- Author: Mollie Jarrett
One cool early morning, a week ago, I was thinning and transplanting beet seedlings. It dawned on me that later in the day the temperature would be in the high 90's. A few minutes in that intense head and my beets would become toast!
I had to think fast if I wanted to enjoy beets in a few months. I racked my brain trying to think of ways to shade my seedlings from the forthcoming heat. I didn't have any row cover, cardboard or plywood to make a lean-to. Then I remembered, I still had sheers (lacy curtains) that I brought back from England years ago. They had just enough opaqueness to block the scorching sun and enough transparency to let in air and light.
I attached the sheers to the frame (with Velcro® strips), where the beets and cucumber seedlings were planted.
As I stood back and looked at the finished product, I thought the sheers gave my garden an elegant “royal look” while protecting my crops.