At this time of year, we start making our glass lantern cloches, as a lot of us will be needing them before too long, to protect the more tender plants through the colder, frosty months.

Christine is going you use the smaller ones this winter on the dahlias, rather than lift them. We have a Melianthus Major in the garden, which suffered a good bit last year, so we will use the big cloche, with two extensions on it, making it over three feet tall. That should keep it snug, and on warmer days, the top section can be twisted round a bit for ventilation.

The small cloches are about 16” in diameter, and the large ones about 22”. Both are solidly made from iron (no flimsy copper foil), and glazed with reclaimed glass from old greenhouses, which we cut to size in the workshop.

Some of this glass is pre-war, and has a lovely uneven appearance. Perfectly serviceable though, and the traditional putty means these will last for decades.

The small one weighs in at about 6kg, and the big one 11kg, so no chance of blowing over or away!.

As always, we have tried hard to make these affordable for practical use, and the large one is £145, the smaller one £95. The price includes the base section, or without, they are £95 and £65 respectively.

We send the cloches with a courier, at cost only, or deliver free within twenty or so miles of finchingfield.