If you want to start greenhouse gardening, it is best to start with a cold frame to fully enjoy your greenhouse garden.  A cold frame is the most basic form of garden greenhouses. It is like growing in four seasons without experiencing the harsh months or down periods. Your greenhouse garden will not be idle even during cold season because plants continue to grow on cold frames. Cold frames shelter plants against cold seasons. Cold frames are inexpensive and simple to use. It facilitates growing throughout the year! Some structures may be expensive depending on how serious you are in growing your plants.

Although cold frames are simple structures, their benefits are great, and can be understood even by a beginning gardener. Still, many people have not totally regarded the advantages of having cold frames as a greenhouse structure. One known advantage of cold frames is that it gives plants the benefits of enjoying adequate sunlight and shields them from cold weather, harsh wind, snow, rains and hailstones.  It is also easy to assemble and install, and movable. Cold frames may require you extra work because you have to constantly check the weather outside.

Greenhouse gardening requires good management even with the use of cold frames. Your cold frame can turn into a hot frame during summer season. Open your cold frame or “vent” during hot season because you wouldn’t want your veggies cooked before harvesting them. A cold frame can be hot inside during cold days. In these cases opening your frame is necessary to release temperature. Installing devices for venting may be very useful for gardeners who are sometimes out and can’t attend to their gardening needs. Vent devices are also useful nowadays because of climate change. Installing thermometers inside your cold frames help you monitor the temperature inside. This is very useful during extreme hot or cold weather.

In choosing cold frames, consider the type that you want to have. Cold frames are available in glass glazing or plastic glazing. The glass glazing is the better option but is more expensive than the plastic type. Another type of cold frame is the one with hinges. The advantage is easy access and it can provide proper ventilation for plants. It protects plants from rain but is susceptible to damage brought by harsh wind. Cold frames are the best greenhouse gardening style for novice gardeners.