We may live in a hi-tech, on-line world, but if you love Polytunnel Gardening, chances are you like nothing better than browsing through your favourite gardening books. So how about sharing the pleasure with family and friends?

First Tunnels featured Polytunnel Gardening books are best-sellers…essential reading for everyone who wants to make the most of every inch of space, every day of the year. So they make really great Christmas gifts for polytunnel fans. Click here to find out more

Vouchers too…

Don’t forget, First Tunnels Vouchers are just the thing for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries or just to say thank you. £10, £50 and £100 available.
So if you’re looking for the perfect gift that has real practical value…you’ve just found it!

If you think August is an odd time to construct a Polytunnel, with the growing season all but gone….think again! It could just be that this is the best time of all.

For starters, we’ve still got plenty of those lovely long evenings available to us (and some nice light mornings too for all you up-with-the-larkers). With a comfortable 15 hours of daylight from dawn till dusk it’s amazing what can be achieved.

Then there’s the summer weather. Pick a day when the elements are kind to us and everything becomes much easier.  No mud if you’re digging trenches.  No frozen fingers when you’re dealing with the fiddly bits.  No rain trickling annoyingly down the back of your neck.

The August Bank Holiday also opens up a 3-day window of opportunity. The kids are on holiday too…so get them pressed into action.  And for a little extra encouragement all round, you can always stoke up the barbie for some well deserved re-fuelling while you work

Now for the fun bit….

August is the ideal time to start your winter crops and your Polytunnel will open up a whole new range of possibilities.  Not only will it offer you (and your produce) all the usual protection from the ravages of the winter weather, but the micro climate inside will mean everything – from germination to harvest – will be that much quicker and easier.

So…if you were thinking the best time to build your Polytunnel was in the “quiet” months , maybe it’s time to think again.

For more monthly growing tips and advice please visit First Tunnels Growing Guide

Polytunnel Construction

August see’s the launch of First Tunnels brand new Polytunnel construction website www.Polytunnels.co.uk. It’s an entire site dedicated to every aspect of building your Polytunnel, from initial planning and preparation to all the professional finishing touches.

You’ll find loads of video guides. Plus easy-to-follow instructions which you can also download. A section on all the frequently asked questions…And much, much, more. Follow it step-by-step and your Polytunnel should be as solid as a rock…and give you years of trouble – free service.

Meet The First Tunnels Polytunnel Construction Team.

For those of you who haven’t already met the First Tunnels construction team before, all you have to do is click here to find out more about the professional team…the people who’ve worked so hard to develop and put together the First Tunnels construction guides.

Help is just a phone call away…

Announcing the launch of the First Tunnels construction helpline. If you are experience problems with your Polytunnel construction or just need a little bit of moral support, the First Tunnels construction team are available to answer your questions and help in whatever way they can.

Simply call 01282 601253 on weekdays between 9am-5pm…PLUS weekend cover on 07801 601253, between 9am-5pm.

First Tunnels offer everything gardeners require for a top quality Polytunnel.

Shopping – Why can’t it just be simple? Lets face it, trawling through hundreds of Google searches is a chore. And when you think you’ve made your mind up, you’re bombarded by conflicting opinions on web forums and lets not even talk about the meerkats or bellowing opera singers!

Well, if you’re one of the thousands of gardeners looking to invest in a Polytunnel or accesories, you’re in luck. First Tunnels have a comprehensive, easy to use website thats packed with helpful advice, interesting links, growing guides and many videos.

A new addition to First Tunnels website is The Polytunnel Buyers Guide. In short, it’s the ultimate guide to why First Tunnels is the first choice for gardeners across the UK. Here’s a taster -

20 Years Anniversary

1. The Market Leader- Over 20 years, First Tunnels has clocked up a top client list including Alan Titchmarsh, Bob Flowerdew and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and now sells over 3,000 Polytunnels every year!

2. Super Strong Polythene covers - First Tunnels Polythene covers are tough, strong and are designed to cope with extremes of UV. They’re guaranteed for 5 years and will often last in excess of 10 years.

3. Timber Thickness - The right timber will give strength and rigidity to a Polytunnel but will still allow doors to be easy to manoeuvre. First Tunnels wood is FSC approved and treated with Tanalith E to ensure a long life.

Sliding Door

4. Door Options - The size of Polytunnel dictates whether it can have a single or double doors, but the buyers guide will help you choose if they should open inwards or out and there’s also a handy guide to space-saving sliding doors too.

5. Steel Construction -Polytunnels are often sited in exposed areas, so you need a structure that’s up to the job.  All of First Tunnels products have exactly the right gauge of galvanised steel hoop, but there’s higher-spec available for extreme conditions.

First Tunnels Construction

6. Construction Service - A First Tunnels Polytunnel is easy to build and comes with a DVD featuring step by step details. There are loads of tips on First Tunnels Facebook, Twitter and YouTube site too.  First Tunnels constructors are just a phone call away from 9am-5pm on weekends and bank holidays (07801 601253) Or there’s a team of trained constructors who can take care of the whole job.

7. Product Guides - First Tunnels brought in the film crew to capture the process of constructing a Polytunnel – from site preparation to the finishing touches. The printed construction manuals are detailed and easy to follow.

Polythene Calculator

8. Ease of Ordering - While First Tunnels brochurecover everything you need for a perfect Polytunnel, there’s easy online ordering including polythene calculator to help you choose the correct replacement cover size, replacement tube design as well as every Polytunnel accessory you could require.

9. Fast Delivery- Just because your Polytunnel is made to order, you won’t be in for a long wait. First Tunnels keeps all packs in stock, so orders are turned around quickly. In fact, most domestic Polytunnels (8ft – 14ft wide) are despatched within 7 working days – and often quicker during September to December.

10. Experts Choice- As well as NHS Trusts, Schools, Government Organisations and gardening Celebrities, First Tunnels works closely with the leading Polytunnel experts Mark Gatter, Andy Mckee best selling authors and Paul Peacock, presenter from BBC’s Gardeners’ Question Time.

Do you run out of time at the end of your polytunnel gardening day, promise to return the next day to tidy up, but rarely do? As January is a quiet gardening month, there’s really no excuse for not getting your Polytunnel back in good working order. Not only is it very therapeutic to spend a few peaceful hours pottering, planning, putting everything back in place and removing any accumulated junk, it will also save you lots of time in the busy growing months ahead.

Polythene Repair Tape

Check your Polytunnels polythene for any accidental damage or tears.  It’s always handy to have a roll of Polythene Repair Tape on standby for those unforeseen emergencies, not only is it excellent for repairing polythene covers or cloches, it is the ideal solution for repairing cracked panes in greenhouses too.

If your polythene cover just needs a bit of a Spring clean, Algon Organic is perfect for the job.

Algon Organic

Simple to apply with a garden sprayer, soft broom or paintbrush, no need to scrub or rinse it off later and the effects really do last. Not only is it ideal for cleaning a polytunnels polythene cover , it’s great for stone, wood, glass and great for cleaning your tools as well. So, while there’s less call for using your tools, now is the perfect time to give them a good clean too.

If you think your polythene cover is beyond repair, a replacement cover will soon get your polytunnel back in business. Working out how much polythene you will need is simple with First Tunnels easy to use calculator.  Just tap in the length and height of your polytunnel, plus the distance over the hoop and the smart online calculator will work out the rest – in feet or metres.

Recovering a Polytunnel

Watch the videos

Wouldn’t it be nice if the season of ‘goodwill to all men’ extended into January?  Consider it done! Here’s our own First Tunnels antidote to the flagging wallet and the groaning credit card. Throughout January we’re reducing all the prices at First Tunnels by a full 10%…making it the perfect time to treat yourself to all those things you know you’ll need as the spring gets closer and closer.

Save 10% and we'll pay the VAT increase

What VAT increase? (We’ll pay the 2.5% VAT rise for you)

Here’s some more good news to kick off the New Year. Buy anything from First Tunnels and we’ll pay the extra 2.5% VAT for you. It’s our way of starting 2011 with a bit of a smile.

10% off everything and no increase in VAT

Polytunnel gardening just got better value than ever!!