My 2010 experiment - Topsy Turvy everything!

OK- so this year I got sucked into doing Topsy Turvy strawberries and peppers.  I don't really like the tomato concept, but the strawberry design seems like it should work. Strawberries are like weeds.....and give them some good soil and this should work.  As for the pepper design, again, why not?

OK- so after testing this concept, I began to think, why would it not work for other plants? If I can grow melons and squash up, why can I grow them down?  So I decided to just 'go for it' and try it.  At this point, I have. I have posted the initial pics I have:

(2) strawberries [hold about 20 plants]  I purchased two more kits to put the runners in

(1) pepper planter with peppers

(1) pepper planter planted with some type of melon- pics TBD
(1) pepper planter with delicata squash- pics TBD
(1) pepper planter with cucumbers- pics TBD

Random pics from the garden...

If I don't post these now, I won't ever!  Random photos from Garden 2010.  These are of my spring veggies and the preparation of my beds!:

• Bok Choi- I harvested 4 heads and have my new second 'wave' planted. I made Bok Choi soup.

• Peas- You should see these now!  But this is how they started.  They are right near the front door.

• Beet/Romanesco Bed- Wow...this looks like nothing compared to now!  They really filled in. These beds are brand new, thanks dad for building them. They are filled with 'black gold' compost.

• Sunberry bed- You should check out the description of these heirlooms...pretty cool. Guess these aren't very popular, but are historical!

• Garlic- Keeping the cycle going.....this is from my harvest from last year.....ate alot, and planted a few!

• Egyptian Onions- My perennial walking onions!  The heads fall and plant themselves.

• Chamomile- I love tea and this perennial herb is a love of mine.

• Cold Frame-  My cold frame rocked.  This is at the start of the season, and it really filled out as the heat picked up.

• Front tomato bed (getting prepared)- I wanted to have more veggies close to the house... so I prepared these, covered them with landscape fabric and covered with mulch.  My little mantis did all of the work!

• Cabbage- Got these varieties from Gail.....tomas in the center, endamame and favas on the other side.

• Lovage- What an awesome herb, kinda like celery!  It is really getting tall!

• 'Soon to be' Pumpkin Patch- This bed was a huge mess. Full of poison ivy, lemon balm, butterfly bushes...you name it. We hired my neighbor to clear and till it.  In July it will be the home to my squash and pumpkins!

• Rhubard

• Beds covered with landscape fabric- still messy but getting there! After liming and fertilizing, and adding alot of aged manure, I covered my beds to warm up!

Having so much fun!!!

So just a quick note to update the progress in the garden.  This year I used black landscape fabric to cover most of my beds and so far I LOVE IT.  It is neat, keeps my plants warm, reduces evaporation, and most of all keeps the weeds to a minimum.  It wasn't cheap, but so far I feel it was worth its weight in gold!

So this year I am trying some things I haven't before, and I am really excited about them all!

• ROSE ORACH- Cultivated since the 1800s, this will do well in warmer climates whereas true spinach will not. In coastal regions, it will perform despite salt and wind effect. The magenta leaves will turn green when cooked, but are colorful additions to salad or micro-green mixes.

• SUN BERRY- (Solanum Burbankii) Bred in the early 1900s by Luther Burbank, who called it Sunberry and lamented it being renamed Wonderberry by the dealer who purchased and introduced it. Critics immediately claimed Burbank had simply reintroduced S. nigrum, Garden Huckleberry, as a new plant. Burbank said it was the result of many years of crossing of Solanum guinense (a species native to Africa) and S. villosum (indigenous to Europe). Sunberry’s fruits are blue, slightly sweet and slightly larger than a pea. Said by its admirers to rival and even surpass blueberries. Truly historic variety

• BEETBERRY-A truly unique plant also known as "Strawberry Spinach." Sprawling plants are grown primarily as a nutritious green for salads and braising while the pleasantly sweet but fairly bland berries provide a fun accent to salads. Loves cool weather but also tolerates heat.

• ROMANESCO- Italian herloom.  Gorgeous head is sprightly, light green spiral of cone-shaped florets, with a delectably mild flavor and a texture more akin to cauliflower than broccoli. 

• BROAD WINDSOR BEAN- Plants grow 24 to 36" tall and produce 1" wide, 6 to 8" long pods containing 5 to 6 large beans. We love to substitute this bean for chickpeas in hummus. Pkt. Favas have approximately the same cultural requirements as peas. Sow seeds 4-6" apart in rows 18-36" apart. Use as a frost-tolerant, spring-planted lima bean substitute from Virginia northward. Fava beans thrive in cool rainy areas and are planted as early as March/April so that plants are flowering when daytime temperatures average less than 70oF. From Virginia northward, favas are planted in the spring, whereas in Gulf Coast states and warm coastal areas they may be planted from October to December for harvest in March. Approximately the size of a large lima, favas have a flavor that is similar to a blend of limas and peas, but are more nutritious than limas. For use as a snap bean, harvest the pods at 2 to 3". For use as a green shelled bean, harvest when pods are 4 to 7" long. Prepare in the same manner as peas or beans. Caution: A small percentage of people of Mediterranean descent may experience a hereditary allergic reaction to fava beans. PACKET: 57 g (2 oz). Approximately 40 seeds. Sows 12-18’.
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  TENDERGREEN BUSH BEAN-tendergreen seeds will produce plants that are medium to large, and are very productive. The plants will mature in 55-60 days.Beans are ready to pick when the pods are 5-6 inches long.The more you pick them the more they produce!The pods are round, tender and stringless. They are great for canning or freezing.
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  VERMONT CRANBERRY- 60 days. Phaseolus vulgaris. Plant produces good yields of flavorful bean. Excellent for soups and baking.

• SOUTHERN WHIPPORWHIL BEAN-Source: John Coykendall, Knoxville , TN (originally from Lowery Langston in Jefferson County , TN ) The Langston family broadcast the seeds in the cornfield for a fall crop and for animal forage. Seeds are good eaten green or dried for winter storage

• CALICO CROWDER BEAN- A pre-Civil War variety with running vines, the pods are about 14 inches with medium-sized peas that are white with maroon splotches and good fresh or dried. An excellent producer with great flavor. In the South, farmers use to plant peas in with their corn so peas would grow up the corn for easier picking, and to provide nitrogen for the corn. About 70 days to fresh harvest, 85 days to dry. Rare.
• COLLARDS- just your average collards

• YAMATO- 60 days. An Asian white-spined cucumber similar to 'Suyo Long' but superior in performance and flavor. Fruits range from 1" to 1-1/2" in diameter and 12 to 16" in length and are green with narrow yellow stripes. 'Yamato' is a very hardy, reliable variety in the hot, humid Southeast. Flesh is sweet, somewhat buttery, crisp and succulent. Pkt.
  
  "If this variety is properly trellised, it will yield gorgeous long straight beautiful cucumbers. Do not grow this variety if you do not intend to trellis it as you will likely not get many usable fruits." -Cricket Rakit
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  ESTANCIA (PEA)- Bright flavor of sweet edible-pod peas all summer, then all winter too.  Top choice for canning and freezing.  Pods grow prolifically on plants with few leaves.

• GOLDEN AND WHITE BEETS- Deep globe shaped golden roots with light green, yellow veined tops. Both are sweet and tender, especially when young. Roots do not bleed like red beets when pickled. Golden beets make a nice change of pace and color contrast in salads and relish trays. Approximately 55 days to maturity

• SUGAR NUT- Hands down taste test winner almost every summer.  Spherical, 2 lb variety with yellow skin adn green flesh.  Very small seed cavity, unbelievabley sweet flavor and a clean juicy texture.

• BOSTON MARROW- This variety is originally from Buffalo, New York, where the local Native Americans introduced it to European settlers. The Boston Marrow squash grows well in regions where the growing season is cool and short. The fruit averages from 8-9 pounds, and has a skin as thin as an eggshell with a fine-textured flesh. The taste of the flesh is much richer and more nutritious than that of a pumpkin. The Boston Marrow is used for puddings, and, despite it's oily texture, often eaten raw.

• NEW ZEALAND SPINACH- is used in the same manner as spinach, but the plant is very different. It reaches a height of 1-2 feet and is much branched, spreading to 2-3 feet across. When the plant has reached a spread of 1 foot or so, the 2 or 3 inches at the end of the branches (tender shoots, tips, and leaves) may be harvested with a knife. New growth will arise along these cut branches and their ends may also be harvested.
• RARE HEIRLOOM POTATO MIX- (see previous post for types) ]

• Masai Green beans- (www.waldeneffect.org/20090629bean.jpg) "These heirloom, French-style green beans are all we'll eat now, first and foremost for their exquisite flavor. The tiny beans are sweet and stringless, so I usually just break them in half and steam them for three minutes, or toss them in a skillet with garlic for a few minutes. Either way, they are phenomenal. Masai beans also freeze extremely well --- we froze four and a half gallons last year and wished we'd had twice that many. Of course, Masai beans are also a pleasure to grow. First, they're heirlooms, so you never have to pay for seeds again. They're bush beans, too, which means the plants produce big crops all at once without a trellis. But unlike most bush beans, they just keep producing big crops all summer, so there's no need to succession plant. (I do succession plant, but only because I like to have lots of beds and it's easier to start them scattered throughout the summer.) The clincher is that they seem to be relatively immune to bean beetles. Try them out and I suspect you'll write your own ode to Masai Beans next summer.
      Gees, you wonder if I actually am planting anything 'old' from last year!  I think I am :)

Loving my garden harvests......

So it is mid-may and I have been eating from my garden for over a month, and more is to come!  So far I have been gorging on:

• Kale- everyday a huge bunch in my smoothies.....
• Spinach- eating big salads and just snacking on them
• Lettuce- salads and for burger toppings
• Chamomile- getting big bunches to dry and use in tea!
• Rose Orach- eating raw and putting in my smoothies
• Rhubard- got two good handfuls so far
• Strawberries- picked a few red ones!

Things that are growing splendidly:

• Peas are blooming
• Tart cherries forming
• Potatoes are growing fast (stalks)
• Beets are just gorgeous
• Strawberries are green, but turning pink
• Peppers in topsy turvy doing well
• Strawberries in topsy turvy doing well
• Second round of lettuce and beets planted in seed trays
• Perennial onions getting ready to 'walk'!

Things to do this weekend:

• Mulch new pumpkin patch
• Mulch herb bed and around pond
• Mulch Broden's swingset
• Weed wack berry patch
• Finish planting tomatoes
• Plant pole and bush beans
• Plant endamame
• Plant cucumbers, melons, squash in cell packs

Season can officially commence!

So what is the gardening season without going to visit Gail at her Fallow Deer Farm in Basye, VA.  Gail is a dear friend, mentor, and inspiration to me and a huge 'real food' advocate.  She has influenced me, guided me, and continually teaches me more about the nature/life food balance.  Gail I love you and thanks to you, my garden is going to be choc full of good things for my family to eat! 

So this year, I really did not show any restraint.  Although I started alot from seed this year, one trip to Gail's greenhouse and you actually get intoxicated.  I actually bought Kale today....I mean really?  I have over 40 kale plants that are thriving in my garden, yet Gails alluring tri colored Kale got me!  So if you ever go to Gail's, don't have a plan.... the plan is just to let the moment move you and dream big!  You will need to if you buy all the plants that tempt you.  I promise to make you proud Mama Gail!

So here is the selection this year.  Note I usually only allow myself to get 6 tomatoes.  Well I already have 4 planted, and I got ten more....oops.

TOMATOES:

• Green Zebra (2)- Love them. Got two just as a backup ??!.  Green Zebra is part of my heart and soul.  They are deliciously tart and tangy and when married with a sharp cheddar cheese sandwhich, you have perfection. In official terms, Green Zebra is: Developed in 1985 by tomato breeder Tom Wagner, this is an unusual and exquisite tomato chosen by Alice Waters for her restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California. The 2-inch round fruit ripens to a yellow-gold with dark-green zebra-like stripes. The flesh is lime-emerald in color that has an invigorating lemon-lime flavor. A great tomato for brightening up salads and other tomato dishes.

• San Marzano (2)- From Italy. Compact and prolicic producer of bright-red, slim, 2-3 inch, plum-type, fruit over a long season. A paste tomato with pointy end, heavy walls and little juice, so it's great for tomato sauce. Crack resistant. Better tasting than Roma.  Last year I ate these by slicing them and putting them atop crackers with humus. I mean really....just perfection. I think I need to think of some better adjectives cause perfection is about to be used alot!

• Kosovo- A last year's fave. Love the story too. Originally sent to us by Glenn Parker of New Zealand, he writes the following about this variety: "In 2000, an old-timer came into my nursery and said that his son, who was a UN worker in Kosovo, had sent him seed the previous year of a beautiful Kosovoan tomato."
  
  Slightly willowy growth, six to eight feet high, pink, fleshy, slicer-type fruit. Heart, double-heart, and large flat shaped fruit all on the same plant averaging one to two pounds in weight. Very tasty. Very early for such large fruits.

• Church's- I haven't tried this one yet.....but grabbed it by a mistake. Was it meant to get into my buy pile?  We will see! An heirloom from the Church family of Hot Springs, Virginia collected by Jack Schaeffer. Seed came to me through Chuck Wyatt, who thinks this variety may be a descendent of that great old tomato, Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter. This regular leaf producer delivers superbly flavored 1-2 lb. fruit. The wonderfully big tomatoey flavor has delicious subtle undertones.

• Mexico- One that is a Gail customer favorite...her story was so interesting I had to try!  Brought to the America by a Mexican family living in the Midwest. Our Tomatofest organic tomato seeds produce very large, indeterminate, regular-leaf, prolific tomato plants that yield huge sets of 1-2 pound, slightly flattened, irregular-shaped, dark-pink beefsteak tomatoes with terrific bold, tomato flavors. Plenty of sweetness with complementary acid flavors. Several customers who are growers of tomatoes for farmer's markets swear by the taste quality and visual appeal of the Mexico heirloom tomato. A perfect tomato for slicing fresh and thick for sandwiches and sliced up in salads. Once you select this variety it will be in your garden every year. A great showplace tomato for the County Fair. A Gary Ibsen personal favorite.

• Soldacki- I think I remember loving this one. So I got it. Nuf said.  A vigorous potato-leaf heirloom variety originally from Krakow, Poland and then to Cleveland around 1900. Yields large, dark-pink, slightly flattened globes that grow to 1-pound and have intensely lucious, sweet flavors.

• Glacier- Gail said this is an early one...so just had to get it.  An early, short-season, open-pollinated, potato-leaf variety that flowers when it is only 4-inches tall then sets loads of very flavorful 2 to 3-ounce, round, red tomatoes. Good flavor.

• Old German- Another new one... I got carried away with old favorites and those to try! A Mennonite family heirloom from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Big regular leaf plant yields 1-2 lb. beautiful fruits. Fruit color is yellow with red mottling and striping on the outside and throughout the flesh. Best color of several strains of this heirloom. Not a heavy producer, but fruit harvested is deliciously sweet and very decorative.

• Brandywine- Brandywine heirloom tomato is Probably the first heirloom to achieve "cult status" within the growing popularity of heirloom tomatoes. A pink, potato-leaf, Amish variety from the 1880’s. Years ago, seed saving was done by individuals who understood that the greatest thing they could pass on to the next generation was some of the treasured food plants that had sustained life and had proven their value. One such pioneer was a man named Ben Quinsenbury, who lived in Vermont. He died at the age of 95, passing on his legacy. The Brandywine was Ben’s favorite tomato. In years of my holding tomato tastings for chefs and tomato lovers, the Brandywine has always placed as one of the top three favorites. It is legendary for it’s exceptionally rich, succulent tomato flavor. Fruits are reddish-pink, with light, creamy flesh that average 12 ounces but can grow to 2 pounds.

• Cherokee Purple- Heirloom from Tennessee cultivated by Native American Cherokee tribe. Very productive plants producing loads of dusky rose to purple colored, 12 oz.-1 lb., beefsteak tomatoes with deep red colors to the interior flesh and dark shoulders. A very popular market variety because of it's rich, complex and sweet flavors. One of the best tasting heirloom tomatoes.

• Yellow Pear- Clusters of small bright-yellow, pear-shaped fruit. Very tasty. Like eatin' candy

 FLOWERS:

• Nusturtiums
• Forget me nots
• Aster
• Salvia Blue Angel

VEGETABLES:  I have planted most of these on my own already, but had to get a few more...just in case :)  All of the peppers are for my xmas presents of 'hot pepper powder' for egg omlets and such.  Gonna try them in the 'topsy turvy' hot pepper plnater.

• Cabbage Mix
• Scallions
• Sweet Cayenne
• Thai Hot
• Hot Pepper Serrano
• Holy Mole
• Tobasco
  Hot Pepper Thai Hot
• Kale Mix
• Cabbage Stonehead
• Mix Cabbage

Oh my....gonna be a fun growing season!  And hopefully a good canning season too!  All the news stories about BPA in the canned food we eat made me so depressed. So here is to not eating BPA!

Tomatoes are in!

OK- pictures to follow, but here is my first gamble of the season :)  I raised some tomato transplats ( from Gail ) in my cold frame and yesterday they went into the garden..... wow!  I am thinking just because I planted them, we will get a frost --- but who knows.  This year I am utilizing the 'water walls' that I bought to help protect these plants.  So I planted the tomas according to the 'trench' method. I cut all the leaves off except the very tip ... dug a shallow trench, laid down the plants, and covered with soil except the tiny tip sticking out of the ground.  The thought process is to cover the stalk with soil so that it becomes roots and it is close to the surface where it is warmer.  Anyhow, I did this and covered them in landscaper fabric AND my water wellls.  Updates as we survice the chillier nights! 

Other update is I am planting round 2 of my beets, pok choi, bok choi, and lettuce in flats in my cold frame.  I have all of my cold weather guys out in the garden flourishing, and I am getting itchy for more, so until I can plant my summer veggies, more green leafs for me!

Late April and still things to do

Here is a list of things I still have to do:

• Add manure to several beds
• Arrange beds with interesting structures to grow tomas and beans etc.
• Set up topsy turvy strawberries and peppers (new this year)
• Cover all aisles with straw
• Plant heat loving plants
• Clean up around pond
• Clean up and cover rose bed areas
• Clean up and till around pool

So still a good list... note this does not include taking care of the garden!!!!!

Going from 0 to 60 mph quickly!

So now that my dad got me 'garden ready', I have had the energy to really get going. Before I couldn't find 5 minutes to be in the garden - and now I can find 4 minutes, and do the work of 15 minutes! I guess I just felt too overwhelmed where to start - his jumpstart gave me confidence and determination!  So last week I :

• transplanted beets (all 4 varieties)
• transplanted perpetual spinach
• transplated Romanesco
• transplanted petunias
• transplanted cabbage
• transplanted Rose Orach
• transplanted New Zealand Spinach
• transplanted basil and Sun Berries and Beet Berries
• planted ALL POTATOES
• weeded pathways
• covered all beds in black landscaper fabric
• transplanted Bok Choy and Pok Choy and spinach (into cold frame)

Ok- impressed? I am.  I just got into it and amazing what I could do in a short amount of time.  I did a good job of germinating my own seeds this year. I put them all in my cold frame and it worked so well since I didn't have to harden them off since they were 'born' outside!  Ok- I am so very tired...and still have so much to do...but had to update!

Thinking of things to do

2010 Garden Objective:

BE SMARTER, BE SIMPLER, GROW MORE FOOD, SPEND LESS TIME.

How do you think that will work?!  I really need to use my smarts this year -- follow rules of thumb and repeatthings that have worked, and do it in 1/2 the time this year.  Hmmph...lets see if it works!

It's Been Almost a Month!

Well about a week ago I hadn't done anything in the garden due to my demanding children and work schedule. I was getting kind of depressed because I wanted to be outside in the garden .... but just had too many other things to focus on. Well I am happy to report that my guardian angel dad came into town and totally got me ready for this growing season!  He is a rockstar and I love him to bits.  Here is what my dad did:

• Fixed deer fencing
• turned soil in all beds and covered with manure
• picked up and stacked 25 bales of hay for my paths
• built 3 beds
• Got all of my potato bags ready
• Added rabbit protection around entire garden
• Planted my blueberry plants
• Mulched raspberry plants

I mean he is a true angel!  I needed this help badly and now I feel I am ready for the growing season.  THANKS DAD!

Potatoes have arrived!

So I have truly lost it....I ordered $65.00 worth of potatoes this year.... I haven't spent $65 for potatoes ... ever!  Meaning I don't eat enough potatoes to warrant such a cost, what was I thinking? Oh well...I know have potatoes tucked in EVERYWHERE. I have 4 potato bags, 1 converted tomato bag, 2 cedar circles, one broken 'utility tub' now converted potato bin, and several other locations where tators are tucked away..... should be a fun ride!  Here are the varieties I got:

Caribe- One of the earliest and prettiest potatoes you'll dig.  Deep purple skin with snow white flesh.  Can be quite large with good yields.  Good for boiling, baking and frying.  Lovely as a new potato.  Very early maturing. 

Carola- The best yielding yellow-fleshed potato we have ever grown here in our central VA garden. Heavy yields of medium-size potatoes with a light beige skin.  They sunny yellow interior has a smooth creamy texture suitable for baking or frying. Mid season.

Cranberry Red- Considered the best of the red-skinned red-fleshed varieties. Excellent for potato salad because of its low starch content.  Smooth texture and high yields.  Early to mid-season.

Rose Finn Apple Fingerling- A favorite amont fingerling fans. Beautiful rose color with moderately dry yellow flesh. Reliable and high yielding.

Russian Banana Fingerling- Rare heirloom potato. Savory finger sized yellow tubers are exquisite baked, boiled, or in salads. Heirloom gourmet variety first grown by early Russian settlers.  Crescent shaped tapered ends. Unsurpassed culinary quality.

So here goes nothing!  Hope my neighbors like potatoes!

SPRING is in the air!

We have had a whole week of 60+ degree days, my seedlings are coming up famously, my tatsoi is bolting, and we turned our clocks back- gardening season 2010, bring it on!!  Here is an update of what is brewing on my end:

• I am stalking Southern State's daily (a store for farmer's, gardener's etc.).  I just stocked up on organic fertilizer, organic pest spray, granulated lime, seeds, more flats, and landscaper fabric.  I also had to just buy ONE FLAT of cabbage and collards, I couldn't help myself!
• Just limed my garden today (3/18) and need to wait 3 weeks to apply general fertilizer.
• Have (4) 72 flat trays growing seeds.  One has all beets, one has mostly herbs, one has veggies like cabbage, pok choi, sunberry, etc. another has lettuce and spinach.  They are all in my cold frame and are coming up famously.  Amazing how life can come from a little black ball.....
• My tatsoi bolted in the cold frame so I keep them open all day/night.
• Kale is growing quickly....so is my spinach I planted in November.
• Planted peas yesterday (St. Patty's day)
• Am teaching a class on organic home gardening on 4/17 for the College Park Committee for a Better Environment
• Am presenting on SFG at the Booz Allen Earth day
• Rhubard and bleeding hearts are coming up, my early wonders!

Now the things I need to do:

• Pick up and spread manure
• Buy and spread straw on my paths
• Repair deer fencing
• Put in chicken wire around outside to keep bunnies out
• Fix the door into my garden
• Move my strawberries into their own boxes
• Get my potato boxes ready
• Plant the blueberry bushes....if they live
• Fertilize the garden
• Put down landscaper fabric over all beds
• Build supports for beans and tomatoes
• Actually plant something!

Hmm...my TO DO list is so long!  And now with two kids....this is gonna be alot harder.

My garden objective(s) are:

• To plant more things near the house that I use everyday (lettuce, spinach, etc.)
• Plant more beans so I can have some good protein in the winter
• Grow lots more tomatoes so I can preserve them
• Preserve more cherries!

Taking Winter Gardening to a new level!

So my awesome dad gave me the greatest xmas gift of all time.... while visiting me in November her built me a coldframe that kicks butt!  With $200.00 and some old windows, he went to work on building this amazing mini greehhouse that is currently giving us Kale, tatsoi, spinach and beets in the middle of winter! Here are the highlights?

• The entire cold frame has three separate 'cells' that have their own window that can be opened and closed. 
• First two 'cells' are for growing vegetables, last cell is for compost.  Hope is that the compost breakdown action will help heat this frame just abit
• Veggies I am currently growing are spinach, 3 types of kale, beets, and collards
• Inside the frame is lined with a thick foam that is silver sided to reflect sunlight.
• Back wall is lined with dark gray bricks to hold heat
• A thermometer shows the air temperature (soil temperature is usually warmer)
• Used weather stripping to make the the closure with the windows tighter

So it is now January and the cold frame has been working superbly.  It has been pretty cold here...down to the teens- yet the internal air temp of the frame has stayed above freezing.  During the day it can get up to 40-50 degrees - so not so bad.  Someday my dad wants to add a cube heater inside that will turn on when it gets to 32 degrees.  For now though I am happy as I know the soil is warmer than the air temperature. Here are some pics:

I will post more updated pics -- but I can tell you that this frame allows us to make green smoothies everyday!