The 16^th of January celebrates the International Hot and Spicy Food Day. Whatever takes your fancy, we love seeing pictures of chillies that have been grown in our customers’ polytunnels. 

The past 20 years or so have seen alpacas grow in popularity in the UK, with herds from as few as three alpacas up to 800. With this in mind, proper housing for them is incredibly important, and a top-quality polytunnel is swiftly becoming the obvious choice.

Not that long ago, polythene tunnels were seen as a second-class option, opted for only by growers who did not want to incur the expense of a glasshouse, but special qualities in modern polythene covers such as spectral filters, additives and polymer technology have made polytunnels a more viable option.

With the Met Office anticipating that this summer's fine weather will last throughout June, July and August, it’s becoming ever more important for soft fruit growers in the UK to look at ways in which they can adapt to increased temperatures. Whilst there are a number of methods to choose from, today we're looking at ventilation.

We love gardening blogs – they somehow manage to identify all of the amazing, frustrating and down-right hilarious things that can happen to gardeners. On top of that, they’re also a great place to find ideas and inspiration for your garden or allotment. So here are 5 awesome blogs that we’ve enjoyed reading recently.

Ventilation has always been an important aspect of calf welfare. Improving your existing building or ensuring that your new build is designed to the highest of standards has a lasting and positive impact on animal welfare.

One of the most important factors to consider when growing produce in polytunnels is ventilation, and there are certainly plenty of benefits to ensuring that there is adequate air movement inside your polytunnel.

One of the main challenges when building your polytunnel is getting the corners square. The 3-4-5 method, otherwise known as Pythagoras' theorem, can be applied to ensure that all the parts of your polytunnel fit together as planned.

For keen kitchen gardeners or passionate allotmenteers, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons offers a range of interactive gardening courses. Located in the heart of the hotel’s gardens, the Raymond Blanc Gardening School will equip you with advice, ideas and inspiration for your own vegetable plot or allotment.

The advantages of housing sheep at lambing time are profound. Livestock housing, particularly polyhouses, can provide a sheltered environment for new-born lambs and offer protection against extreme weather conditions. Housing at lambing time also allows ewe and lamb to be more carefully observed for signs of illness.