Living in South Florida, it’s rare to see temperatures plummeting into the 30s.
All day on Wednesday, nurseries across the area worked overtime to protect their livelihood from frost and cold weather damage.
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And you might want to consider protecting your plants, too.
WPTV stopped by Art By Nature in Palm Beach Gardens, where we watched rolls of their frost blankets sell out completely on Wednesday. Landscapers and gardeners are not taking any chances.
The nursery has dozens of sensitive plants tucked away under blankets and wooden pallets, which is the trick for protection.
Owner Tim Whelan said it won’t be cold enough to kill a lot of plants but it will damage the most tender plants like impatiens, which is one of the most common yard plants in South Florida.
Other flowering plants can get leaf burn and dropped flowers but of course, this is all temporary as long as you take proper care of your plants.
"The single most important thing for people to do is turn off their irrigation system," Whelan added.
Whelan told me you can use a heavy blanket like a quilt to cover your plants, a bed sheet might not be thick enough.
We also learned you definitely don't want to use a plastic tarp.
"The plant still needs to breathe," said Whelan. "It's also important that the blanket be elevated above the plants so the wind doesn't beat the cloth onto the plant."
If you have orchids or hanging plants in your yard, you need to go ahead and bring those inside.
If you can't bring some plants inside, try putting it under a tree, where Whelan says the air is warmer and the cold air won't settle as readily.
