It is grey, the kind of grey that sends you scuttling to find a big comfy jumper and a mug of something warming, the clouds look like they hold the promise of rain but nothing happens and the trees are bent double battling against the wind, this is exactly why it took me 2 hours to leave the safety of my bed this morning. I had booked today off work with grand plans of gardening, I had lists of jobs in my head that needed to be done but one glance outdoors and I buried deeper under the duvet. I could have easily stayed there all day but I was brave, I made my way to the greenhouse and shut the door.
The Greenhouse
If you remember from the first post the greenhouse was one of the reasons we moved, I didn’t exactly know what I was going to do with it but I thought I must have one in order to complete those Greenhouse To Do lists in Gardeners World 🙂 It looked in a sorry and neglected state but after 2 hours I had it gleaming and ready to go. I felt a little behind with seed sowing so I got a few tomato plants and chilli plants to it felt as if it was being put to good use. This weekend my future brother in law arrived and filled it up with plants he had been raising from seed.
Greenhouse in May
Knowing all these plants were awaiting my arrival was eventually what persuaded me outdoors this morning. The left image shows my Calomondin plant – The miniature Orange. I picked this up in a neglected state in Homebase last year for half price and it has just flourished this year. The greenhouse if full of the scent of citrus blossom, it is heaven. Last year I got a handful of Calomondin fruits from it and these have been sitting in a kilner jar with white rum, I am just waiting for the right moment to try it, Yum.
The rest of the pots are the result of Mark’s visit. There are many chilli plans of various varieties, cucumber plants, courgettes and a black pepper plant as well as a few more tomato plants. Last year I had 3 chilli plants and made chilli jam with them using Nigella Lawson’s recipe, I still have 12 jars of this left as it is just too hot to eat. Who knows what I will do with all of this years harvest, thank goodness I have plenty of time to think of new things.
Finally here is my cold frame, this is in a sorry state despite me showing it I cared by giving it a lovely coat of dulux weathershield paint, I found it under one of the huge evergreen trees, it has still served its purpose though. In it you can see my sweetcorn and broccoli are about ready to face the outside world properly, I just don’t know where to put them, last year inspired by Alys Fowler I had broccoli and cauliflower growing in my flower beds and it really did look lovely so that will be the way forward again this year I think. More on flower beds next time though 🙂
Cold Frame in May
contentedgardener 
How lovely a new greenhouse – I am very jealous it is loads bigger than mine
I came home to find it has been invaded by ants today, millions of them! They have emptied half a plant pot of compost from a tomato plant and created piles of earth on the paving in the middle, they were just everywhere.
I read on GW website the other week that vinegar and water is a good solution, I immediately went to the kitchen and could only find a bottle of cider vinegar ( I have a lot for chutney purposes etc), I proceeded to use the entire bottle watered down in the watering can. The dog was not impressed and we shall wait and see what the ants make of it.
Good luck with the ants. I’m afraid I resorted to ant-killer dust, which I didn’t like, but nothing else worked. Look forward to seeing how you get on…
Like you I’m something of a newbie when it comes to greenhouses, and I definitely got it wrong last year (the first year was better: must have been beginner’s luck). I’m keeping my fingers crossed for 2011… your greenhouse looks good already!
Hi Kate, I too have now resorted to ant-killer dust, I did not appreciate the situation that I had the other day.
I went to check on my vinegar concoction the next day with other half in tow, we discovered that the greenhouse stank of vinegar and the ants had multiplied. Compost piles had grown and a steady stream was marching from underneath the paving slab that runs halfway down the greenhouse.
My other half lifted the slab up and I have never seen anything like it, it was a 3ft by 1ft ant universe, there was millions of them and hundreds upon hundreds of eggs. Despite it being 8pm I was straight out of the door and in the car off in search of something that would restore my greenhouse to the calm haven that I had believed it to be.
The organic approach did not work on this occasion but it will not deter me in the future from trying these methods first before resorting to chemicals.
Good luck for 2011 in your greenhouse 🙂
Beautiful greenhouse. I do my best thinking and therapy in my own. Enjoy every moment of it, and congratulations on the wedding!