Wow! After seeing your last post, I understand your concerns better now. When I was growing up in Little Rock, my mother and I lived with my grandmother at her house. We had a HUGE gardenia (6 'L x 8'W by 6'T ) and a fig TREE. My grandmother had to use a ladder to climb up to pick the fruit. We had a week of almost zero temps at night one winter and they both froze to the ground. They did come back, but never returned to their former glory. I have gardened now since 1999, and I am a Master Gardener in my state. I have found that the worst cold spells are those that come in mid to late February, often coming after a warm spell that causes new growth. Yes, I cover plants. I have huge elephant ears that are trying to heave themselves out of the ground, ( I need to replant deeper ), rosemary plants in large pots, various mints in pots, and a gloriosa lily that stays in a large pot. I have found that leaves and fleece blankets make good covers to protect them. I also use big pots turned upside down filled with leaves. If you have a long cold spell, use these types of covers at night, they work really well.
happy gardening!
