Around February I start to get the itch to plant. There is usually a break in the cold winter weather in Missouri, and that always encourages my gardening spirit to get going. This year I purchased something off of my bucket list: a cold frame garden. Keep reading to learn how I am getting a jump start on the gardening season, by growing greens and herbs in my cold frame garden during the late winter season.
After researching various options, I purchased this cold frame garden from Juwel. We assembled the garden and installed it in a sunny spot in my yard. My husband dug out the existing soil and turned in compost, which we then topped with bagged garden soil.
I have an Aerogarden on my kitchen counter, and love to utilize it for making little plants for my outdoor garden. A few weeks ago I started the following herbs: basil, cilantro and parsley. The third week of February, I moved the little herb starts out into my prepped cold frame. Next, I planted the seeds.
My family eats most meals at home, because I love to cook and also because our son has Alpha Gal. Growing and cooking our own food helps provide safe meals for our kiddo.
I’d love the opportunity to provide our own lettuce, herbs and other greens for longer in the year. I dug out my seed packets, including some old favorites like Merlot lettuce and some new ventures like the Amaranth spinach. After dampening the soil, I planted my seeds following the package directions. I watered everything lightly and then closed the cold frame. Voila!
After four weeks, which included both below freezing and warmer (in the 60s and 70s) weather, here is the status of my cold frame and greens/herbs growth. The basil was killed off during a dip below freezing, but the cilantro and parsley are still growing beautifully. The greens are all sprouting, even with below freezing temps two nights this week.
On super warm days, when the middle, auto-vent is fully open, I’ll wander out to the cold frame and use the yellow clips to hold open the side lids. On cold days, the lids stay shut. I water the cold frame when the soil dries out. This cold frame planting has been super easy, and I will definitely utilize this again in the fall and winter. This garden will help me extend my growing season!
Jackie Baird Richardson is an interior designer, editor at The WON and avid junker. Watch for her design tips and occasional crafting ideas, bringing the outdoors indoors. View all posts by Jackie Richardson
