Hey bets, I live in Hville and use trashbags, wal mart bags.

I live in the Birmingham area too, and I was wondering the same thing. I usually cover my plants the same way you do..seems I've heard that using plastic bags isn't the best, but I'm not sure it matters that much.
I really don't want to go out there right now ! I don't have the same things to cover that you do, (no fruit, etc), but I do worry about my daylillies and blackberry lillies that are well under way. I know folks who have the philosophy of just letting Mother Nature have her way, & just deal with whatever damage may (or may not) occur. Oh, what to do, what to do ?

Mother Nature will have her way in my yard tonight. After this Monday at work and then Boy Scouts, I'm too pooped to be more than just a little saddened my native azaleas my lose their blooms prematurely. Ah, well, one of them was on the fade side of blooming anyway, so I was able to enjoy it....

So how is everyone's garden this morning? So far, it hasn't gotten cold enough down here to hurt anything. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tonight, then maybe, just maybe that will be the last of our cold snaps for the spring.
Jan

Forecasted low: 33-34
Actual low: 39.9

Now if we can just be that lucky tonight (forecasts say anywhere from 30-32.)

My Japanese maples have leafed out so beautifully this year, and it can take an entire growing season for them to overcome the shock of a late freeze. Mother Nature can be one cruel b*tch....

40* at my house at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning and no sign of frost when I left of work a 6 a.m. Let's see what tonight brings. I used PVC pipe to make a frame and covered the brugs, clerodenrons, papyrus and other items (total of 50+) which I have already potted up for the swap with plastic sheeting.

Nelson, it doesn't pay to Fool with Mother Nature! You had better be careful about what you call her.

The low this morning at my house was 32.1 degrees. It's tonight that I fear the most. I can't really cover anything up because I leave at 4 AM and nobody is around to uncover the plants.

I'm more worried about tonight too, but still not worried enough to get out and cover anything!

I couldn't have possibly covered everything! But, so far so good down here. Low on my outside thermometer said 34 and there's a light frost on the open pasture area and on the cars, but everything else looks great. No frost on the azaleas that are almost in full bloom, and doesn't appear to be any on the other parts of my garden. Looks like we may have dodged the bullet, thank goodness.
Hope everyone else faired as well.
Jan

We had a "good" frost here last night. I didn't cover anything, so expect to have somedamage. Hopefully it will mot be too bad. My cannas had a few leaves to wilt from yesterday's cold, but they will grow new ones quickly.

I checked around in the yard this afternoon after getting in from work. I didn't see any damage to anything. Hopefully that will be the last of the cold weather. I'm planning on putting my annuals and some veggies out on April 18th. Have to do it on a weekend so my 12 year old granddaughter can help me. She's going to be a great gardener!

A good thing to cover frost susceptible plants with is a white cotton sheet. Then, if necessary, you can leave it on the plants for a few days. They allow some light to go through, plus will let the evaporation and excess heat (from the sun) escape, something that plastic doesn't.

I purchased some white sheets from a goodwill store several years ago and they are still in use for that purpose.

We haven't put out any tender annuals yet, as both of us like to wait until AFTER that (not very reliable) average last frost date for our area.