Hard to believe we’ve been living at The Secret Acre for three years now, and the still as yet unfinished greenhouse can’t believe it either!

Friends from the start might remember that clearing the greenhouse was the very first task we tackled over three years ago. Like an episode of Time Team if it involved only brambles.

Then I just had to spend a summer repairing and re-glazing it to put it back into use.

In my defence, in year one at least, we were too wrapped up in the eco-makeover of the house to make a start.

All last summer Emma kept politely reminding me to make a start while the weather was good. Which I duly did… eventually… after some delays. Or much needed research and planning time as I like to call it!

Last year… half the job done!

And like pretty much every job at The Secret Acre, it turned out to take much longer than anticipated (despite the much vaunted ‘planning’ just mentioned). So the net result was only half the job was done in 2017 before the autumn weather turned too cold for the putty to set.

I should mention at this point that the greenhouse is of course old, and so doesn’t fit any of the modern standardised greenhouse glass clips which would make re-glazing a simple task (despite much clip ‘research’ as mentioned), requiring instead a complete re-puttying in of every pane. Which is in turn a right pain I can tell you.

Anyway, fast forward to this summer, and Emma now slightly less politely reminding me to get on with it. So I made a good early start… then stopped for a bit… and then picked it up again just in time to finish the second side before the weather turned again!

This year… other half done!

Well I say finished. The doors, which are ok and usable, need doing in Spring to be really complete, and of course there is just the small matter of kitting out the inside with path, beds, tables, etc. this Winter to ready finally… four years late… to be using The Secret Acre’s greenhouse once more. Watch this space!

Well, nearly done… just the doors and kitting out the inside to go!