Back in the spring we admitted a measure of defeat in the garden over the ability of small rodents, cute chipmunks, to get past our defensive barriers and dig up and kill/eat lily bulbs in pots.

Something would have to be done!

A few weeks later four huge and heavy boxes were delivered containing the hundreds of parts of a “proof against everything” greenhouse. All that had to be done was to put the thing together. Something that should be a breeze for a chap who 60 years ago played with Meccano – bits of metal, some screws and nuts and Bob’s your uncle. A useful project.

The manufacturers living up to the German stereotype (it was made in Europe) made the job easy – excellent instruction manual, dozens of videos narrated in a thick Germanic accent and all the parts labelled and numbered got me off to a good start. What’s more, the parts were precision made with all the holes lining up exactly … not something you often get, I can tell you from experience. Zinc-coated steel, UV-resistent polycarbonate, withstands six feet of snow and 100mph winds. Gross overkill for our garden but, compared to the cheap and bendy aluminium structures usually sold, this is quality and well worth the cost and effort. It’s not huge, 3m x 2m, but fits the space available … if we had space and ambition to match this model can be extended by the addition of extra bays to a good 50 or more metres in length. You could live in a greenhouse of that size.

So – it is now erected after about six weeks of intermittent work. In October one of our raised beds will be taken apart and moved inside for next year’s tomato and aubergine crops and critter-proof staging erected for the lily pots.

Phew … feeling pleased. This sort of engineering is not part of my usual skill-set.

Amusing quote from the manufacturer’s website:
Building a greenhouse is a fantastic bonding activity for you and your family – and the more, the merrier! So make some snacks, play your favourite music, and brainstorm all of the amazing things you’ll grow together in your brand new backyard oasis.