Cold Frames

[preppingsu]

We ( that's the royal we of course, OH is the one that's does, I just come up with the ideas.. ) made some cold frames from the remnants of an old playhouse ( the rest was used in the making of the house for the clay oven) and some windows that had been replaced last year.

This is the pile of leftover timber

056.JPG (87.26 KiB) Viewed 854 times

The size was determined by the size of the window and is big enough to put a large bag of compost inside until we decide where we want them permanently. OH is not overly pleased with them but he thinks everything should be furniture standard but in the garden it doesn't matter.

052.JPG (73.59 KiB) Viewed 854 times

054.JPG (84.35 KiB) Viewed 854 times

055.JPG (92.83 KiB) Viewed 854 times

In the compost bags I have planted rocket, lettuce, radish and spring onion. There is enough timber to make another frame but we have enough windows to make some more. Timber will need to be purchased.
Total cost was 20p for hinges.

Edited to say we went to posh garden centre yesterday for a mooch and saw a comparable cold frame (the work was very poor quality). It was £50.00

[preppingsu]

My apologies for the orignal topsy turvey pictures - all sorted now (and you can stop standing on your heads!!!!)

[redskies]

Those are fab, Su. We're using tyres and old windows. We did think about raised beds, but it's easier to get hold of old tyres than pallets to make the beds, so we went with those.

Have you considered the old fashioned heated bed thing? Where you put manure underneath, then cover it with soil? Means you can grow right through the winter, giving you year round fresh veg

[junmist]

there lovely su but where did you get hinges for 20p please

[Arzosah]

Thank you so much for this! I love the idea of just putting a bag of compost in there until you decide permanent siting - for now, mine would probably be plantpots ... and my shed hasn't collapsed yet, but there's still stuff inside it (like two Habitat stools, and a sofa frame that I want to sand down and paint and bring it back into the house). I'd better get on with my jobs list, hadn't I!

Its a great example of what can be done, and how much further your money will stretch if you put the work in yourself. And in view of the unseasonal weather last summer, and this spring, cold frames could become a necessity.