I have fallen by the wayside when it comes to writing a monthly review of my garden. Actually, I have fallen by the wayside when it comes to looking after the garden, full stop. This has been caused by a combination of chemo induced fatigue and appalling wet weather, which has made walking on the lawn and working on the beds not the best of ideas.
Any gardener will know that along with garden tardiness comes the lack of garden tidiness. So, on reading Helen’s (Patient Gardener ) blog post about her greenhouse year my conscience was pricked because I am acutely aware of the fall of my greenhouse into rack and ruin.
Helen’s greenhouse is a 6′ x 4′ aluminium and glass one, with staging and full of exciting cuttings and plants germinating and propagating. It is something to be admired, even envied and is a hive of activity. You can step inside a greenhouse that size and potter about, even on the wettest and coldest of days.
Mine is a 4-tiered greenhouse measuring 27″ x 20″ x 62″ you can’t step inside mine. I have a very small garden so even the smallest of glass greenhouses would be very difficult to find room for. I suspect owning a greenhouse is like owning a handbag, no matter what size it is you always find you can fill it to the brim and soon are in need of a larger one.
This is where I bite the bullet and bare my soul.
Yes it is a PLASTIC GREENHOUSE!
I failed to replace the cover on my greenhouse last year – something I usually do every year.
Consequently the plastic has perished and the recent gales have ripped it to pieces putting an end to its life.
The more I look at it the photo the more embarrassed and ashamed I feel. However, I have been spurred into doing something about it. I was proud of my greenhouse, and in February 2011 I even wrote a post all about it called “I own a Plastic Greenhouse” . It has had many hits over the years, but probably only because it comes up when people run a search on plastic greenhouses, such is life and the web.
I have today ordered a new cover and over the weekend I will tidy it up and by next month it will be spruced up and used for its correct purpose and not a dumping place – just you wait and see.
Patient Gardener said her Greenhouse Year post was not intended to be a monthly meme but it has struck a chord with many of her readers and it seems to have caught on.
Thank you Helen, this will be a good start to a new beginning and a diary of how I treat my little plastic greenhouse properly.