Bumping up for the new "shipping season". VERY helpful tutorial and pics. I'd also like to add a frugal "flat rate" shipping option - a capri sun box (cut one of the ends down slightly) inside of a padded flat rate envelope is a great shipping method. The envelopes can be ordered for free on usps.com, and you can print postage with tracking much cheaper on their website. It's definitely not as cheap as the under 13oz method, but if your package is heavier this would work well! I ship a lot of "stuff" on ebay so I know a lot of tricks of the "shipping" trade.

I can't speak to zone 7, but up here the reason to protect rhodies and broadleaf evergreens is from wind damage and reduce transpiration. You mentioned they're new transplants -- generally speaking, a thick layer of mulch prevents heaving from the freeze-thaw cycle something to be concerned about with new transplants, so putting down mulch around the bases would be good idea, if you haven't already. If you'd like to take an extra step, you can fashion some sort of cage around them and stuff it loosely with straw - that way you'd get the benefit of wind protection, too. But, if they're not in an exposed area, that might not be necessary.

I did not even know that we DO have snowplows here in Jacksonville. It is another night in the trenches for me. Yes, I am on the ready for snow and ice. I started to set up last week when it was warmer. I have 2 heat lamps in each of the green houses. They have been closed up since Sunday morning, so it is nice and tropical in there. I monitor the inside temps with a Bluetooth thermometer, so I do not have to go outside to get my readouts. The hostas are going to be real happy as this has been a colder January. My only concern will be the daylilies as they are already starting to come up. Thank you for your concern. These were at my local Lowe's the other week all of them the Sun Hosta Hosta, which does very well here. They were starting to look like sad lettuce tho Have a great day everybody

Thank you all, especially Sheila and roseseek for thinking of me. Don't worry-I'm definitely resting a lot this summer; I think I'm really in debt as far as sleep goes because I've been sleeping SO late! (but then, I hate the heat of summer so much and even the light during the day is ugly,and the days are just too long, so I prefer to spend as much time as I can in Dreamland, lol). My DH is my hero!!! I only go out there with him, twice a week,around 6PM,to do the watering and the spray, and naturally we only do the two floribunda beds( I have no idea how the rest of the garden is doing; it's submerged in weeds is all I can see). I'm getting around much better, but still, out there on that sharply sloping land,even he with both legs strong does slip, so I have to be uber careful. So taking the shade cloth off would be no big deall , thanks to him. He drives my car on the way up, with the 200 liters of water in it. The last 2 times I drove on the way home,up until the main road where there's traffic. It's been more than 2 months since I drove, and it's taking time for me to get re- coordinated enough to feel confident with driving. There is some rain in the forecast, but like Melissa, I'll only believe it if I see it.