Lately we’ve been admiring cold frame greenhouses, with multiple shelves and transparent roofs and walls to let in sunlight to warm seedlings in cold weather.
Reminiscent of Victorian display cases for special specimen plants, upright cold frame greenhouses have more space for plants than a single-tier cold frame (which is typically built low to the ground to take advantage of the warmth of the earth).
We’ve rounded up 10 favorite cold frame greenhouses that won’t require much square footage in a garden—but will keep a multitude of plants happy in winter:
Above: An The Upright Coldframe with two cedar shelves is 55 inches high and has a hinged lid for ventilation; £770 from Gabriel Ash.
![A Hardwood Small Greenhouse by Esschert Design has glass panel walls, a hinge flap, and two adjustable shelves; \$\269.99 from Amazon.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-greenhouse-hardwood-esschert-design-733x455.png)
![A lean-to Alton Evolution Cedar Greenhouse is designed to stand against a wall. Available in four sizes (including 4 by 4 feet as shown), it has a red cedar frame, safety glass panels, a gutter system to keep rainwater from pooling, and a louver roof vent. Prices range from £\1,595 to £\2,\163 depending on size at The Greenhouse People.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-green-house-leanto-alton-evolution-733x549.png)
“The wall at the back of a lean-to greenhouse acts as a heat sink—regulating the greenhouse temperature during the day (reducing over heating) and storing the warmth of the day and releasing it during the night helping to keep you plants nice and snug,” notes retailer The Greenhouse People.
![A portable GreenHouse Cold Frame has two shelves, translucent panels to let sunlight in on all sides, and a roof you can prop open for ventilation. It is \$\148.79 from Amazon.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-greenhouse-two-shelves-amazon-733x559.png)
![A Raised Garden Bed with Greenhouse Kit has wire mesh screen panels and is 3 feet high and 6 feet long. With a frame made of rot-resistant western red cedar, it is \$9\25 from Home Depot.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-greenhouse-raised-bed-home-depot-733x492.png)
![A combination Raised Bed With Cold Frame made of larch is available in three heights at prices ranging from €\1,890 to €\2,\250 from Gartenfrosch.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-greenhouse-gartenfrosch-edited-733x597.jpg)
![A decay-resistant solid wood Mini Greenhouse has polycarbonate window panels; \$\2\19.99 via Amazon.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-greenhouse-solid-wood-amazon-733x478.png)
![Made of fir, a Mini Greenhouse with two shelves and a ventilated lid has UV-proof polycarbonate panels; £88.99 from Wayfair.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-greenhouse-bel-etage-733x511.png)
![A 4\2-inch-high Terra Lean-To Mini Greenhouse made of fir has a polycarbonate back panel and is £69.99 from Greenfingers.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-greenhouse-terra-leanto-greenfingers-733x524.png)
![As shown, a tall Cedar Cold Frame from Woodpecker Joinery is 5 feet tall and \2 feet deep; £\1,\195 from Woodpecker Joinery. Several other configurations and sizes are available, at prices from £795 to £\1,3\15.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cold-frame-shelves-woodpecker-joinerybrick-wall-733x514.jpg)
- 10 Easy Pieces: Cold Frames.
- The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden.
- Cilantro 101: A Field Guide to Planting, Care & Design.
- Hardscaping 101: Cold Frames.
- Gardening 101: How to Draw a Garden Plan.
- Steal This Look: Michelle Obama’s White House Garden.
- Lettuce 101: Everything You Need to Know.
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