Jason and I spent the afternoon Saturday making cold frames (mini greenhouses) for some of our tender plants—agave, hen & chicks, pineapples, cherry tomatoes, palm tree. They’re actually very simple to make using old wood-frame windows screwed together with 3″ screws. Just be careful not to break the glass with the screws. (We only did that once.)


We’re using storm windows to cover the tops of the frames and black trash bags under the greenhouses to attract more sunlight.

These should work well for starting seedlings in the spring too.

I thought this snail was cute. Jason thought it was gross. Then we cracked the glass in this window.

A Chinese windmill palm (I think…) is frost hearty after it’s been established for a couple of years. This is it’s first winter so we’re being extra cautious with a cold frame.

The moral of the story is: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. These windows were recycled. My parents had new windows put in their house last year and Jason snagged all the old ones before they got tossed. So… these look not too trashy, right?

Lucy, our Mid-Century-Modern Life mascot, kept an eye on things from the lounge chair. She’ll be 5 next month. She’s really starting to act like an old dog, which we find to be very entertaining.

Even though it was cold outside (I’m allowed to call 60º cold, right?) Jason and I enjoyed a lemon berry fruit slush from Sonic. Happy Hour baby! This giganto drink was only $1.03!!
Posted by mahlbrandt 