Expert: Long Island Gardener - 4/10/2007

Question
Hello,
I'm in Kentucky- I think that's zone 7 if I remember correctly (40146 is my zip). Normally at this time of year the weather is beautiful out, and it was for about a month after the last frost in March- then all of the sudden about a week and a half ago the temperature went from 70-80's to below freezing, and it actually snowed two days last week. So now I've got two Easter Lilies, a handful of Tiger Lilies, and about 10 Tulips that I'm worried about. All of the Lilies were planted last spring, so they're reborn, but the Tulips are new bulbs this year that I planted while the weather was still so nice. I've also got some other flowers from last year that are re-blooming (hostas, miniature roses, phlox, ornamental grass) and it keeps frosting like every other night, and I'm not sure exactly what I can do to help keep them warm and keep them from dying.
Any ideas would be spectacular!
Thanks,
Christina

Answer
Up and down the Eastern Seaboard, down the Midwest, over to Canada, this weather is driving EVERYBODY nuts, Christina.

Frost might damage your blooms and tender new growth.  To keep your plants safe, go out and buy a few sheets of Painter's Plastic.  You can get this at Home Depot.  It's clear and comes in huge sheets may feet wide and long.

Cover your plants and if it gets really cold, plug a lamp into an outlet outside and stick it under there with the plants -- turned on.  The heat from the bulb will keep everything from freezing.

What we go through for our plants.

But worth it.

Let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks for writing.