I love this time of year, the seedlings that only a few weeks ago were tiny little things needing lots of protection from weather and temperature fluctuations under their propagator lids are suddenly big strong plants. Some in the process of being hardened off ready for transplanting outside and some already in situ in their final growing places.
This Courgette is happily ensconced in the net tunnel, as are a couple more. They have lots of room to grow, good compost to grow in and the safety of the net to keep hungry rabbits off. Not that there have been anywhere nearly as many bunnies as there were last year on our hillside, the dreaded myxomatosis seems to be infecting rabbits here in North Wales at the moment :-(
On the opposite side of the tunnel at the far end are pots of potato plants, then white onions inter-planted with some radishes, then come the red onions.
The top left hand corner has the strawberry plants all grown from last years runners, with a pea support and three pea plants in the center.
Nearer the front doors on the left is the garlic bed and another of the courgettes.
I've not planted as much garlic this year as we are only just finishing eating 2015's garlic and are just about to start on last years large crop. I want us to catch up a bit, because although it has stayed perfectly edible it would be nicer to be eating it that little bit sooner after harvesting. All this years plants are grown from our own garlic cloves harvested last year, and so have cost us absolutely nothing to produce. Hopefully I will be able to do this every year from now on.
Just in are the carrot seeds, planted in the raised bed, in the tyres and in the pot for extra depth (and length of carrot). I was a bit late sowing them this year, but with the warm weather, sunshine and this weeks lovely, much needed rain, hopefully there will be signs of growth nice and quickly.
Also just back in the center of the net tunnel, in their own large pots, are the three Blueberry bushes. They had been sat outside at the back of the tunnel (as in this photo), since their flowers first appeared but now that the bees and other pollinators have done their work and had their fill of nectar, the bushes are once again safely under the protection of the net tunnel. Fingers crossed for a bumper crop like last year, it's looking very promising.
So that's a round up of the Net Tunnel as it is today. I love working in there ... except when it's raining when you get big drips of rain right down the back of your neck ... it's a slightly shaded protected feeling that I'm sure the plants enjoy as much as me :-)
Sue xx
