A polytunnel can be an amazing addition to your garden, offering the opportunity to extend your growing season and provide your family with a wealth of edible produce. But a polytunnel can be useful in other ways too. These flexible covered spaces can find a range of different uses. Below are a few examples of the ways in which polytunnels have been used to make life better and easier in other, more unusual ways:
One of the reasons that polytunnels are so useful is that they prolong the growing season by keeping off winter frosts. This ability to moderate the outside temperature somewhat is also fantastic for keeping livestock. Whether in a commercial venture or in a home growing setup, a polytunnel can be used to keep chickens or other poultry through the winter months – a use that can go hand in hand with growing fruit and vegetables. The chickens will help to scratch up and fertilise the ground and may appreciate the protection from the elements during the coldest part of the year.
A more frivolous use of a polytunnel, perhaps, but others have found that a polytunnel offers the perfect protection for a hot tub or swimming pool that can be used throughout the year, even in the UK. That extra warmth and protection from the worst of the weather means that you could enjoy relaxing in water for more of the year than you ever imagined possible. A hot tub could even be placed in amongst growing plants for an amazing spa-like experience, right in your own back yard. Can you imagine picking some peas or some strawberries from a plant as you sit and sip a drink in a hot tub, literally sitting there and smelling the flowers? For some, this could be a dream come true – the perfect way to meld luxury, relaxation and practicality.
Talking of practical uses for a polytunnel – here is one that can be a big help and can be done alongside all your growing. A polytunnel can be perfect for drying your laundry on a wet summers day. We get a few of those in the UK, of course, yet there will always be washing to dry, especially if you have a family. String a washing line or two from your crop bars and you will be able to get your clothes dry without having to hang them in your home. Plants in a polytunnel can also benefit from the rise in humidity as the laundry dries, so it is a win-win situation.
