[Mad Goatwoman of Madeley]

I've just bought myself a small greenhouse that has its base at waist height, so I will be able to use it for seeds and bringing young plants on.  It will be great for extending the salad growing season as well.

[doganjo]

I've just bought a plastic pop up one - it will be sheltered on two sides by a 6 foot hit and miss fence so should be OK; nice and cheap too only £80 and it'll do me.

[Mad Goatwoman of Madeley]

I'm just waiting for some good weather to be able to assemble mine.  Yours sounds good, Annie especially as it will be sheltered.  Mine will be fairly near the house.

[NormandyMary]

Ive just ordered a little greenhouse thingy which we will secure against the back wall. It comes with staging built in on one side which I intend to use for large growbags with lettuces. On the other side, I will have tomatoes which hopefully will be protected from blight, and peppers. Im also going to grow loads of herbs in the planters that surround the decking. We are intending to fence off the back garden from the goats so that I can attempt to get some produce this year. It would be so lovely to eat our own home produced stuff!

[Rosemary]

Slightly off topic, but Dan's been reading a book called "The Omnivore's Dilemma" - naturally, he reads passages out to me. One that stuck in my mind was about commercial bagged salad leaves - it takes 57 calories to produce 1 calorie of food energy 

We can't go on like this - it's not like salad leaves are hard to grow.

[happygolucky]

I need to grow some more salad stuff as the price of a bag of weeds/leafs is way too much, I did make the mistake of planting some with flowers last year in our tubs or hanging baskets and could not tell which to eat so the chickens had a lot of t hem.
We have a lean too sort of potting shed thing that I did grow some in that's idea as its a good height for me to both see and to water without the water running down my arms, not great at growing much but if we are still around will defiantly grow salad leafs, they even look pretty
Today is bitter here so I bet its not good enough to get out and at them!!

[Mad Goatwoman of Madeley]

I always sow mixed salad leaves that you can cut and come again.  My OH doesn't eat salad so it's not worth growing proper lettuces and I love the different colours of the mixed leaves.
I also usually grow ruby chard and use the small leaves of those.  Last year, though, absolutely nothing came up even though I sowed them in a raised bed which should have helped drainage.

[happygolucky]

I  used all sorts of things and they did grow but not too many, I shall get some mixed seeds next time I shop, love the tired system of mixed varieties, they look prettym I had them in pots mixed with the flowers#
 

[doganjo]

Well my greenhouse is up, courtesy of my very helpful son.  He also moved the dog runs and is going to use them, to give the ducks and hens access to the pond and surrounding carpet of weeds!
Off to Crufts tonight for a couple of days, then next week I'll organise some staging - loads of wood left from the fence to make it, and then wait for the weather to improve a little for planting.  I tried teh mixed salad in a pot last year too but it wasn't that successful.  I think I'l;l have herbs indoors in the conservatory and salad veg in a raised bed closer to the back door than the three we've built at the far end of the garden - they are near the compost bin. A lot to look froward to do - now where do I fit in the smallholders meetings, dog shows, and gundog training 

[Mad Goatwoman of Madeley]

A friend, who worked as a steel erector, started to put up my greenhouse but got stuck.  He says the instructions aren't very clear so he took them home to have a good look at them before coming back to finish.  What he's done so far doesn't look right so I think we are in for a trip to B&Q to see how they have put theirs up.  Poured today so that put paid to outside work that wasn't essential.

[happygolucky]

Its funny, I bought some planters off the internet and a guest and steve helped me put them up but could not understand the instructions, I made them all in the end!!!!!
Its often easier to google the make and model and watch how its done!!! reading instructions is very very confusing

[NormandyMary]

Its funny, I bought some planters off the internet and a guest and steve helped me put them up but could not understand the instructions, I made them all in the end!!!!!
Its often easier to google the make and model and watch how its done!!! reading instructions is very very confusing

We've started searching on Youtube for instructions. Quite often there is a good video of someone doing what you are looking for. OH has had a load of help from this. Our GH arrived yesterday, it wont be going up yet though as its not a rigid one. It'll probably go up in May.

[Mad Goatwoman of Madeley]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll find out the make and model when he gives me back the instructions and have alook on Youtube.

[happygolucky]

we even had to look on You tube to put the pop up tent back into its tiny bag....arh, still not in its bag

[doganjo]

we even had to look on You tube to put the pop up tent back into its tiny bag....arh, still not in its bag

I've got one of those - took me half an hour the first time to put it back, can do it in minutes now - just needs practice