Frost on fresh flowers.

We spent quite a bit of time and money on our front landscaping project. We bought several flats of flowers, impatients to be exact, and I bought flowers to plant in my decorative pots on the porch and deck. As you well know, Easter came with a blizzard. The coldest recorded Easter weekend in many years. The flowers survived the first night of cold and still looked alive and well. However, it was the second night that got them. Covered or not, the temperature dropped to 15 degrees and was simply too much for young, tender plants in the ground. Their root system wasn't deep. The soil hadn't locked in close to protect and the chill of the ground simply killed them. There was no doubt, the next morning, the plants were laying over and the blooms were already brown. In my journey through life, I always compare the simple everyday stuff that happens to me versus the deep life-changing events. My husband and I took the time, money and effort to plant these flowers and yet, we could not protect them from the drastic dip in temperature. As my son glanced out the windows, he proclaimed the bad news. "I told you all it was going to get cold and nobody covered up the plants." I realize he is right. We knew it was going to get cold, but we hadn't planned on 15 degrees, we chose to think it really wouldn't get "that cold." As I made a trip to Lowe's today, I decided I would wait just alittle while longer before I plant more flowers. Who knows what spring-winter is going to hit us next. And as for learning a lesson...deep, mature roots, rich compact soil, go a long way but waiting and being alittle more patient probably help the most.