Real gardeners use cold frames.

REAL GARDENERS USE COLD FRAMES

Real gardeners have cold frames. They use them in many ways.

Let us count the ways. More or less chronologically, cold frames are used for:

1. Starting seeds of cool weather vegetables six to eight weeks before they can be planted in the garden. Included are lettuce, celery, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and onions.

2. "Hardening off' tender annual flowers (petunia, marigold, impatiens, etc.) and vegetables (tomato, pepper, eggplant) that were started in the house under lights, in a greenhouse, or in a hot bed.

3. Summering house plants.

4. Rooting cuttings of trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials.

5. Growing biennials (pansies, hollyhocks) from seed for planting out the following spring.

6. Drying fruits and vegetables.

7. Growing cool season vegetables from seeds or plants put in the frame in midautumn to provide fresh produce well into winter (same plants as in #1).

8. Storing vegetables such as turnips, rutabagas, carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, beets, through winter.

9. Storing bonsai plants of woody …