It is finished!  YAHOO!!!!

I am so excited I could explode! 

4' X 14' Cold Frame

It took way to long to paint the windows and have them ready to go. Special thanks to my sister who helped me last weekend, and a extra thank you to my massage therapist Julie for giving me these windows last year. She, like me loves to garden and this is something we have talked about during many a massage sessions.

This is the thermostat sensor that is tells me what the temperature is from the comfort of my kitchen counter.

I love how easy it is to see what the temperature is and know when to go open or close the frame. For those who may or may not know. 

You want to keep the inside of the Cold Frame colder than warmer. Below 75°F during the summer Below and 60°F for the spring and fall. When it is about 40°F you want to start venting and anything above 50°F take the lids off or open the all the way. Don't forget to close the lids in the cooler evenings. 

The one thing we still are working on is the ropes that help with the venting. Right now it is all manual, we are thinking of adding a crank. This is my husbands idea. I love him! He likes to look for the "better" way of doing everything! If it looks like hard work, he will find a way to do it with a button. Hence my digital thermometer, vs. the one that you have to peek at from the inside of the cold frame. That is to much work when there is a foot of snow on the ground.

Here is me playing with the venting of the "lights". I LOVE IT!

This is my sweet Maggie. She loved every moment we worked on the Cold Frame. She "supervised" as she ate a larger than life kohlrabi root that I pulled for her last week and dried in the sun.

Just a few finishing touches. Some weather stripping around the windows and caulking for the larger cracks. Lets not forget that crank system my husband wants to install. I think it is a GREAT idea! If anyone knows of something that will work feel free to suggest it.

More tomorrow about what I have planted inside.

Cold Frame Almost Finished

For a few years I have been planning and researching cold frames. Since posting photos to my Facebook page a couple weeks ago when we started our install, I have had lots of questions. I hope this post will answer some of those questions.

Cold Frames help to protect plants from the elements and provide a sheltered growing environment. Cold frames can be dug down into the earth or can be a simple box built that sits on the ground. It protects from wind, snow, frost, and extreme cold. 

I love this article on cold frames from Eliot Coleman at vegetablegardener.com. Great resource, lots of information, photos, and details to draw from. 

You can go to Eliot Colman and Barbara Damrosch 's Website and read articles they have written on gardening. Love their books and approach to gardening. 

I year ago my massage therapist was cleaning out her garage and asked me if I wanted these windows? They are 3'x4' double pained windows. Perfect! When it is finished we will have a 4'x14' garden bed/cold frame. 

After living in our house for a few years and gardening each year, I have learned which area's I do better with in the winter. This spring I made up my mind that I wanted to convert the kitchen herb bed to my cold frame area. It is easy to get to, and I do not have to move large amounts of snow to get to it. Unlike the compost bin that I have to hike out to with muck boots. 

My husband can thank his mad construction skills for the custom build frame. It is not totally finished. I still need to finish cleaning up, calking, and painting the windows. I hope this week will bring the cold frame to completion, or at least be ready for the windows/lights to be installed. Have to wait for the paint to dry before we can do that. 

Stay tuned for future post of what can grow in a cold frame, and photos of the finished product. 

Cold Frame, Quilting, Canning, Maggie and Music Mania!

My friends and clients have been asking me what I have been up to lately. Depending on the day it is canning, quilting, working in the garden, working with Maggie's training for Canine Good Citizen or prepping a lesson for primary music time. No matter what it is, I am busy and love it!

Each day has been filled with the oncoming winter, and the need to get everything ready to get snowed/frozen in. So I am trying to finish up things in the yard with the big project this fall of getting our cold frame installed and planted. We are 75% there! Today I hope to get the "lights"/windows painted and ready to install. Peas need to get in the ground too, but the climbing support needs to get installed. Just need to get busy with it.

I have several quilts being pieced right now. Trying to finish my loose end projects, and be able to start fresh on some of the more of my larger ideas. Just want to get all the clutter out. I recently pulled out my "Lessons From Mama" book and got back to work on that quilt. Started it 4 years ago in a beginners class at the local quilt store. So this one is on the design wall and is being finished up. More on this one later

I did get my log cabin quilt finished up and to Mom's for quilting. Talking to her on the phone this week I learned it is out of the bag and hung in the entry way for inspiration.

I only got this photo of it before sewing all the blocks together. I added piano keys for a border and shipped it without taking a final photos. So I hope mom will send me one of it hanging in the entry way. Love all the colors in this quilt.

With the Fall here and a hurry to get my garden cleaned up, the last of the canning season is upon us. I need to get my tomatoes finished up, salsa, and a few more whole tomatoes done up. It is going to be epic! I think three more bushels will do it. Then I need to work on pears and apples. I would love to do more... but time is a thing of this world and it can be a little crazy when we don't have enough.

I was recently released as the Relief Society President at church and have a new calling as the Primary Music Leader. I LOVE MY NEW CALLING! Creative, fun and with loving children that are always happy to see you! Each week I try to craft a new project that will inspire the children to learn the songs that are filled with beauty and doctrine of gospel. Nothing warms my heart more than sitting next to a child, have them take the music we were just singing and read the words while trying to remember the melody they just learned. So inspiring! I love these children.

Lastly, my Maggie. She is so much love! Forever my little companion. Follows me for everything in the house. We have been working hard the two of us with her training. The AKC has a program called Canine Good Citizen that helps dog lovers work with their animals in a fun way, teaching them the skills and abilities they need to have happy doggies. Maggie is improving each week with her classes and shows it around the house. We work together each day to make sure she will be ready on test day. Therapy Dog Maggie is not to far away. 

Hope this gives a little insight to my blog info and the fun that will come and I update and show my projects. 

Love and light to all! 

E