You can protect a lot of plants with sheets of 6 mil black plastic, which will cut down radiational cooling, and will stop cold breezes from penetrating the base, if you close access to the volume of the plant well.

I save around 2/3 of my greenhouse heating costs by covering it with black plastic for the night. This technique also is helpful for better heat distribution within the greenhouse in the absence of a fan to circulate air.

Big cardboard boxes plopped over small plants work well also

I feel your pain michelle. I use the 6 mil film here. It works great and you can get it in big enough sheets to cover whole rows! Ill be covering alot.... =(

Brent

Thanks, guys. I have tons of plants in pots (on the deck), some of them newly acquired and quite rare/ precious, so I suppose those will go into the garage (car on street this weekend).

I've had good luck in the past with grouping them under my enormous CA oak tree during frost scares, but boy... *snow*...

It's raining now, then it will freeze for the next few nights. Lovely. I will cover what I can, and I suppose it will be a game of survival of the fittest!

I really need to get out of my "zonal denial". Tropical plants in zone 9? Who am I kidding?? ha