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Make Your
Own Greenhouse
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Build your own cold
frame for spring.
Lately I've been in one of those
claustrophobic winter moods where I'm not sure I can stand living in
the northern hemisphere for three more months. And that's where
character comes in.
Winter builds character. In Canada, in
January, we've all accumulated way more character than we need. So
we must have outlets. For some people this means heli-skiing. But
that takes expensive ski fashions. And nerve. And muscle tone.
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For the rest of us, a good
outlet for surplus character is eating. But even eating is bland
because there are no home-grown, vine-ripened tomatoes involved. So
the mind wanders to thoughts of greenhouses and hydroponic
vegetables. Doesn't it? Mine just did.
So to feel that
August is a little closer, I built a cold frame and started ordering
seeds from the mail order place.
| Materials and
tools |
Materials:
Recycled window - roughly 32"x26"
1x6 cedar fencing
1x6 cedar decking
1x2 cedar
3 - 2" hinges
About 50 - 1-1/2" exterior grade screws
16 - 1-1/4" exterior grade screws
1 - 3" x 1/4" carriage bolt, two washers and a nut to fit
Thread adhesive
Tools:
Drill or screwdriver, bits
Handsaw or circular saw
Cut list:
Back: Two - 1"x 6"x 30" (thicker cedar)
Front: One - 1" x 6" x 30"
Floor: Five - 1" x 6" x 30"
Sides: Four - 1" x 6" x 24-1/2"
Braces: Four - 1" x 2" x 10-1/2"
Arm: One - 1" x 2" x 12"
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(For the most remarkably
delicious cherry tomatoes in creation, try "Sungold", available from
The Natural Gardening Company in California (707) 766-9303 - www.naturalgardening.com.)
TIP: If you get into trouble with the geometry like I
did, remember, math is unreliable. This is because physicists have
discovered that the universe contains no straight lines. So it's not
your fault if careful measuring fails to provide good carpentry
results. Comfort yourself by knowing that if space wasn't curved,
your carpentry would be better.
Steps:
Build
a box that measures approximately 2" smaller than the overall
dimensions of your window. This allows a bit of overhang on the
front and sides.
To build the first layer of the box,
pre-drill and screw the sides to the front and back. Use the
stronger, thicker decking boards for the back to provide extra
strength where the window will be hinged. Then attach the front.
If there is a large gap in the floor, lift the frame and
slide a board in place under it. Then use a pencil to trace a cut
line to custom fit that last board.
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