Why Cold Frames Are Expensive, Why OURS Is the Best Value
We at Carnival Gardens have noticed a sad but true fact: countless cold frames will cost you quite a bit of your cold, hard cash. Many of those sold by major warehouse stores and outlets across the country can retail for far more money than they’re worth. And such pricing is enacted without reference to the size of amenities of the cold frame. That’s right — you could fork over more than a hundred dollars for a product best described as “miniature” and “lightweight.”
Good prudence and shopping around are strong purchasing values for any type of sale, including for purchases in the sphere of gardens and plant care. And you should definitely exercise such principles when considering a cold frame. Getting bamboozled on price and value isn’t the most conducive method for your ultimate gardening goal — trumping the weather confines of your growing zone and starting your plants healthily, ahead of schedule.
Facing such exorbitant pricing, many gardeners choose to construct their own cold frames. The general concept of a cold frame is fairly easy to mimic and makeshift, after all. Cobble together a boxlike shape with four slabs of lumber, most likely, and top the structure with a fitting transparent cover (glass, mesh, saran wrap, what have you), and presto: cold frame done.
Yet build-by-numbers cold frames do not necessarily satisfy the gardeners who’ve made them. A homemade cold frame can all too easily end up caving in, toppling in a breeze, self-dismantling in inclement weather, or — heaven forbid — failing to properly warm the delicate plants it was meant to protect.
What exactly does a cold frame require, self-made or purchased, in order to be reliable and effective year after year? The criteria boil down to three primary considerations: size, materials of construction, and penetrability by light.
A cold frame should always be sized appropriate to the gardening area you dedicate to it. But gardeners must be free to move completely around the cold frame, kneeling down to reach its farthest corners and attend to every seedling. Gardeners also have to consider the plants grown inside the cold frame: its walls must be high enough so that seedlings don’t outgrow them.
Wooden construction in a cold frame does provide for solid insulation in cold temperatures. However, watertight and extremely sturdy construction is an absolute must, if that cold frame is to weather storms and survive tough winds. Aluminum cold frames, though lightweight and extremely portable, don’t insulate as well.
Glass cold frames are heavier than their counterparts, and hold up better in strong winds. Some cold frames are made completely in glass, in order to allow in a maximum of sunlight. Yet glass’ sturdiness comes with a much higher price tag. Glass isn’t an option for gardeners with pets or kids, as the material can shatter when impacted hard enough.
All of this considered, plastic emerges as the ideal construction material for worthwhile cold frames. Carnival Gardens’ well regarded cold frame utilizes sturdy, insulating clear polycarbonate plastic that has been UV-stabilized, meaning that the cold frame won’t wear down in sunlight.
Our cold frame also features an array of reinforcement corners, brackets, butterfly nuts, and other components that equip the frame to stand strong in any sort of weather. Yet the features that truly distinguish Carnival Gardens’ offering can speak (or open up) for themselves.
Most cold frames require regular propping open in warm weather, lest the plants inside overheat from a lack of ventilation. The Carnival Gardens cold frame boasts a self-opening mechanism that frees busy gardeners of needing to constantly attend to ventilating the frame.
You’ll notice that Carnival Gardens’ state-of-the-art cold frame offers its combination of light weight and durability for a remarkably rational price. Its free shipping and guarantee of satisfaction underscore the depth of value in this essential product for serious gardeners.
Looking to extend your growing season, and to use that green thumb of yours to do so? Don’t break an arm and a leg in the process. Research the current cold frame market for yourself, and consider Carnival Gardens. With our cold frame, you’ll grow bushels of your favorites without breaking the bank.