Polytunnel – Nurturing Some Bargains

The left hand side border is gravelled and is where tender plants and seedlings are started off and nurtured until it’s warm enough outside and they are big enough to be moved on.

This year we bought many small pots of perennials including Heliopsis, Phlox, Kniphofia, Liatris, Echinacea and Incarvillea. Only 79p for three plants from Lidl. They also had huge packs of Lily bulbs and Dahlia corms, £2.29 for 10, and four Dahlias for £1.29. I use unwanted used plastic mushroom boxes that the lovely couple who have the vegetable stall at the market give me free of charge. These boxes are ideal to start things off, because they are deep and sturdy and can be reused each year.

Parker’s order has arrived within two days. Good going. I find Parker’s ideal if you have a massive garden. It’s a joy to be sent 100 free Gladioli bulbs, but I wonder quite how you’d use them if you had a normal sized garden. My order was small, as were the plants, but everything was a bargain price, and a couple of months in the protection of the Polytunnel will work wonders, as they all look strong and promising.

Together with all these to pot up, were last year’s autumn cuttings of 24 perennial wallflowers, and some rock plants and grasses. They’ll all be happy in here in the warm until they get established. I ran out of plant labels half-way through so resorted to using up a bag of old plastic cutlery and a permanent marker. It worked just as well as proper labels and can be scrubbed and reused next season.

Indoors, in the sun room I have started off the seeds I discovered in the caravan cupboard; Cavolo Nero, Swiss Chard bright lights, Silver beet, mixed Lettuce and Beetroot- for the leaves.
Looks as if it will be a busy year.