Each day of warm sunshine coaxes a few more seedlings from the ground.  Then cold wind, rain and sleet chill the soil again and the  sprouting of flower, veg and weed seeds is temporarily suspended.

 

 

The seedlings in our makeshift cold frame have an easier start in life, protected from wildly fluctuating temperatures and buffeting winds.

 

 

Three rows of loose laid bricks make the frame, set against the south-facing stone wall of the cottage.  The lid (not visible in the photos) is a double-skinned sheet of polycarbonate in a simple timber frame.  Now the cold frame is full, pots and trays of seedlings are competing with house plants for space indoors on the cottage window sills.  The weather forecast has taken a turn for the worse so I must be patient and wait for the days to warm up before sowing any more seed.  That’s easier said than done.