I was just counting, including this morning, I've had 5 freezes(32F or lower) and 7 frosts of varying severity. My first frost was October 15, the second earliest I've had since keeping track. I feel the opposite about winter, I really want a cold one!

Steve, thank you Orchids did well - the shadehouse is covered by 4 ml plastic during the winter months, and I have a heater on during the cold spells. Last year, during one cold spell I had some damage without a heater, so having a heater this year really makes a difference... I did leave a few reed stem epidendrums out and they seem just fine..unbelievable

"How did the plants do?" Heheh, it ain't happened yet, cold snap comes this weekend. I must be living right, I unrolled the tobacco bed canvas, which happens to be Remay cloth which is NOT rotten or ancient and appears to be large enough to barely do the job of covering my entire tomato/chile bed! Here's a pic showing the canvas doubled up alongside the bed, I'm guessing it's 120' x 12'. I've held off completion of staking/caging all the plants but now I think I will finish that, cut the canvas into two pieces and hang it over the cages/rows of plants. I'll post a pic when the time comes.

Dawn I plan on doing a end of the year wrap up post and also post some plans for next years garden in a separate thread before too long. The main reason for the change is the drought and no real sign of it changing. We just finished year 4 of this drought cycle. And those of you who just experienced year 1 of one can hopefully understand why I've finally decided it may last a few more years and time for me to adjust my growing methods and varieties some. Setting records every year it seems. The kind you don't like to set. There are some other reasons for the changes also. Like you mentioned it is hard to fairly judge anything during the last 4 years here. Many of the varieties that didn't set a thing all summer were just loaded when I pulled them this week before the Wed night frost. Had bushels of green tomatoes. More than I expected. The hail also made judging anything fairly difficult. Because I had several loaded plants that were wiped out by the hail and then the intense heat set in. I'm sure that I will give in and try more new to me and give more a second chance than I plan on. But my intentions are to plant those varieties that have proved they can somewhat handle the extreme conditions we've had. Also I plan to start planting a few seeds in the next few weeks and experimenting with grafting techniques and hopefully get at least one method perfected enough I don't kill them all when I do it next year. Then will grow some grafted plants next year. My plans are to grow several hybrids that have done well along with some of the proven op/heirlooms. My plan was to take vacation in October and finish my big greenhouse frame and then set out early in it after starting plants early in the lean to and grow in containers in it this next summer. Due to work I wasn't able to take vacation during Oct. Taking some in 2 weeks. Hopefully weather will allow me to work on it during my time off. My plan it too cover the sides with polycarbonate. Then to cover at least the south top and the top of both ends with plastic early and replace with shade cloth later in the season. Hopefully this will eliminate some of the pest borne disease issues I've experienced and also with the shade I can get better growth during the hot spells. Although nothing will help if we have the extreme heat again. I tried a greenhouse variety outside this year that showed promise that I will grow again. I have 4 plants in the lean to. Not really what I had planned to put in there. But the ones that ended up in containers late and were the best of the 8 container plants at the time I moved them in. Two weeks later I was tempted to do some changing but didn't. I have Ambrosia Red Cherry, Beduoin, Goliath hybrid and Big Cheef. All have continued to set since I've moved them. I think the fans blowing in there along with me brushing them every day has helped. I'm looking forward to tasting Beduoin soon. It is a large pear shaped black tomato. In the 3-6 ounce range. The grower who sent it too me said it has always won the taste tests at the farmers markets he attends. So to summarize my plans are similar to what you stated earlier. To grow varieties I feel will have the best chance in an extreme drought year. To start several early and then to plant another planting later for the fall. But even with planting early and going to the bigger house if I can get it finished I don't plan to carry as many big plants through the heat and drought of summer. I will try if the spring weather allows to grow an early garden and a later version and to slack off during the summer heat. The late garden I planted this year did very well. If the heat would of slacked off 7-10 days earlier I would of had a bumper late tomato crop. This year just seemed to have one hardship after another. I had some late disease issues that hit certain areas but nothing major. Jay