Polytunnel

Not the most thrilling afternoon in the garden, but sometimes it’s the quiet ones that feel the most productive. Overcast and about 12°C in Aberdeen — standard April stuff — so I headed out to the polytunnel to get a few jobs ticked off. Chitting the Tatties First job was getting the potatoes set out to chit. I’ve lined them all up in trays along the polytunnel shelving where they can get a bit of light and start sprouting. There’s a decent amount of them this year so I’m hopeful for a good crop once they go into the ground. They just need a few weeks to get their eyes going and then they’ll be ready to plant out. ...

Right, what a day. The sun was out in Aberdeen — 9°C and partly cloudy, which by our standards is practically tropical — so I made the most of it. First job was checking on the pumpkin seeds I planted a couple of weeks back. I’m chuffed to bits because they’re actually growing. Little green shoots pushing through the compost, doing their thing. I know it’s early days but seeing anything come up at all feels like a win. Pumpkins in Aberdeen — we’ll see how that goes. ...

First time in the greenhouse and polytunnel today and honestly, it was a bit of a state. Full of spiders, old plants from last season, and that general feeling of “where do I even start?” But the sun was out and I had the afternoon free, so in I went. The Greenhouse I spent the first half hour or so just pulling out old tomato plants and peppers from last year. I was very late starting last season — we did get tomatoes but I should have got a lot more, given that the cold weather starts quicker up here in Scotland. I’m determined not to make the same mistake this year. ...