improvements don't really improve the cold frame

I repaired my cold frame today.  The lathe I used was too flimsy to do the job well.  The frame threatened to blow away in the wind, it got bent out of shape by its own weight, and the plastic detached in one corner.

So I attached some 2x2 cedar to the frame to add heft and stiffen it up.  My patch worked but I really must say this turned out to be an ugly project.  It looks real cheap and rushed.  Next time I start a new project, I will slow down and find out how others went about it before I get started. 

Nonetheless, I did learn something from my efforts -- if you want to protect something, what you build must be substantial.  Lathe is not substantial -- use 2x2 or other sturdy-sized wood instead.

flimsy cold frame

Today I made a lightweight cold frame to use as I harden off my transplants.  It was really easy to make but turned out rather flimsy.  So here is what I did and at the end I will tell you what I am going to do to fix it.

Necessary supplies: 4 foot lathe, metal fasteners, a square, a hammer, 3.5 millimeter plastic, scissors, and a stapler.  So I used a square to make sure my angles were good before pounding the fastener in with a hammer. 

Here is what the fasteners looked like before and after.  The fasteners were rather sharp but I found them easy to work with even with kids around.

Then I cut off the amount of plastic I needed from my roll.  And attached it using a stapler -- I have a heavy duty stapler somewhere but couldn't figure out where it was when the time came so my desk stapler had to do.

I think this modest cold frame will be enough to keep my transplants protected while they harden off.

But my cold frame is a little flimsy.  The wind threatened to take it away so I put a chair in front of it for the time being.  When I get a chance next week I am going to buy some 2x2 and attach it to my frame for greater stability and heft.  I don't think a mild wind will down it then.

Still, I am wondering if at this point if it would be more time efficient to just try direct seeding into the ground.