Feeling guilty about your abandoned cold frame?
Capitalize on the forgiving nature of herbs. Pick a selection of cold-hardy herbs from your local nursery, scoop up some terra cotta pots, and prepare to perform some sleight-of-hand winter garden magic.
Clean off the windows of the cold frame—as with car headlights, even a slight film will limit how much light gets through the glass.
Clear garden residue and turn the soil lightly.
Step 3: Spread a thick layer of compost, potting soil, or topsoil to replenish the cold frame’s soil, and then dig 6-inch holes for each of the potted herbs.
Step 4: Before you settle the herbs in the holes, give them an upgrade from plastic nursery pots. (If your herbs are coming directly from a greenhouse, consider hardening them off in a garage or shed for a few days to acclimate them to the temperature change.)
Step 5: Luckily for those of us with no patience to wait for spring, cold frames can be adjusted to different climates. In mild climates, you can vent the windows during the day and plant less-sensitive herbs.
Step 6: Prop open the windows for ventilation on sunny days—too much heat can kill plants much faster than frost. After outside temperatures reach 40 degrees, you’ll want to vent the cold frame, and lift the windows entirely if temperatures rise above 50.