[Milly]

The house we moved to last month has one of those old signal boxes in a corner of the garden, a door at the front and windows down the upper part of one side. Inside (on one side) is a build up bench area with large drawers underneath and a shelf under the drawers.

I've cleared it out and swept the cobwebs away and am going to use it as a 'potting shed'. As my greenhouse isn't up yet (and probably wont be for ages yet with all we have to do), is it possible for me to use this place like an unheated greenhouse/coldframe for when my seedlings need moving on and hardening up?

[Yorkie]

It isn't clear from your description whether the bench area is next to the windows or the other side of the shed.

Your seedlings will need very good light once growing.  If the bench is not next to the windows I think the light will be too poor and the seedlings will get leggy very quickly.

[Goosegirl]

Even if your shelves are by the window, there will be a lack of good light. Try the Geoff Hamilton method of putting cooking foil behind the seedlings to reflect light, but don't leave them there too long and watch out for legginess.

[Milly]

Thanks, it's 3 window high by three windows wide. each window is about 2ft x 2ft and the bench is immediately below the windows.

[Kristen]

It sounds to me to be on a par with a large window.  I have large windows here, and I put tinfoil behind the seedlings (a mirror would do), but I still aim to get them off the windowsill into the conservatory (where they have 360-degree light) as soon as the temperature in the conservatory is not going to fall low enough to kill them!

[Milly]

Thanks Kirsten, we have a consevatory so maybe I'll try that instead.