Making a cold frame / construire une petite serre

It's hard to believe in the cold weather we're having that we should be sowing tomato, pepper and courgette seeds very soon. Some of our neighbours have done this already. In preparation for all this spring activity, Lo Jardinièr has been making a cold frame.

C'est difficile de croire qu'on doit semer les tomates, les poivrons et les courgettes bientôt. Quelqu'uns de nos voisins l'ont déjà fait. En vue de toute cette activité de printemps, Lo Jardinièr construit une petite serre.

Some friends gave us two crates, one of which we decided to use as the basis of a cold frame, and a couple of weeks ago we trimmed the bay tree in the corner of the garden so that it won't shade the finished frame.

Now all that needs to be done is to fill in the sides with planks of wood and polythene sheeting. We're especially pleased because it has cost nothing at all to make - we've used only recycled materials that people have given us or that we had lying around, things ...

...like this piece of metal salvaged somewhere by Lo Jardinièr from a previous life as a curtain rod holder. It makes a very good handle for the top of the cold frame.

Another one for Melinda's Buy Sustainable challenge, I think.

Soon, we hope, the cold frame will be full of thriving seedlings!

Bientôt, on éspère, la serre sera pleine de plants à croissance rapide!

Lemons at last! / Des citrons enfin!

Our three lemons - our first ever - have ripened very slowly during the cold weather, but at last they are turning very yellow, rather than yellowy-green. Very soon I'll pick one, slice it and add it to a gin and tonic!