POLYTUNNEL FOR SPRING FROSTS
Spring is here at last and it has arrived in style. It felt like June last week when temperatures were up in the 20s, but already the weather has changed and, despite the sunshine, the cold wind is reminding us that it has only just turned April. Here, on the Pennine Mountains of West Yorkshire, you have to watch out for sudden frosts and biting winds at least until late May.
This time though, I am fighting back. I invested £20 in a little polytunnel. It looks a lot larger than I thought it would look but it is full already. I have put all my freshly repotted strawberry plants inside it, along with my herbs. The herbs have all overwintered in a mini-greenhouse which had a fleece lining under the outer plastic cover but the polytunnel only has the plastic so yesterday evening, as temperatures dropped, I put fleece over the strawberries and herbs for added protection. Even though I have only had the polytunnel a week, already the strawberries are bursting into life, with little flowers forming. The chives are up and tall, and the various mints showing new leaves which will make great mint tea. I've had a few losses over winter, but that is always the way.
The other day, while out and about, I bought 3 red Tumbling Tom tomatoes, and a yellow Tumbling Tom. They are in the polytunnel too at the moment although I will bring them inside early this evening. They aren't as tough as the herbs and strawberries.
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This time though, I am fighting back. I invested £20 in a little polytunnel. It looks a lot larger than I thought it would look but it is full already. I have put all my freshly repotted strawberry plants inside it, along with my herbs. The herbs have all overwintered in a mini-greenhouse which had a fleece lining under the outer plastic cover but the polytunnel only has the plastic so yesterday evening, as temperatures dropped, I put fleece over the strawberries and herbs for added protection. Even though I have only had the polytunnel a week, already the strawberries are bursting into life, with little flowers forming. The chives are up and tall, and the various mints showing new leaves which will make great mint tea. I've had a few losses over winter, but that is always the way.
The other day, while out and about, I bought 3 red Tumbling Tom tomatoes, and a yellow Tumbling Tom. They are in the polytunnel too at the moment although I will bring them inside early this evening. They aren't as tough as the herbs and strawberries.
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