Plants and polytunnel

The last few days have been wonderful and reminds you just how good the weather can be! After so much cold, wind and rain the warmth of the spring sun in a clear blue sky is a wonderful feeling.

Yesterday I seized the opportunity of a warm, calm and dry day to assemble some friends and get the plastic over my polytunnel frame. Apart from initially getting the sheet upside down (yes, there the two sides are different!) it all went incredibly well. The finished product is a good sized tunnel with drum tight sides and almost ready for planting with veg.

The sun has also really brought other plants on - the potatoes are looking healthy, carrots are doing well, peas and beans are coming on and the glasshouse is full of crops nearly ready for planting out.

One of my favourite spring crops is rhubarb. The unfurling leaves give the plant an almost prehistoric feel, like an organism that is tapping in to some ancient wild energy, bursting in to life with vigour unparalleled in any other crop.

The only complaint I have is that there just aren't enough hours in the day to get the work done - let alone have a nice walk to enjoy the spring flowers!