a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The Cold Frame...

that's what it was called when it grew early spring plants.  The structure partially underground was covered with hinged glass doors so the sun's warmth could coax the garden plants into early growth.  On warm days the doors were thrown wide for "toughening" the plants.  During nights of frost and ice the doors stayed closed.

The ground was composted and enriched naturally.  The tomatoes and peppers were started on Lincoln's birthday and the potatoes must be in the ground by St. Patrick's Day.  So many rules that worked...sometimes.
This is how it looks now.  That's right another &%*# project I've dreamed up for me to try to accomplish in humid triple digit heat indexes. I feel compelled to right all that has been neglected.  Dad built this Cold Frame and began plants here every spring.  Now it sets minus the frame with only the cold rock walls left.

I  must remove the weeds after trimming overhead limbs and enrich and rework the soil into a nice loose soil.

I think I will grow worms in this...fish bait, earth worms, creepy squiggly worms that people string on fish hooks to catch wonderful tasting fish with...yes, worms!  We have night crawlers and red worms now I just have to build them a cozy nest with rich soil they will enjoy staying in.

We all enjoy fishing and this location for the bait will be handy.

Raising rabbits and worms to sell were part of the money I earned growing up.  Wasn't easy but always sold out. Hopefully I will have a new successful worm village by next spring.

16 comments:

MadSnapper said...

daddy had one, it was the size of two french doors, someone gave him the multipaned doors and he built the frame and hinged the doors on it. it was his worm bed and his seed bed. he did not call it a cold bed, just his seed bed... i can see why it is called a cold bed... he planted seeds in it and when they were big enough he transplanted them... he used a many a fishing worm out of it

TexWisGirl said...

well, if worms you want, then worms i hope you'll have. and happy ones, too.

ellen abbott said...

I tried raising worms in a plastic tub but something else got in there and it was a writhing mass of grossness. It was a total failure.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You're right - you're a glutton for punishment to do it in the heat. Hope the cold frame is wormy soon.

Farm Girl said...

I always loved having a worm bed. I tried to have one here but it is just too hot. I raised rabbits too.
I don't know if I made any money but I fed a family of five for quite awhile. Not us, just a family out of work. It is funny the Dad was always out of work but they managed to eat.
I would love to have a cold frame too.

Sandy Livesay said...

Gail,

You're going to do this in the triple digit temperatures!!! You're awfully brave.

That's a great way to earn money, we used to have a worm farm when living in Virginia.

Pat said...

I gotta admit, when I was little I never thought, "Gee, when I grow up I want to raise worms!"

But then again, I wanted to be a BIRD when I grew up so maybe I needed to rethink that! Ha ha!

You are always coming up with these ingenious projects! If it's anything that will make me sweat - count me out! (unless it's in the bedroom *wiggling eyebrows*)

DFW said...

That's a great way to have the area useful again. I have a very small worm bin that I use the castings, a few tablespoons at a time, to transplant seedlings into larger containers. The seedling do great until I put them in the ground, then pests take over & I forget to continue adding 'fertilizer'. I'll learn one day.

Josie Two Shoes said...

Gail, your ingenuity and love for restoring everything that comprises your land is such an amazing thing to observe. It takes a real trooper (or someone who has already been out in the sun too long ;-) to attempt this project on these blistering summer days, but I can see where a worm garden is just the right thing to have where there's fish to be caught! We'll be expecting more photos and updates as the season moves ahead. Happy worm farming my friend!

Country Gal said...

My niece used to work on a worm farm at night picking them . That is the only way I have ever fished is with worms . Lots of work a head of you and hope it all goes well ! Just take it easy in the heat and don't push yourself ! Thanks for sharing . Have a good day !

jp@A Green Ridge said...

This may sound crazy, Gail, but it seems that my adding coffee grounds to my soil invites the worms!...:)JP

LindaG said...

Remember to drink lots of liquids and take breaks.
Don't get sunburned like I did Sunday mowing the pasture...
I wasn't feeling good by the time I finished because I probably didn't drink enough so make sure you do!

Fish bait is still a good money maker. Good luck! :-)

Sandee said...

We had a severe heatwave here that lasted around 8-9 days. You must be enjoying that now. It's cool this morning. I like that.

I've never heard of this before, but I live in California and there is very little frost going on here. Lots of hot though.

Have a fabulous day. :)

Sketching with Dogs said...

Good luck with your worms.
That is not a sentence I have used before, LOL.
Lynne x

Brian Miller said...

smiles...we used to put cardboard out to trap the damp soil under and grow worms...done that plenty of times...

Susan Anderson said...

Good luck! My son does that to fertilize his garden with their droppings.

=)

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