Having watched how other bloggers have successfully grown watermelons in our climate in cloches, I decided that this was the year I was going to have the same success. This is my mini greenhouse:
A couple old windows leaning against a wood table. I used sheet plastic on the sides to keep the heat inside, they can easily be pulled back on hot days for ventilation.
Inside, I planted some watermelon and charentais melon (french cantaloupe) seedlings I started weeks ago in a big deep pot. The cold frame also holds all the tomato starts, they need to be hardened off before I plant them in the garden.
The jugs are full of water and soak up heat during the day to keep the mini-greenhouse warm at night. The tomato's will be planted and then the melons can take over the entire interior of the greenhouse this summer.
In other news, my artichokes are starting to form some mini-chokes! This plant now has three growing strong.
Above is a photo of the hugelkultur bed from a couple weeks ago....just hours before it was destroyed for the FOURTH TIME....this time by the one wiley, flighty chicken, Eureka. I managed to save some of the seedlings and re-plant them, but the jury's out....not sure what is going to survive. ARGH. The hugelkulur bed is now surrounded by its own set of fencing on all sides, including the top. So now, any escapees will have to get out of the run AND somehow get through the second set of fencing to do any damage. Ha.
I plan to plant the tomato's out next weekend, hopefully by then the nights are warm enough and I will not have to wrap them up. Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend!
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