Curb appeal is number one in the home value department. And, curb appeal is enhanced when the landscape surrounding your home has eye appeal. Imagine a freshly painted home with brand new shutters set off by dead, brown frost-victimized landscaping.

Frost during a warm winter can do almost as much damage to outdoor plants, small trees and shrubs as freezing can do during a cold one.

Unlike freezing conditions, where cold comes from every direction, frost travels only from high to low. So, preventing frost damage can be accomplished by creating an umbrella for fragile plants. This same technique can be used in areas where light snows occur, but we suggest a greenhouse at altitudes where building snowmen is a common occurrence.

The umbrella can be fashioned from a light-colored, tightly-woven netting or burlap. Make sure to use stakes to keep the protective covering off the plant. Also, it is important to leave an air space between the bottom of the umbrella and the ground. This will allow air to pass through. Like you, plants need to breath.

If your shrub or tree is too large for an umbrella, try a spray-on product called "Cloud Cover." This product helps to hold in moisture. This is important because plants are more susceptible to damage when they dry out.

Plant umbrellas and sprays aren't the only measures you can take to prevent damage during a frost. Covering the ground surrounding the base of the plant with mulch also will help. An inch or two of mulch will help to hold warmth and moisture in the ground. Any mulch will do. Grass clippings, leaves, coffee grounds, etc. or a mixture.

Last, but not least, wrap the trunks of small trees with burlap where the trunk diameter is less than two inches. This is akin to insulating water pipes to prevent them from freezing.

It's a good idea to wait until Jack Frost departs for the year before doing any pruning. Unprotected, pruned joints could endanger the life of even the oldest and strongest friends in your garden.