blockhill - forest garden experience & education

North Canterbury

Construction process

Construction process

Fortunately the skeleton and shell of the building was quite sound and really just needed a few minor alterations before we could run wiring and pipes and close the walls and finish the interior.
Old iron sides

Old iron sides

The weather boards on the exterior walls of the house were looking tired and required patching in a few places. Also, white was not our favourite colour.
Rather than continue to patch new problems and run on the painting treadmill we decided to go for a more serious and long term solution. After much consideration and deliberation we settled on colour coated corrugated steel. Long lasting, easy to install, made of recycled steel (or can be recycled) and available in a range of non-white colours.
The end result looks good and should last for some time.
July 20, 2013
The cube

The cube

My micro glasshouse constructed out of 5 windows.
With an opening front and lid it provides an ideal (small) space protected from wind and extreme cold.
January 01, 2010
  Glasshouse 
Lettuce inside and out

Lettuce inside and out

Details   One of the first things we started growing in the new tunnel house was some transplanted red lettuce that had been growing nearby.

It is simply amazing to see how different the two sets of plants are. Those that remained outside have hardly grown at all while those inside the warm humid tunnel house are ready to eat.

Listening to someone discussing this phenomenon recently and it sounds like the plants generate their pigments in response to UV light, of which there is less under plastic.
Date   September 18, 2010
Tags     Lettuce  Tunnel house 
Cucumbers

Cucumbers

Details   We are finally starting to get some cucumbers out of the tunnel house. Things have been growing like crazy in there, to the point where access is almost impossible.
However, having only one opening prevents airflow making the temperature too high and reducing bees, required for pollination. As a result, yields have been low.
Modifications are in order....
Date   March 05, 2011
Tags     cucumber  vegetable  tunnel house 
Tomatoes in September

Tomatoes in September

Details   Ok, so it's only one tomato right now but there are more coming. One of the many end of season tomatoes that was composted into the glasshouse beds during construction is off to a fine start.
Date   September 02, 2013
Tags     tomato  spring  glasshouse 
Greenhouse

Greenhouse

Details   A well designed, large greenhouse is great way to grow plants that otherwise would have a limited season or not be possible to grow at all. Here we are growing (from left to right) tomatoes, purple passion fruit, thai ginger (galangal) and babaco (mountain pawpaw)
Date   December 23, 2014