The days of winter have arrived, the earth sleeps, rejuvenating herself for rebirth in the Spring. The gardening chores have come to a close,and we gardeners take a well deserved respite, as we dream and plan for our Spring gardens.

However, winter doesn't have to be a time of garden idleness. You can still grow fresh herbs and vegetables indoors or in a cold frame.

What is a cold frame you might ask? It is somewhat like a miniature green-house, covered with transparent material that can be lifted or "cracked" during the sunny days of the winter. This is a wonderful way to grow lettuce and other smaller vegetables during the winter.

At our house, our cold frame has been in use for two years now. We grow lettuce, carrots, parsnips and a few herbs for winter use. Believe me, there is nothing like fresh veggies during the winter!

Cold frames can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes, with many different materials. I will tell you how we built ours to give you an idea. There are many books and gardening magazines available, giving instructions and plans for building a cold frame, if you decide to build one for yourself.

Our cold frame is 8' x 4', divided into two sections that are 4'x4'. To start, build a box using 2" x 12" wood boards, burying the wood 4" in the ground. Till the area thoroughly, adding any compost, or other additives necessary to provide "good soil". You need to leave at least 4" of headspace. For the top "doors" of the sold frame, we built two squares, 4' x 4', using 2" x 4" wood boards. Attach the "doors" to one side of the 2 x 12, using hinges so it will be possible to lift the door up and down to water the garden for air circulation, and to let heat escape on sunny days. We also added handles to each "door" for easier lifting.

The top of each "door" needs to be finished off with plastic or fiberglass sheeting. We used chicken wire to reinforce the plastic sheeting, stapling both to the "door frame". The plastic sheeting we used was a 2mm piece of "painters drape plastic," available in many stores. Since our winters in Texas are mild, we also drilled a 1/2" hole in the "underside" of the "door frame", and attached a removable dowel, so the door can be left open if the temperatures are mild.

Well, with your cold frame finished, you are now ready to plant. You should have a total wood depth of 16". If you buried the wood 4" in the dirt, you should still have at least 8" of growing room for your vegetables. If you need more room, you can use wider wood pieces.

I hope this gives you an idea of how to build a cold frame. If you have the space and love fresh veggies during the winter, then a cold frame might be for you!

Happy Gardening!

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