Questions and Answers

Q: thanks again from Lyndsey PS. You could'nt tell me how to make a cold frame for the garden could you-only joking ;-)

A: Actually cold frames are pretty easy - you can make them as durable or temporary as you like. All you really need is to fulfil the following criteria;

• A semi-transparent material that will let sun through (polythene is the usual for temporary ones, or glass/plastic for something more durable )
• A rigid enough frame to support the required materials
• Some method of accessing your plants for watering and venting the frame if it gets too hot or humid
• Something to root it to the ground so a lightweight frame doesn't take off in a high wind (more solid solutions are fine though).

The usual semi-permanant solution involves basically building a slanted box, with the lowest side facing the morning sun, and a simple hinged lid with your transparent building material. If you want something thats going to be standing for ages, you can build something from brick and glass. If it's just to protect from any surprise frosts over a single season, bent wire loops attached to the ground with tent-pegs and polythene held on with duct-tape can often suffice just fine.