Most of my borderline hardy plants are in pots. This year I got a 5'X7' mini greenhouse. I have put 125 watt heat lamp out there to keep temps above freezing on cold nights. We haven't had a hard frost, so I don't know how well this is going to work (the propagator at work said a 100 watt bulb would keep it above freezing). I want it to stay cool enough to keep things dormant. After last year, I got some umbrella greenhouses I can put over babies that are not well established. They should at least counter the dessication factor.

Yes, last year's cold really brought home the fact that some of our plants do better with a bit of winterizing. For my smaller plants, I use two round cages, one larger and one smaller placed around the less hardy specimens. The inside space between the two is stuffed with leaves and a large clear plastic bag is then pulled over the largest cage and held down with a few stones. It serves to keep the crowns protected and and the plant stays dry. It seems to work and is fairly easy to set up and take down.

Should I do anything to protect a young, expensive Daphne bholua I planted in September? The frost yesterday seemed to hit it hard. The leaves all drooped and looked dead, but perked up this afternoon. With a week of freezing temperatures predicted, I'm not sure if there is anything I should do. It's about 3 ft high and 2 ft in diameter.

Is it mulched?