Emma Cooper

After days of dodgy weather, and a couple away from home, this morning I spent some time catching up in the garden. I harvested the red onions (which were healthy, but very small) and the garlic.

I replaced the two peppers that had been slug munched since they’d slimed their way right through the growing points and the plants were left worthless.

I planted out 5 of my purple sprouting broccoli plants, which leaves me with a few spares in pots. I watered them in, sowed trefoil underneath and then spent an age clearing out the shed so that I could find the brassica collars. Once I’d found and fitted those, I sprinkled eco slug pellets and then strugged with my ‘easy’ tunnel – the gardening equivalent of a Rubix cube, they’re a fabulous invention that will send you round the bend.

The result is Fort Broccoli. The trefoil and the mesh tunnel should protect them from the worst ravages of cabbage white butterflies (which have just started to make an appearance). The slug pellets should prevent them from being munched. The tunnel should also prevent them being too badly damaged or dried out by the wind. The brassica collars will protect them from cabbage root fly.

In the autumn I will have to take the tunnel off and stake the plants against winter winds. It might sound like a lot of work for 5 plants (they grow big!) but it will be worth it in PSB season next spring.