… With a passion. I hate it so much. I hate its stupid flimsy aluminium frame held together with crappy bolts that don’t hold together. I hate its supposedly wonderful new generation polycarbonate panels that just crack and perish under our searingly hot UV sun. It’s such a crappy design that even the insurance company won’t insure it – even though it cost me a small fortune. I hate how the design doesn’t hold the polycarbonate panels in place and the job is left up to duct tape – while being a wonder tape – even this can’t overcome the crappyness of the greenhouse. I hate how it can’t stand up to the slightest breeze.
I bet you can guess where this is going….
While the stupid greenhouse is actually still standing – which is some kind of miracle in itself, it has withstood gusts this morning of up to 50km/hour, but the stupid flimsy thing bent and bowed like and old accordion and then resumed the usual position, standing there all innocent – like nothing was wrong when I went to water my newly transplanted seedlings.
The bowing of the south wall caused the freestanding shelf along its inside wall to fall over. Or was it pushed, by a nasty, cantankerous, bad tempered hunk of polycarbonate junk! On the floor was a jumbled mess of tomato, pepper, broccoli, and salad seedlings. I guess there would have been a tangled mess of at least 50 seedlings! I know there were a lot because it took me all afternoon on Sunday to transplant them!
Luckily because they were recently transplanted the soil around them was loose-ish and so they had been tumbled from their pots and not snapped and broken. I was able to put most of them back into pots – although most likely not the pots they came from and there were only a couple of pots missing a plant. Some of the smaller tomato seedlings may have dried out in the time it took for me to find them, but I have watered them well and can only hope and pray they will be ok.
The biggest devastation was my flower seeds. I’d planted them in a big flat seed tray and they were just starting to come up in cute tiny little rows. I managed to flip the soil back into the tray in a swift continuous movement that put most of it back in, but the rows are gone – the labels are next to useless because even if I knew where they went – I can’t guarantee that’s where the seeds have ended up – or even if they are there at all. I’ve never had much luck with flowers!
It’s just as well I have kept a spread sheet of all my seedlings, as there are quite a few peppers, chillies and tomatoes that I really don’t have a clue who they are. I will do a roll call and mark off all the known plants. I have put all the ones that I’m not sure of on a shelf by themselves and hopefully they will reveal themselves later – although I doubt it! I’ve pulled all the shelves in from the wall so that the walls would have to be on the point of snapping before they could shove my seeds around again!
It’s so frustrating. The season was shaping up to be the best ever. I was organised and confident. I had a plan and it was falling into place. It was all going so well… The thing is do I sow more? Is there time? I don’t know what to do…
Come again soon – I am seriously looking in to a greenhouse upgrade – starting immediately!
Sarah the Gardener : o )
that just ’bout made me cry. so sad – I sure hope you can salvage your seeds!
Hi there. I’m surprised I didn’t cry. Some of those seedlings had been lovingly nurtured since early August! I don’t seem to have lost much – but there are about 30 seedlings that I don’t know what they are, and there is a huge difference between a chilli and a pepper.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Our glasshouse is oldschool and even though it was missing most of its glass we used hothouse plastic to fix it and its withstood all kinds of weather with minimal problems. I am so sorry that you glasshouse took your organisation and tossed it to the 4 winds. What a bloody mess eh? It’s totally unfair that you are organised and your glasshouse rebelled and we are totally unorganised, no seeds aside from a glasshouse full of useless ornamentals and sod all happened to us. I guess sometimes nature isn’t fair and wind sucks :(. Again, I am really sorry that happened and you are a stronger girl than I am in dibbling all of those fallen babies back into their pots. Here’s hoping that you have had your mishap for the season now and that everything else will be smooth sailing.
Hi there. I want an old school glasshouse. It would have to be more trustworthy! I am so gutted. I was up late tonight re-sowing more seeds, although I think it may be a little late for the peppers and chillies. Not sure what to do with the ones with an identity crisis – put them in the garden as a surprise crop or give them away in some kind of crazy lucky dip?
Thanks for your lovely support.
Cheers Sarah : o )
I wish I could give you a hug from one reprobate gardener to another. It’s especially hard when you don’t know what they are! I would bundle the lot of them into a surprise crop garden and as they grew they would become more evident and you could transplant them if they were obviously going to take over. It might be a bee holiday camp area and it would most DEFINATELY confuse the pests! Might be a good idea! 🙂
Dear Sarah, I was so sorry to read this, how upsetting after all your work. Heartbreaking really.
Hi There. I’m pleased to say that all the plants have recovered, the problem is there are now 30 plants I have no idea what they are other than a kind of tomato or a kind of pepper! Oh the joys…
Cheers Sarah : o )
I knew exactly how you feel. My first greenhouse, a mini 3 tier thing with lots of seedlings in it got blown head over heels for 5 meters from its origin place. Total loss. Totally gutted. If only I could grab hold of the wind by the collar and give it a good shaking up. Anger, frustration, helplessness. Stay determined and upgrade your greenhouse 😉
Hi Justin. I have had one of those mini 3 tier greenhouses – in fact I have had every kind of greenhouse in between. None of them really stood up to the elements and either blew away or perished. Its so heartbreaking when you put your seeds and faith into them only for disaster to strike. I am now investigating getting a more permanent one – and hopefully that will be my forever one – and its going to be heaps bigger!
Cheers Sarah : o )
I’d have cried and stamped my feet to. I feel gutted for you. Happy looking a new greenhouse and shelving.
Hi Tina
There is nothing more frustrating than a greenhouse that lets you down. I’ve had enough time to look back on the whole thing without getting that terrible sinking feeling in my tummy, and one day I may even look back and laugh!
Cheers Sarah : o )
That’s the problem with seeds, when they first come up they all look the same!
Hi There. I have all these little tomato and pepper seedlings, that have recovered nicely, that all look identical. Not so problematic with the tomatoes (although it is nice to know what I growing or giving away) but it I give away a pepper it could actually be a super hot chilli and no one likes that kind of surprise!
Cheers Sarah : o )
We had the same problem this year. And I found on the same pepper plant a pepper could be mild or hot so it was tricky sometimes.
Oh no fun! Blasted green(flop)house! It will be ok though… plants are resilient and a mixed garden… peppers interspersed with tomatoes, chilies, and all else … will only strengthen your soul/soil! I love watching your garden grow – mishaps included. Here, I’ve just taken the blankets out of the cedar chests in preparation for the cool, cold, colder weather of fall. Happy Spring, your garden is still shaping up quite nice! 🙂
Hi there. Thank you so much for your kind words. I may give the unknown seedlings away in some kind of crazy lucky dip.
I’ve noticed that the weather has started to get slightly warmer, but the spring rain and the wind are stopping us from getting out and really enjoying it!
Cheers Sarah : o )
Hi there! I wanted to let you know I nominated you for the Wonderful Team Membership Award. 🙂 Here is the link to let you know what to do: http://wp.me/p2GO4t-4K
Thank you so much. I have a lot on in the spring garden so will get on to this as soon as I can. Thank you for thinking of me!
Cheers Sarah : o )
I hope you are able to make your greenhouse more ‘stable’ that’s devastating! Here’s hoping all’s ok for you and your seedlings!
Hi there.
So far so good. The greenhouse is still standing and the seedlings have recovered and are getting bigger every day -I just don’t know what they are! I guess a little bit of mystery in the garden never hurt anyone!
Cheers Sarah : o )
Sorry Sarah, but I’m going to say it again – POLYTUNNEL!!!
Christine
Hi Christine. I have plans for a stronger wooden glasshouse… It has to look nice because its right there in our back yard.
Cheers