Still, that is history - even if my back is still protesting! George's sciatic problems have resolved themselves, thank goodness.
Inside is very messy, there is still a lot of work to do. Staging to make, water supply, electrical supply, flooring, vegetable beds to create... it will all get done as we work on it every day.
The plants are enjoying this new and wonderfully protected space.
Harry carried his garden chair across, yesterday, and then insisted that Toby and the cats should have a cushion each. He wants us all to have a picnic in there. He may not be 4 until later in the year, but he is a surprisingly good helper as he whizzes around with his little wheelbarrow and gardening tools. He was given a tiny pair of strong gardening gloves a few weeks ago - happiness! He is very proud of them and doesn't seem to mind at all that they are a bright, zingy lime green.
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| This is not how it will look in a week or two. We have just brought all the plants/seedlings out of the conservatory and put them down where we could. |
I can't believe how many plants, seedlings, trays of seeds George had managed to cram into the conservatory and the small greenhouse. He has got us off to a flying start this year with peas, broad beans, runner beans, mangetout, leeks, tomato plants, special heritage tomato plants, kale, potatoes, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, lettuces, cucumbers, courgettes, herbs, etc etc. We, and the neighbours, should dine like kings this year!
Salads, stir-fry's, creamy risottos, vegetable flans, soups, simple roasted vegetables...
It was hard work.
Was it worth it? Absolutely!
Would I do it again? Yes, but not for a week or two.
PS George has just announced that the armoured cable has just gone into the polytunnel. We have power out there, things are progressing.
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Bonus picture, for Jonny. This is Francesca at almost 10 weeks!
So you've already turned the polytunnel into another conservatory Elaine LOL!
ReplyDeleteGlad George's back probs have gone. I think Ian is hoping to grow some natural pain killers in it so better keep an eye on him. ;-)
Hi Chris,
DeleteThe conservatory is spacious and clean again - bliss.
It's getting to the exciting part now - designing the floorplan!
After reading Owl Wood's blog yesterday, I'd check the tomato plants carefully!
ReplyDeleteJane x
Hi Jane,
DeleteWill do - but what am I checking them for? ;)
I consulted Mr. Google about poly tunnels and watched several informative videos. So much labor, such a pay off. I have to say I've seen nothing like them. May you have so much produce that Albert gets pecks of carrots.
ReplyDeleteHi JOanne, I have three tubs of carrots on the go at the moment, more to come. I promise Arnold will get more than his fair share! I'm not quite sure whether he enjoys munching on the carrots, or finishing off with a Polo mint more! (I am impressed with your research.)
DeleteSo much progress on the tunnel....I can see how it will extend your growing season. Three cheers to you and George for a sucessful growing season.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I love the new color scheme....I may need to make a change too!
Hi Meggie, It was hard work, but we got there! Now is the fun bit working on the layout, planting things, nurturing the plants.
DeleteIt began raining earlier today and I had time on my hands! I'm glad you like the colour scheme.
Elaine, sorry I have not visited for a while but I have been thinking about you. Bravo to you and George on successful growing season. Francesca is a doll! XOXO
ReplyDeleteHi Veronica, It's lovely to see you again - you have been very busy. Little Francesca is becoming very large, she is a lovely, placid little girl - providing she gets what she wants, immediately! I guess that is ok at 10 weeks.x
DeleteHow exciting (the poly tunnel). My father always wanted to build one and never did. Good job!!!
ReplyDeleteFrancesca is gorgeous!
Hi Mitch, It's really exciting to have all that space for growing food and nurturing plants. It will all look much nicer in a few weeks time when we have worked on the interior.
DeleteFrancesca was sleeping off (yet another) feed when I snapped that photo. Proud Grandma signing off now!
I'm very impressed by the polytunnel. We don't have a enough space for anything like that. If we did I suspect that it might be used for car parts rather than plants! Ha Ha! Jx
ReplyDeleteHi Jan, I think you could be right - better steer clear of polytunnels!
DeleteHey Elaine, you two have done really well. How about a poly tunnel warming party? Worth all the aching limbs - hope they're better all the same. Beautiful photo of little Francesca.
ReplyDeleteHi Molly, We still keep nipping over there to marvel at how different the climate inside is! The cats and Toby keep going in to snooze in the warmth - it won't be long until I find George snoozing out there I'm sure. I can't get over how quickly Francesca has filled out!
DeleteWow, you did a terrific job. I wondering about all the produce you will be producing. Is man-get-out a joke or is it a real vegetable?
ReplyDeleteHi Ms Sparrow, Around these parts the annual Village Shows are a cut throat business, competition is fierce. Preparations start early - George and I won three 'Best in Show' categories last year... a tough act to follow. It is a laugh and it raises funds for the village hall, but secretly we all take it very seriously!
DeleteMan-get-out! I love it!
Hi Elaine,
ReplyDeleteI loved the two accounts of the building the Poly tunnel-Owl Wood’s was hilarious and I now see you in a new light!!
Love the new colour scheme for the blog but just find it a little difficult to read the text on your replies to comments as it is too dark for my eyes to read easily-it must be my age!
Hi Green Dragonette, Funnily enough I have just been trying to adjust the background colour - it was a real shock when I had typed in the first reply! Hopefully this is better. If not, I'll try again later.
ReplyDeleteOwl Wood has a wicked sense of humour and a brilliant way with words. I'm glad you enjoyed his account - it's slightly embellished, a few tweaks made here and there, but more or less what happened!
That’s so much better now-even I can easily read the text now-many thanks.
DeleteI’m glad you said Owl Wood’s account was only slightly embellished as I do like to have a picture in my head of a fellow blogger....so now when I read your posts I can thank Owl Wood for providing the following description... ‘Elaine had sobered up and was arranged on the ground in a corner where she continued to mutter semi-coherently, apparently wondering why she was inside Michael Jackson's old hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber.’
Which bit though was the embellishment??
You've done a great job with the poly tunnel, all the hard work really paid off.
ReplyDeleteFrancesca is a little cutie.
Hi LBM, Thank you! I'd like to say it was fun, but it was hard work. The pay-off comes later.
DeleteFrancesca absolutely loves young Harry, she grins whenever she sees him.
It's a good thing you had Harry to help! Francesca is a cutie.
ReplyDeleteHi Janet, Harry is amazingly helpful - he likes real jobs like filling the woodstore, pulling weeds, fetching things (in his wheelbarrow) planting things - we have him in training for when our old bones and joints can take no more. Francesca will receive exactly the same training, no discrimination just because she's a girl!!
DeleteWow, that is a lot of work! But, it will be so wonderful to have all that homegrown goodness :)
ReplyDelete-jaime
Hello Jaime, The reward will be the produce - and, as you know, nothing tastes better than something you have grown, without chemicals and which is freshly picked. We were pleased by the results of our labours last year, this time, with the addition of the tunnel, we hope to really extend and improve on our growing season.
DeleteYour poly tunnel looks positively idyllic inside. I can imagine how tempting it would be to sit there and snooze. Congrats for getting the job done. Sounds like there will be quite a bounty when harvest comes.
ReplyDeleteHi Evlyn, If George disappears I shall make sure I check in the tunnel - he likes a snooze - and the climate inside there is soporific. It is wild, wet and windy here today - I think the hens wouldn't mind having a tunnel of their own.
ReplyDeleteI am envious of your polytunnel! I just started my tomatoes and peppers and herbs inside. I can plant outside after the frost danger passes, around May 20. Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteHi Knatolee, George is very happy with the polytunnel - he gets very cosy out there with a cup of coffee, radio 4, and gets the plants settled into their new pots. I'll let you know how it affects veg production.
DeleteI have always wanted a poly tunnel but no room here. We do grow salad crops in a homemade greenhouse affair that P constructed out of spare timber and polythene.
ReplyDeleteHi Cuby Poet, It sounds to me that you have something which works just as well as a polytunnel and probably looks a whole lot prettier! Home grown salads taste so much better than any others.
DeleteFrancesca was the icing on the cake to the poly tunnel, she is lovely and seem big for her age, what a great space your garden retreat is.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda, Francesca was weighed today - 11lb 11oz - from being a low birth-weight baby she has now caught up, which is wonderful! The polytunnel is full of plants now and they are all looking very settled.
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