Protecting Your Garden During a Frost Warning

It absolutely must be one of the coldest springs on record here in Central Illinois!  Today's high was only 42 degrees!!  Every gardener I see is just itching to get in the garden, but between the rain and the cold, we have not be able to step foot out there!

So  with the danger of a hard frost being forecast, it is important to get those tender perennials covered as best you can.  It doesn't have to look pretty, but they most assuredly need it!

For my very delicate bleeding hearts, I put a peony ring over them and then covered.  For the astilbe, I just placed a garden stake in the ground, and covered over the top.  The goats beard still has some dried shoots from last year, so they very nicely supported the blanket over top.

 My most tender of plants got priority, so over here I covered bee balm, more astilbe, and yellow loostrife.

 Hiding under that rusty bucket are the tender new shoots of a hydrangea.

Use whatever garden paraphenalia you can get your hands on.  Here I wrapped the ends of the blanket around two more astilbe.  The trellis helped support the blanket so they weren't crushed underneath.  The hostas are all in various stages, but I think they are hardy enough to be able to handle a little cold....at least I hope so!  I ran out of blankets by that point.

Let's hope "Old Man Winter" finally releases his hold so we can all get out there and enjoy our gardens!