At lunchtime today we started moving some of the railway sleepers to mark out the design of the tropical glasshouse planting areas on the ground. There is a world of difference between a sketch on paper and the reality of carrying large hardwood sleepers in to place. The sleepers were supplied by Kilgraney.com who advised that these hardwood and untreated Karri sleepers should have a 20 year lifetime in these conditions.
A result of the work was a redesign (by committee) of the layout on the floor to give slightly wider paths and to split the bed on the right hand side of the glasshouse into two separate sections.
It was certainly hot work today. After a week of cold weather and rain we were all glad of the dry weather to handle the sleepers but it did mean the glasshouse reeally did feel tropical! Justin Groves, Matt Wisby and Shaheed Yusuf are seen here helping to move the very heavy railway sleepers.
Val and Julia from the glasshouses and experimental grounds came to look around and were pleased with the first stage of design. Matthew from the workshop is now thinking about the optimal way to install an irrigation system.
