Spring, The Scariest Time of Year for Midwest Gardeners

By this time, gardeners have likely planted cool season crops outside and some may have even been brave enough to transplant warm weather seedlings into the garden.  Now we worry ourselves crazy watching the weather, hoping the temperature doesn't drop too much.

In the summer the garden is in full production and the only thing to worry about is bugs and remembering to water.  We can do that!

In the fall, there's a risk of frost, too, but we don't care that much because we've been harvesting all summer.  Maybe we're even secretly hoping for frost so we have a good reason to put the garden to bed.

In the winter we're scouring seed books and making sketches of where stuff will be planted come spring.  And maybe we start some seeds indoors, safe and secure under grow lights.

Then comes spring.  We're excited to get outside and plant.  Then we sit back knowing we'll probably need to resort to desperate measures at least once before the temperature stabilizes.  Like tonight.  All over the midwest gardeners are bring seedlings back in the house and rushing to cover what can't be brought in.  I threw and old paint drop cloth over my strawberry plants tonight.  The rest are on their own.

This gardener took all her bed sheets outside to protect her vulnerable seedlings from the dropping temperatures.  What is the craziest thing you've done to protect a plant from the cold?