My garage faces the south and has a west wall (exposed). The other two walls are adjacent to the house. It got down to 18 F when the outside temperature was 12 F but I think the kicker was that it never got above freezing for two days. Prolonged cold is murder on them.

Bummer. We don't seem to have sustained cold. It comes, and then it goes away.

Yeah, until Global Warming, that was us as well.

The Heat Dish I also got at Costco is radiating type heat. It runs on 1000 watts, but just as efficient as 1500 watts. So the box says. I just like it in combination with my 24/7 circulating fan. No sense having heat blowing around with the fan. I count on the heat to slowly rise from the ground and the fan to help circulate it. I know if it got tipped over in the greenhouse it will go off. But yes, the buzzer is pretty loud.

Aren't you glad you have your DD's greenhouse this year, Sandy? I am grateful for the hard work put into building the greenhouse as I am far less worried about my precious plants this year. They are blooming as if winter never happened. I am sure they will slow down after this week.

Was nice, in the 60's today and sunny. A perfect day to prepare for a cold snap. I just got through watering stuff thoroughly outside and even gave the ruellia a dose of water hoping to insulate them. They are so big and lush and just now recovering from the last big freeze. I hate to lose my border of them. We have our first Hard Freeze coming tonight, staying below freezing for 9-12 hours. We are on the cut off border so it could be 9 or it could be 12 hours. Either way. It's going to be both windy and cold beginning tonight. The tender plants might eat it. But they are well-watered and covered anyway to protect the roots. I have boxes over my Ti Plants. IDK what I was thinking when I put them into the ground?? Our frigid winters are rare, yes, but when it hits like this, it is a great loss to me. I truly need to live in the Tropics to be totally relaxed year 'round.

Cheryl, I am glad to have the "extra" GH. I hope to find a permanent spot for it in the side yard. It's a good size for starting seedlings early, as well as fitting lots of pots in on shelves. It was really easy to put together and cover with plastic in a couple of hours. The sides are 8' and the width is 10'. The height is 9' at the peak. SIL is a commercial landscape architect, so there was probably some over planning going into it.
I'm hoping we won't need the hoop off the back of the patio next year. It's a pain to put up and DH ( recovering from back surgery) couldn't do it this year. SIL came to the rescue and climbed the ladder to get it done, with instructions from DH.
I spent today getting Xmas stuff into attic and setting up all plants that may not survive 26 degrees tonight. Then weather guy now says it may not get that cold until tomorrow night. Oh well, I won't have to get up to check on GHs tonight.

Sandy, a Landscape Architect AND a Master Gardener all in one family! You two must have amazing yards!

ShadyGreenThumb said:Sandy, a Landscape Architect AND a Master Gardener all in one family! You two must have amazing yards!

Oh, no! Our yard is a little bit of everything, and their backyard is granite and two small Zen spots!
SIL stays busy flying around the country on commercial projects. I think my style of gardening must drive him crazy! I don't have a "plan" when I take something home from a nursery. I just like it.

I have a feeling that we Master Gardener's are sort of like plumbers. Ask the wife of a plumber whether ANY plumbing chore ever gets done in her house.

I co-managed the MG greenhouse one year. We grew all the flowers and vegetable plants (with the help of other MG volunteers) for the Mg booth at the festival at the botanical garden. We learned a lot about propagation and keeping things alive when a circuit breaker pops in winter. One year was plenty. I don't think I grew any vegetables that year at home.

The only person I know who actually works just about every day of the year on her garden is my friend. She's retired, and it's like an obsession...propagates a lot of her food and has lots of ornamentals also.

If I was retired, I would spend all day in my garden and greenhouse! That's the plan, anyway.

Linda, it's 36 here now. We're supposed to go down to 26 by morning. We're keeping grandson this weekend while his parental units go to San Antonio for the weekend. I just looked up SA weather. Shows possible snow for Saturday! I didn't think it would be as cold there. Are you expecting freezes too?
I put everything away that might freeze, but it's been a long time since we have a real hard freeze. I went out at dark and dug up an ornamental banana I had forgotten. I hope I don't remember anything else. It's really windy and cold!

Still 43 here (near Houston) They keep telling us, "It's coming!" I have made all kinds of adjustments for this could snap that involved tools so it better come. Or, not....

Retirement does indeed give you more time to spend on your "growing". Thus, "Tropical Plants & More" for me. It got down to 12 F last night, with a wind-chill of 7 F. The only reason the wind-chill was not at or below 0 F was because the wind finally died down around mid-night. It will continue to be lows in the upper teens/lower 20's for three more days and then finally warming up a bit on Monday. I can finally ship some plants out next week!

It never got a cold as predicted. Yay! And it didn't stay below freezing for long at all. I can't wait to heat the Weather People's excuse at the 5 pm News. Anymore, the weather has become sensationalized as much as Headline News. All that hard work and prep for nothing. The good news is I still have EE's and GG's still green and upright.

Now the prediction is freezing rain tonight and Friday. We'll see. Maybe it wil be bad enough that they will tell me not to come in from work? Where are those bad weather predictions when I want them??

I think most forecasters would rather err on the side of over cautiousness rather than take things lightly especially with the topsy turvy weather these days. Either way people find someone or something to blame I think, if they choose to ignore given advisories.

Well, it got down to 27° last night. Friday night & Saturday it's supposed to have "wintry mix", whatever that turns out to be. Two days with highs in the 30's with 28° Friday night. How did I get in this kind of weather anyway? I thought I lived in southcentral Texas! I like NOAA weather because they tend to err on the side of colder in winter, so you're not all shocked by a freeze. And yet, on occasion we go much LOWER than what they predict. Oh well, they can't always be close.

I know @Tarev. I would rather they err on the side of caution, but this time they were waaaaay off. They predicted 27º or colder in our area for at least 9 hours or more starting at midnight. I went to bed at 3 am and it was still 37/51 in the GH. I went to bed with confidence. It did freeze but it only for about 3 hours. I still have gingers and EE's standing! But alas, this is Texas. I am sure it will be in the 70's next week and I will have to reconnect all the garden hoses and unwrap all the pipes. I know they don't have to to this in the East. But here ALL our pipes are exposed and they have to be protected.

Don't unwrap the pipes!