Is that unused space I see before me?

Well, here I am again with too many bright ideas, preparing for yet another construction project! ‘What on earth can it be this time?’ I hear you cry, given that I’ve now got the full ensemble of shed, greenhouse, polytunnel, chicken run, compost bins, pond and tree house for the grandchildren.

Hold on to that bit about greenhouse… yes I’ve got a greenhouse, but have I got a hothouse? By that I mean a greenhouse that allows planting of vegetables directly into the ground so you can grow lettuce early in the year and raise peppers, cucumbers and gourds in the summer. It’s a great success for the Italians on our allotment site and I fancy some of that.

As ever, the thought process is a bit tortuous and sparks of ideas meandered through the sludge that masquerades as my brain something like this…

1. Got some metal shelving for free from a neighbour of a friend, what shall I use them for?
2. I could get my strawberries up off the ground by growing them on the shelves like I’ve seen at some commercial growers
3. That unused space beside the greenhouse would be perfect
4. What am I going to spend my retirement garden vouchers on?
5. That walk in greenhouse is good value
6. I could switch seed growing into a walk in greenhouse and use the existing glass greenhouse as a hothouse
7. Would a walk in greenhouse survive a windy day on the allotment site?
8. I could build my own much stronger walk in structure from water/gas piping and wooden dowels similar but smaller in scale to the polytunnel
9. If I built to the same size as the Gardman walk in greenhouse I saw for £130 I could buy the Gardman replacement cover for about £60
10. Where am I going to put the strawberry shelves… how about in front of the glass greenhouse?
11. Why don’t I use the walk in greenhouse as the hothouse since I’ve already got staging in the glass greenhouse that’ll only fit in there?

Here’s some photos taken during the brain strain (click to enlarge)…

Haven’t mentioned the pond for a while. Fear not! It’s not because the whole thing has turned out a failure, anything but. Spotted the first pond skater the other day, I’ve got the world’s supply of tadpoles thriving and the pond lily and other plants are doing well. Bit early for dragonflies but I’m sure there’s going to be loads.

So here’s a couple of pictures of the pond…

… and here’s a video of the tadpoles.

 

And finally here’s a few allotment and family related snaps.