Cold Frame!

I've been intrigued by the concept of a cold frame for a while now.  Every gardening book seems to mention one, nearly every decent garden center sells them, and I couldn't help but wonder if having one could make gardening even more fun for me.

I waded into the over-full shed, pulled out some significant sized scraps, and got to work.

Here's the very beginning where it's essentially just a box. 

Now a bit of a box with a bit of a lid:

 

I added a middle brace to the lid to support the 8mm dual-paned polycarbonate for the top.  Then I painted.   Clark + Kensington makes a paint that can handle temperatures down to 35F.  Rio the Sailboat helped (incidentally, I've decided that this color, a Farrow and Ball shade called Green Blue, will be Rio's color). 

And before I knew it, I had a cold frame! Notice the cedar along the bottom- that's tacked on as a 'sacrificial' board.

And the interior.  I'm now the proud owner of a mini greenhouse. :) Total cost:  just under $50, considering I had most of the wood already. 

And while we're talking about gardening, please join me in ogling my soil.  How rich does that look?!  Let's hope 2013 is the best year for gardening yet.

In sad news, the property that I grew up on has been or is being sold. I remember all the long hours that my parents and my grandmother spent working and improving the land on that property.  I'm heartbroken to see it go.