Between the farmhouse and the market gardens we have built an initial hothouse, (3m x 6m) placed where it is in order to provide a convenient location to raise seedlings and vegetables that prefer a covered location with quick proximity to the house for easy harvesting.
While we have set up the connections for automated watering, the garden beds and growing arrangements in there have not yet been established. (in fact its a storeroom currently) The design that we are ultimately looking to establish are raised beds around the perimeter of the space with a single raised ‘island’ bed running along the middle.
Built on the cement slab from the old milking shed it makes for an easily cleanable floor that is ideal for hosing off after working on plants inside. The covering of the hothouse involves the placement of netting followed by the clear plastic. The reason for this is to provide hail protection and has worked well to prevent any holes forming.
In the future we see an opportunity to build a proper glasshouse in the same position utilising the same roofline as the Chicken House it sits next to. This expanded design would allow extra height as well as the benefit of vertical sides that could be better used for trellis.