Early March: Projects and Plans

The Polytunnel has been a good investment and is already pretty productive. It is the perfect environment for fresh salad, with a good selection of baby leaves from self-set seed.

We have already enjoyed three lunches including leaves of Rainbow Chard, Leaf Beet, Spinach, Red Orache, Land Cress(with the sharp heat of watercress), Welsh Onion and Mustard Greens. Last night we cooked some Sprout Tops with our supper. They didn’t taste at all sprouty and had a very delicate flavour.

I’ve been working here for the past couple of days, warm and sheltered from the showers and cold wind. It’s amazing how quickly things are growing, and being in here is a real tonic after cold, dark winter days. The tunnel is protected and warm enough to start things off. The soil is excellent and I’ve made good progress sorting out and digging over.

Fortunately we have our own supply of compost which is a real help. It nourishes the soil and improves the quality. In an out of the way corner behind the Polytunnel we have three generous sized compost bins, each constructed from four wooden pallets with old carpet on top to retain the heat.

This year we will concentrate on greens and salad vegetables in the long right hand side and the end border. The tunnel is quite big and I am learning to use the space more productively. No onions or potatoes this year, and I must curb my enthusiasm for unusual varieties. Last year’s cornichons and cape gooseberries were fascinating, but inedible, and took up too much space.

I’ve put some retaining boards along the border edges, and pulled the soil up to them. We’re gradually using up wood from the old shed. It has a practical use, keeping the soil from the path along the length of the tunnel, and it makes the planting look tidier. Any part of the borders we’re not using for planting right now are covered in black fabric fleece to suppress the weeds and keep the soil warm.

I found a good selection of various greens seeds in the caravan kitchen cupboard. The original caravan ‘bathroom’ is full of stuff for a Boot Fair. I’m tempted to clear it out and move my gardening tools in, because it is light in there and the shed is such a dark muddle.

I found Joan’s garden gnome under the workbench in the Polytunnel. I will take him indoors and give him a coat of paint for the summer. That will cheer him up! His face is white and crumbly (I know how he feels), but his little red smile is still there.