"Sacha" wrote in message

It sounds rather like the old-fashioned pineapple
pits. Horse manure and rotting bark were put along
the bottom of those to heat them naturally. You
might have seen them if you've ever visited The Lost
Gardens of Heligan.

Thanks Sacha and the 2 Davids for some useful pointers
to more research on this. We went to Heligan about 10
years ago, but can't see the pits. My wife recalls that
a section at Heligan, was temp closed to the public.

My interest in coldframes was rekindled at the local
cattlemarket, where a lady supplies plugs and bareroot
fruit, veg and flowers. In two weeks time she'll have
garlic and beetroot. These start her season off and she
will keep selling through till December.

She says that she's about one month later this year,
due to the cold weather. I guess, with bit of compost
in the frame, you could start some seed off in November
i.e. sweet peas.

I'd be interested in trying garlic. I've planted garlic
cloves on the shortest day, but they only grew to the
size of small marbles. Anyway I'm off to get some steel
brackets and reassemble the coal bunker/cold frame.
Bertie