheltered place to sow seeds, pot on and store your tools, compost and pots, with growing space on the glazed side. If you want both and have room for only one building, look at a combination building.
What is the difference between a potting shed and a greenhouse?
A greenhouse is glazed on every side and usually the roof, so it lets in the most light and warms up quickly. A potting shed is a timber shed with a large glazed section, usually along one side, over a bench. It gives you somewhere to work and store things, but less light than a greenhouse.
What is a half shed, half greenhouse called?
It's usually called a combi or combination building, or a potting shed. Examples we sell include the Power Sheds Potting Shed Combi, which pairs a glazed potting area with a lockable side store, and the Coppice Collection Gisburn Combi greenhouse, which has a storage area behind a hinged door divider.
Can a potting shed have a glass roof?
Yes. The Sovereign Glastonbury Glass Roof Potter has a fully glazed roof in 3mm toughened glass, which brings much more light onto the bench than a timber roof. It's a good middle ground between a potting shed and a greenhouse.
Do potting sheds and greenhouses need a base?
Yes. Both need a firm, level base. Timber potting sheds sit on bearers on a slab, concrete or timber base. Many greenhouses have their own base: most Elite greenhouses have an integral aluminium base, and Coppice Collection greenhouses use a clip installation system. See our base guide for the details.
See growing buildings in person
It's much easier to picture your bench, staging and storage when you can stand inside. Our Display Site at Buzzards Valley, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 3EQ is open 7 days a week. Drop in any day, or book an appointment. What's on show changes, so call 01543 398778 if there's something particular you'd like to see, or WhatsApp us a photo of your garden. Browse greenhouses and garden sheds, or find more help in our Guides & Advice.
Specifications vary by model and size, so always check the product page before you order.