Happy New Year 2022 - Erecting the polytunnel

For the last few months our visits to the allotment have been limited to harvesting winter vegetables. Today the weather forecast promised us a dry day so we made our first working visit of 2022.

We were on a mission! Jacqueline, aka cutflowerpatch, had acquired a polytunnel and we needed to get it up so that she can get her ranunculus planted out. So I donned my new wellington boot socks and thermal hat, loaded the polytunnel and the obligatory flasks of tea into the car and we headed for the allotment.

Being a Sunday we had got off to a bit of a late start, so as I started to unpack the lengths of tubing, nuts and bolts, tools and other bits and pieces from the boot of the car I couldn’t help wondering if we could complete the task before it got dark.

As I poured the first cup of tea I read the instructions. It looked easy enough. Number one tube connects to number two tube, number two tube connects to number three tube, number three tube connects to number four tube, I hear the word of the Lord. (Apologies to anyone too young to understand that reference.)

Slowly the frame took shape. A few joints were made, undone and remade as I realised I’d gone wrong, but generally speaking it went well. The sun shone, the hedge sparrows chirped their excited encouragement and a few of my allotment neighbours stopped for a chat as they made their way to and from their plots. It was good to see them, to hear about their Christmases, their plans for the season and even to see a new grandchild in one case. What a handsome little fellow he is!

The polytunnel under construction. Getting there!

With the two sides frames built it was time for another cup of tea before putting the arched roof tubes on and then the grand finale of pulling on the cover. A favourable gentle breeze opened it up for us and it slipped on effortlessly. It looked great!

Limited space meant that we couldn’t position the guy ropes as per the plan but, with the aid of some heavy duty cup hooks, the back was fixed to the existing shed and the front to some tree stakes.

The job was completed with some blocks around the bottom to weigh it down and a few patio slabs along the middle inside to walk on. We felt that champagne was in order but we only had a few dregs of tea left so we settled for that.

The polytunnel complete, and it’s still daylight!

Job done, and feeling pretty proud of ourselves, we harvested a few Brussels sprouts, some parsnips and the last of the carrots and headed home to make our dinner.

I’ve got a feeling that 2022 is going to be a great year. Happy new year everybody. Enjoy your gardening.

Here are a few jobs you could be doing this month.

Visit cutflowerpatch.

Here’s a link to the polytunnel if you would like information.