Maybe you don't even want to think about it, but much cooler weather could be on the way. We were spoiled last year by a mild winter. Many did not even have to cover their plants. But this year could be different.
Some plants like the pothos, aglaonema and dieffenbachia growing outdoors as foliage plants don't even like a chill into the lower 50's. Better be finding these plants a warm spot soon to prevent yellowing of the leaves. And as for the other foliage plants, they start to suffer when temperatures dip into the mid to lower 40's. How about a spot indoors for these plants when lower temperatures are expected?
Many also worry about their orchids. Most are very hardy and can take temperatures into the upper 30's but growth and flowering stops for a while. Many used to protect orchids when temperatures dipped into the 50's but this was mainly growers concerned with growth and flowering. If you do not mind limited growth and fewer blooms for winter, orchids can remain outdoors until it gets really cold. Then they should have a warm spot.
Protecting in ground plantings from frosts could be as simple as covering them with cloths or frost blankets. These covers should give a few degrees of cold protection for a few hours. They keep the frost off the foliage and entrap some heat to get the plants through a slight and brief dip below freezing.
All coverings need to drape to the ground. A sheet over the top of a shrub gives very minimal protection. Anchor the coverings to the ground with rocks, pins or similar items. When it gets really cold, some heat source is going to be needed. Most likely the quickest to obtain is light bulbs. These could be the older Christmas tree lights. Some also use regular light bulbs. Make sure lights of any type are approved for out door use. Also keep them from touching the coverings and higher wattage bulbs from touching the plants.
Often when it comes to cold protection gardeners think of using water. After all we hear it works for the growers. Well, they are better equipped to put water to use protecting their plants. Home irrigation systems are not meant for cold protection. Turn the irrigation systems off during freezing weather. Such use could cause more plant damage than if you did nothing.
After a freeze when temperatures begin to warm or the sun hits the coverings, remove the protection so it does not get so hot as to bake the plants. Also, move plants in darker spots like garages or hallway back outdoors into their normal light leaves to resume growth.
