Hexalight History

The "Hexalight" Greenhouse was designed in 1966 as the result of friendly rivalry between the owners of two greenhouse companies. One was Desmond Whitehouse son of the founder of C.H.Whitehouse Ltd. and the other Percy Roberts who owned and inspired "Humex" whose trade name still appears on specialist equipment. Both had years of experience in the greenhouse market and came from scientific backgrounds.

The problem under discussion was to create a greenhouse with minimum heating requirements. This was obviously a round greenhouse but Desmond was also a bee keeper and saw the value of the hexagon shape. It would have a low surface area but not too many structural members to cut out the light. Desmond's experience of greenhouse told him that a high sided greenhouse would be an efficient gatherer of light and maximise growing space on a small area. Good ventilation in any greenhouse is important. The scientific background of the two friends also led them to use the efficiency of the chimney effect to provide good ventilation.

The challenge was on to be the first to bring a new design onto the market. The two men set their workforce to make a greenhouse and have it on the market as soon as possible. Percy worked in aluminum and Desmond in Western Red Cedar. The timber greenhouse was on the market first as the Whitehouse workforce were used to one off commissions

40 years on and the "Hexalight" has stood the test of time. The "Hexalight" is still produced as part of the range of quality greenhouses all individually made in Western Red Cedar by the craftsmen at C.H.Whitehouse Ltd. The carpenters who made that first "Hexalight" are still making quality greenhouses at the same workbenches. The range of greenhouses by C.H.Whitehouse Ltd. is very wide and includes a range of traditional Edwardian small ridged greenhouses plus greenhouses of all shapes and sizes to go onto brickwork. Brick based greenhouses are made to fit onto new or existing brickwork and in many cases the original brickwork and may now be having the second or third greenhouse to use the same base. This skill is now being used to recreate the old greenhouses in some of the large public and private gardens around the country.

The "Hexalight" design has proved very adaptable and is produced as a "Summer House" with a cedar shingled roof as well as a special greenhouse for Orchids or Alpines. Features of the "Hexalight" make it particularly attractive to wheelchair gardeners. The wide sliding door does not need to have a threshold making access easy and the staging can be fitted at a level to fit the knees of a seated gardener. The built in automatic ventilation mechanism is standard to all the "Hexalights" and does not need any attention..