Frost tonight

I just came in from planting one of my little lilac bushes, and now I find out there's a frost warning. I'm thinking a tomato cage with a white garbage bag over it might protect it. I'm wondering if just draping newspaper over my zucchini will help keep them from biting it.

Next year I absolutely will be more prepared.

I just chucked out a plastic bag on a Brug. The rest can, well, die.

I put the tomato cage and plastic bag over the lilac, then I raked some leaves up against it. If I'd known there was going to be frost tonight, I would have waited until tomorrow to plant.

The vegetables I'm just not going to worry about.

At least this next week it should be in the 60s and 70s, so they'll all have a bit of a reprieve.

Expecting flowers on your Lilac?
I just don't want frost to kill my one nice Ensete before I can dig it tomorrow.

Well...eventually.

Oh, fall planted. If it's been outside lately, it is completely and totally fine. Mulch it well, though.

Agreed. Lilacs grow very well in the west and handle cold very well. Planting them in the fall works very well. I agree about the mulch. Just water them in well before the ground freezes. I can't promise they will bloom next year, but they will eventually bloom for you. They are very happy in the Rockies.

That's one nice thing about having 14 deciduous trees on your property. The fallen leaves provide instant mulch.

This is just a little lilac bush, not even one gallon. Probably a lot of what I'm planting this fall may not bloom next year. It may take a couple years before they get to that point.

I'm willing to bet the Schreiner irises will bloom, though. Those were big, fat rhizomes.

As long as they survive and they're healthy, I'll be pleased.

We had one light frost about a week ago, no damage. But now I am trying to decide about moving my potted fig tree inside . Haven't heard a weather forecast for the next week while I will be in hosp. But to be safe at this time of year guess better move it inside. Have most of the rest of tender things either in the GH or in what i call my plant room. Still have corn that waiting for warm weather to mature, so that may not happen.

Donna