We had a really cold night last week… by Florida standards, that is.

The low was in the bottom of the 20s somewhere – and it played havoc with the many trees and plants that had come out of their dormancy thanks to the warm winter.

The peaches above were saved (I hope) by two nights of a running sprinkler, but my Illinois Everbearing mulberry wasn’t as fortunate. It had already opened a lot of new growth and was absolutely covered in berries.

No more. They’re now burnt brown, ruining this spring’s harvest.

Let’s look at the peaches again:

I really like the icicles. That’s a lot of excitement for a native Floridian.

My biggest fear this year was for my citrus, most of which are either in bud or in bloom. The flowers are quite susceptible to frost, so Rachel The Good and I spent a day covering them with sheets. We also placed 55 gallon drums of water by the trunks of a few of my favorites to add more warmth beneath the coverings.

Then I prayed over them.

When I uncovered them three days later, I thanked Providence for His care: all the citrus has come through with little damage. Since they’re young trees a hard freeze could set them back for a year or two or even kill them. I’ve seen bark cracked open on trunks all the way to the ground and it ain’t pretty.

I hope you all made it through alright. May that be the last icy night.

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