heat-loving plans to thrive. The magic behind them is that they help extend the season of your crops, meaning you’re stretching summer at either end. This is always a good thing when your winters are long and drizzly.
Unlike hothouses or glasshouses, cold frames are built close to the ground (usually 0.5 m–1 m high) and are designed to raise seedlings, harden off young plants or grow annual heat-loving vegies that don’t get very tall.
While we were initially thinking of building a large glasshouse, we eventually changed our plans in response to our context. Our steep slope and lack of available flat land has seen us prioritise outdoor growing and play spaces. This all meant a smaller cold frame would be more appropriate. It’s also a heck of a lot easier and cheaper to build. Wins all round!