Some pictures

[Odsox]

... for posterity, certainly this photo of my totally empty east polytunnel.
I'm almost certain it has never been totally empty at any time since I built it in 2006. I would like to say it was intentional, to let it lie fallow or something, but it is sheer coincidence and will probably never happen again.
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But that is mainly because everything is in my west polytunnel.
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That's garlic in front, with over-wintering onions above and spring planted onion sets above that, and broad beans right up the top.
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... and from the other end, tall climbing peas in front with potatoes on the right, with the grape vine just starting to flower.

Then over in the big greenhouse the apricot looks like it's going to be a bumper crop. This is just one branch on the now 25 foot long tree, although I realise I will lose a few that fail to stone.
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.. and on the other side the strawberries have woken up and starting to flower.
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[MKG]

It all looks immaculate, Tony (as I would expect).
But where's the swimming pool and bar?

[Odsox]

But where's the swimming pool

The swimming pool is everywhere outside of my undercover growing areas at the moment.
I've never regretted buying the tunnels and building the greenhouses, especially when it rains incessantly as it's been doing for the last 6 months or more.

[Green Aura]

Well I have a confession to make. We've given away our polytunnel! We've had such poor results in it over the last few years that we've stopped growing anything in it and have decided to use the space for a much larger shed for OH and his tools.

The apricot in there was in flower but it desperately needed re-potting so we've sacrificed this years fruit to a healthier tree. Hopefully next year it will pay off. It's currently taking up space in the spare bedroom but will be moved to it's new home shortly.

It's not all bad news. What was my therapy room (I don't do any professional aromatherapy any more) is a bit redundant and has huge SW facing windows. It was always a bit dull in there because of the roof of the lean-to log and bin store. They had to alter the roof of it when we had the renovations done and the new one is polycarbonate - so we now have a new bright room which will now make a very effective, albeit fairly small, greenhouse. Even better, because it was previously a stable, it has a drain in the middle of the concrete floor so I can wash it down every now and then too.

If the tomato crops we had off the windowsills, last year, is anything to go by we should have much more success than in the polytunnel.

[Odsox]

You probably did the right thing GA.
As I think I've said several times on here, a polytunnel is just a piece of garden protected from the elements, a greenhouse effectively moves that small piece of garden several hundred miles south.
Where you are you need all the help you can get.

[Green Aura]

Indeed. After the mildish winter, certainly in terms of snow, we have reverted to a wet and cold spring.

[Weedo]

Impressive Tony -

I really need one in reverse; one where it rains inside, keeps temps down a little and provides about 10% shade. We are now officially in drought, no meaningful rain for about 7 months. The river is down to below 1 metre and our pumps are struggling to lift water for our stock and domestic supply. Conditions are so bad that the cockatoos and galahs have resorted to searching through the cow poo for seeds etc. (we are hand feeding wheaten and oaten hay)

However I have hopes for a wetish autumn and am preparing the beds for the winter greens etc. Only a few french beans, sunflowers, silverbeet and rhubarb still growing.

[Odsox]

I really need one in reverse; one where it rains inside

You mean like this ..

I put the pump on for half an hour to bed in the plants I just put in and to moisten the main bed where the sweetcorn is going.
This is pure rain water collected from my barn roof and stored in 2 x 1000 litre tanks. Rain is forecast for tonight, so tank should be refilled by morning.
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[Weedo]

Yes like that except as a shade house (I still remember what rain is) Trouble is finding a shade cover under 25%; I really only need enough to mediate the summer sun and effect of our hot dry winds so that I can grow the "softer" greens etc. Perversely, I suffer from water deficit in Winter rather than summer.