13/1/24 - In the greenhouse

Honestly, if I couldn’t live in the house I’d happily move into the greenhouse. It has wifi, running water, a coffee maker and is toasty warm. Made out of Douglas fir and double thickness perspex it is looks like an upturned boat. It’s 6m x 4m. There’s a hotbed and a raised bed on the left. Along the right hand side there is shelving and a preparation area built to fit my height - or lack of. Across the rafters I can store bamboo canes. The is a double door at each end and fanlights for ventilation. I drew it on a post it note and a very clever man built it for me. Movable shelving runs down the middle.

I have lots of preparation space and at the moment I’m using that to sow seeds for summer vegetables. I make my own seed compost using coir mixed with vermiculite and perlite. For potting compost I add composted horse and chicken poo and a little commercial peat-free compost.

At the moment the raised beds contain physalis which I raised from seed last autumn. It has survived last week’s snow as the greenhouse never falls below freezing. The fruits are just beginning to ripen.