What is the best way to protect flowers and plants from the cold?

It%26#039;s supposed to go to freezing here in Michigan tonight and I%26#039;ve planted so many beautiful flowers already. I don%26#039;t want them to die. I%26#039;ve covered them with sheet plastic. Is there anything else I can do?

FlowersBirthday FlowersSympathy FlowersSheet plastic should work as long as the edges are not loose so cold seeps in. The ground itself should help keep them warm under the plastic.
Reply:Greenhouse.
Reply:I live in Florida, and have had to protect my plants many times.





Consider: refrigerator boxes (go to your local large appliance and/or furniture store and scavenge their dumpsters).





Also... neat trick that I started years ago: Christmas lights. I realized my plants that had Christmas lights on them did much better in the cold than did uncovered lights. so I started leaving lights on all my cold-sensitive plants during the entire winter and turned them on during cold snaps.
Reply:home?
Reply:Plastic milk jugs work too. just cut the bottom off and secure it over the top. It acts as a mini green house. It%26#039;s good too if you plant your tomatoes alittle early.





If you know the cold snap is coming and will stay for awhile, for future knowledge, you can cover everything with leaves and or wads of newpaper. It acts as a protective mulch of sorts.
Reply:For long term protection use liquid seaweed products or potassium silicate. The only silicate products I know of commercially is called standup used on golf courses.visual arts