The Greenhouse
I was 61 before I owned my first (and probably last) greenhouse. It has far exceeded my expectations in terms of what it offers. Not just in terms of the produce, but also in terms of a place to sit and read, to reflect, and to shelter. Yes, it’s a relatively large space, but I’m sure that most of the joy I get from it could equally be drawn from a smaller space.
Below, I’ve documented the journey from contemplation to a realisation of the dream … enjoy.
The journey 2019 ...
The decision to go for a greenhouse was an easy one to make. Ten years of growing veg, rigging up mini greenhouse systems, and loving the resulting chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers etc had long confirmed my desire for something more substantial and permanent. The question was one of location. For many gardeners, space is a challenging issue. In this garden (at that moment) it wasn’t. However, there were still pertinent decisions to be made – size of greenhouse, exposure to the sun, access to other areas of the garden.
About 2/3 of the way down the garden there was a scrubby space behind three ex conifers … now conifer stumps. The space was dominated by ground elder and bramble, in building terms, it was ripe for redevelopment. The question of size was an issue but not for long! I decided early on that I’d rather go big (rather than go home). I knew I’d regret getting a smallish greenhouse and then realising that I loved it and needed more room. It was my first greenhouse … and probably my last, so I decided to fill the space.
In my naivety, I thought that having done a trawl through the web, the process of choosing, paying for, and getting the greenhouse would be a fairly short process. How wrong I was! There seemed to be huge waiting lists across all the sites and I ended up having to wait 9 months before the beauty landed on my doorstep.
To be continued …
To be continued …
The work table
To be continued …
Utilising the space
To be continued …