Summer weather has finally come - but it was on June 22 last year that I raised the sides of the hoop house, too - so overall not a lot of difference in the weather. However, germination, both in the greenhouse and direct-seeded at the farm, have been slow and paltry. To protect seedlings from bugs (cucumber beetles have definitely arrived in force!) and slugs, and to increase soil temperature, I have created a patchwork of row cover and juice bottles sans bottom over the garden.