Protecting the vegetable garden

A few years ago I bought several packets of agricultural fleece for £1 a packet in the pound shop. It has been languishing in a bag at the back of MrShoestring's workshop, unused and unopened. Every time he has a tidy up he asks what it is and I reply that it will come in handy one day.

Well, one day has arrived ! On Monday night we laid it over the vegetable beds and the strawberries to protect them from the predicted frost. It worked a treat, no seedlings or strawberry flowers were harmed. The fleece gets a bit damp, so I laid it over the washing line to dry and that night we laid it out again to protect the plants against the cold. By yesterday we thought that we should just leave it in place in case the promised hail and sleet turned up. Well, the day dawned clear and sunny but by mid-morning it was hailing ! I was so glad that we had left it in place as MrShoestring was away at work and the stuff is so light it is really difficult to put down on your own.

I am hoping for better weather towards the weekend but in the meantime am thinking that £3 spent long ago has saved all our seedlings and the strawberries for which I am very glad ! So, if you do see some cheap agricultural fleece, get some for the garden, you never know when it might come in handy !

Now, I just need a good way to protect the apple blossom !