cold frames!

Today it was sunny so I went out and did some garden chores long neglected. Like blanket my Rhubarb under several inches of raked leaves, cut down all the dead Marigolds and Broccoli, coil up and store the garden hose.

Already the ground is frozen; my Beets look dead. But the Lettuce still seems half-alive, so I gathered up all the scraps of boards and bricks and built two makeshift coldframes over the Lettuce plot.

Had one more old window pane so I built one over some of the remaining Swiss Chard, too.

They're not pretty, or terribly sturdy, but I hope will shelter the plants enough that we can eat some greens over winter. I almost considered making one for the Carrots instead, which as you can see in the foreground here, seem to be doing fine.

But although I can easily imagine scraping snow off a coldframe to cut lettuce or chard leaves, I can't yet picture myself going further and trying to dig up winter carrots. Maybe if I'd done this sooner, before the ground froze.... as is, I'm not sure the lettuces and chard will make it, but have some hope!

Someday I'll get me a real coldframe, with a hinged lid and all one piece that I can just pick up and move, instead of restacking bricks every time.