Cold Frames: So Hot Right Now

On a hot, lazy September day, what better activity to do than build a cold frame out of some extra pieces of wood lying around the tool shed?

A cold frame is a boxed enclosure with a transparent roof. Essentially, it's a mini green house. It allows folks like us to grow plants year-round—our plans with this cold frame will probably have to do with planting and growing kale, as well as other types of lettuce. But of course, cold frames can be used to grow just about anything so long as they're kept sealed during the cooler seasons and don't allow heat to escape into the atmosphere.

Matt and Kevin nailing together the boards.

Preparing to photosynthesize. Don't forget to make sure the cold frame works properly and that the transparent piece of the structure completely covers the box before thinking you're finished!

Easy to make, cold frame construction requires only a few pieces of wood, an old window, some nails, hinges, and a few power tools. It also helps to be in good company; some parts of the procedure would have been difficult to accomplish without a few extra hands to help out. Speaking of which, we would like to thank the dogs for providing excellent moral support.

The finished product!