Having A Greenhouse Without Having A Garden

If you live in an apartment or flat and long to be able to indulge your love of gardening, a coldframe might be the perfect solution. While it’s easy to have potted plants in your home, and window boxes galore, you are pretty limited when it comes to the types and sizes of plants you can grow. A coldframe provides much more versatility and enables you to grow a wider variety of plants, while protecting them from the elements.

If you have a balcony or terrace, you might think you are limited to just growing a few hardy plants in large pots or planters. A coldframe, however, protects your seedlings and plants from harsh weather conditions and acts like a mini greenhouse.

It’s not just those in flats or apartments who can benefit from a coldframe – it’s the perfect solution for anyone who loves gardening and wants to add more variety to their horticultural projects, but doesn’t have room for a full greenhouse. Many older houses in particular have yards that are great for potted plants or wall planters, but simply don’t have the space for an entire structure. A colfdrame can easily slot into a corner of a yard, taking up very little room but allowing you to cultivate a large variety of plants.

Coldframes are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles, making it easy to find the perfect match for your needs. The most popular coldframes tend to be constructed from wood with a reinforced glass lid that can be opened fully, closed or left propped open. If you only have a very small area available, such as the edge of a balcony, for example, you’ll have no trouble finding a compact coldframe that can easily slot into its surroundings. If you have a little more room, you’ll be able to opt for a larger model. While many coldframes are the shape and size of a small wooden chest or crate, there are also vertical models that are perfect for standing against a wall. These upright coldframes are very similar in appearance and size to compact greenhouses and are ideal for growing or protecting taller plants, or for installing shelves in and tripling or quadrupling the capacity you would get from a smaller model.

Coldframes are suitable for year-round use. In the warmer summer months, they can be left open to allow for adequate ventilation and to stop your plants overheating or drying out. During the cold winter months, they are ideal for protecting delicate plants from frosts or other harsh weather conditions. When spring comes round again, they are perfect for raising bedding plants, cuttings and seedlings until they are developed enough to be moved outside.