Norman A. Plate Teena Garay of Homer, Alaska, gets an early
start on annuals, perennials, and vegetables by growing
seedlings in a coldframe designed and built by her husband,
Pete. He used pressure-treated 2-by-4s to build the frame, which
measures 9 feet long and 4 feet wide. It's covered by three
hinged lids (framed with 2-by-2s) that slope from 30 inches at
the rear to 18 inches in front. Translucent fiberglass sheeting
encloses the sides and lids. To make it easier to open the lids
for ventilation, he rigged them with pulley-drawn cords that tie
off to cleats in a 2-by-4 mounted above the frame. A fine mesh
screen is fastened across the bottom to prevent voles and other
critters from tunneling up to the seedlings.