A caterpillar tunnel or a low tunnel is a small greenhouse low to the ground. It’s not a greenhouse you can walk-in but it will help get a head start with spring flowers like ranunculus and anemones. 

I built my tunnel based on the plans from Floret Flowers Online Workshop. I will be able to see this tunnel from my kitchen window all winter so I wanted a clean sturdy structure. Even with an ingredient list, written instructions, and video how-to, I managed to get a few things wrong. I had to order most of the ingredients and wait for shipping. I ordered the wrong size frost cloth, didn’t calculate the correct number of piping, and drilled holes too high. Nonetheless, we managed to make it work. This was a fun project for Husband and I to work on. He helped me with cutting, drilling, knocking posts in the ground, and wrangling in the plastic covering.

Week 47 recap:

• Planted garlic bulbs.
• Finished assembling my caterpillar tunnel.
• Thanksgiving lunch.
• Christmas decorating.

Plans for week 48:

• Prune Life’s Little Pleasures rose bush.
• Plant foxglove.
• Shell seeds.

My instructions suggested 4mil greenhouse plastic sheeting. Since I ordered the wrong thing I was too impatient to order and wait for greenhouse sheeting so I bought 3.5mil painters plastic. I’m sure the advanced gardener would have a lot to say about this switch however this amateur gardener is willing to give it a shot. I’ll report back in March.

(To be continued)

Happy gardening,

Lelo