Cold Frame by terriem
Recycling is the hot word these days. And gardeners are doing more of it. You can, too. For example, if you have external doors made of glass or storm windows that are no longer used, reuse them to build your own cold frame.
What is a cold frame? A cold frame is a bottomless box with a hinged glass door or window on top that is used for planting seedlings and cold weather crops to extend the growing season. It grows cool loving plants for a longer period in the year and helps acclimate plants started indoors in the spring so they warm up (harden) to be planted later in the season.
It is one of those easy to build devices that almost a child could do. If you can’t nail four boards together and nail hinges on the glass external door or glass window frame, use bricks as the base, line the bricks so cold can’t come in through any cracks. Then lay the glass door or window on top. Have two equal sized short sticks so that you can prop the door or window up on a slant when the days get warm enough to allow air to come to the plants. Be sure to close the window or door at night or during freezing weather.
There are many websites with directions on how to build your own cold frame. One that TheGardenLady liked is this one. His cold frame is large. You can start small with just one glass door on top.