I miss my polytunnel

I really miss my polytunnel - don't have many pictures of the last one we had before we moved. It was great for me as I miss having the shelter of a garden in the south. We grew lots of things in there that I couldn't grow outside up here (lavender, sweet peas, normal peas, courgettes, coriander, tomatoes, runner beans and alot of flowers - the wind here has a bad habit of destroying things just when you'd rather it didn't). Having a polytunnel which gives you shelter from the wind up here is a god send - means you can actually *grow* things you'd never be able to normally in our climate - it extends an otherwise short climate to a more tolerable one - and gives you somewhere to hide if its wet and rainy. On a day like today - when its getting dark at the back of 3pm - its been rainy and a bit windy - I miss it the most as I'd be able to potter about - listening to the radio and just have a wee indulge in a bit of 'compost action'. to keep me sane.

Average windspeed of 20mph all year round with gusts upto 60mph not uncommmon!

I've a bad habit of moving house and for a gardener thats a bit sad in lots of ways - whilst its great to have a new garden to play in - moving house often generally means your hard work is left behind - or in the case of this garden - the polytunnel was purchased by the new tenants (easier than moving it) and I ended up in a house with a greenhouse, sheltered garden and no real need for a polytunel. Now, two years later we've moved into a new space (brilliant open views - as you can see from the windsock its very exposed) and now I really need something up outside to be able to grow anything. [Private renting often means that you can find yourself moving, when you'd rather stay put - but on the other hand it means you get to know another part of this lovely island]. I've made a start to the 'outdoor' veggie area (for hardier things like kale, onions, cabbage, carrots and beetroot) many of these I'll grow under cover too, as a bit of an experiment to see what way works best.

New veggie bed started - for the hardier vegetables to have a view of the hills!

We've a new polytunnel to get put up here (a bit bigger than that previous one) which we were given a free frame of if we could take it down (its down now - yippee) and it needs to be moved here (5-6m lengths - not easy - its a 'task in hand'). This new house we will be our home in until the children leave home for university 'south' - and then we'll probably relocate on the mainland of scotland to be nearer to them (another garden change - but its 4 years away - so I'll work really hard on this one inbetween). The task for next year will be to get the tunnel up early enough to be able to get use out of it - but late enough to be able to put a cover onto it successfully when its warmed up a bit. I think I'll put a net over the tunnel - having lost polytunnel covers before in the wind - I'm not taking any chances this time. Then it can be very productive for the time we're here and hopefully we'll take it with us when we go - or at least thats the plan.

Polytunnels means we can grow alot of things people elsewhere can grow outside -  because of the wind - things like sweetpeas or runner beans alot of fruit needs to be under cover here or you get no fruit/flowers. Although in a sheltered spot I've seen folk get away with sweetpeas outside here but only in a couple of gardens - but I've never seen runner beans outdoors here.......

Well that will give me something to look forward to and I will be able to have sweet peas again and a whole lot of other crops I have no hope of growing here without some cover - I'm not sure I will chance a greenhouse here - but you never know! I can't wait to have some shelter to play around in and have a lovely garden in.