ok sandy let me give you a good protective cover review which i have used myself. The Harvest Guard Protective Covers - 10' x 15' or 20' x 40' Rolls This ultra lightweight cover floats over plants, offering them protection from light frosts during the early spring or late fall, thus extending your growing season. It can also be used as a seed germination blanket for grass as well as "protection from insect, bird or animal damage(What you need)". It can be kept in place for up to 8 weeks, depending on local temperatures, and you can apply any liquid fertilizer or water the plants beneath the Harvest Guard without removing it. hope it helps

tom_n_6bzone & greenhouser, Thanks for the replies. ton_n_6bzone - I do dilute my Cloud Cover at 10:1. I've used it for about 5 years on plants outside the greenhouse. Last year we had some pretty chilly days (for my region) below freezing. I only lost 1 plant out of a thousand - mostly perennials. I attribute that to the early application of this product. In years where I spaced out and got to it too late, I lost many more. It always upsets me when I do that, as walking around with a sprayer is a lot easier, less expensive, and less work than buying plants and digging holes. As far as organic is concerned, that is very interesting. I don't apply any herbacides or pestacides in my yard. I wonder how nasty this stuff is? Greenhouser - I have quite an assortment of plants ranging from lavendar to sage to succulants, hydrangia (sp?), Euphorbia, etc. Everyone got sprayed, and everyone is happy. DG

Well, they're not heavy duty umbrellas...which in the case of the way in which I use them, is an advantage anyway. Harbor Freight has them on sale for this price quite often through this time of year. Stop by a HF and get on their mailing list then you'll know when they have them on sale. I bought maybe 20-30 of them and though the ones I have left are now pretty ratty looking, they still have their uses...lol..

Unfortunately, I have to agree that the type of small greenhouse you are considering doesn't seem like the best investment in our climate. When I think about how a full sized wooden lounge chair can become airborne in our high winds, I don't think that lightweight thing stands a chance. Also, the heat factor would probably cook the seedlings before the wind got a chance to kill them. I had a small Harbor Freight 6x8 greenhouse, and even with half of the plastic panels busted out, it was usually oven-like, over 100 degrees on sunny winter days. Hardening off is a challenge for even experienced gardeners, especially if you work during the day. Some things I've learned about hardening off ... keep trays on the ground. If you don't have a critter problem, the wind is less intense down at ground level instead of up on a patio table, for example. Use your house as a windbreak and shade. You may have to put the seedlings in different places on different days, depending on the wind and sun. It just so happens, both houses I've lived in face south, so my backyard is on the north side and shaded for a good part of the day. That's a great place for me to get my seedlings started in the wide world. They get short dips outside, usually starting on a Wed or Thurs night after work, going out for an hour, then two, then three - even if it isn't totally all in "daytime" it gets them used to the moving air a bit. Then on Sat and Sunday I can up the time and try to get them out for a 4-6 hour time (still in the north shade!) By Monday, they are usually ready to go an 8 hour day, when I am diligently checking their moisture level before I put them outside. By Wednesday, a week in, assuming the temps are hospitable, I'll start thinking about scooting them out in to the sun, or a spot that gets a little morning sun then shade the rest of the day while I'm at work, and keep at that for another week or so, increasing the sun exposure and working up to an overnighter. It usually takes me about 2 weeks or more (when the weather cooperates) to get my seedlings where I am ready to plant them out. One really important thing is to condition the seedlings to wind while they are still inside on your seed starting shelf or wherever before they go outside at all. I have a small desktop fan that I start up as soon as the seedlings sprout and I take turns rotating my trays onto the shelf where the fan runs, to get the stems to be stocky and strong against the wind. Watch your moisture levels carefully, the fan can dry them out, too, but much more controllable than the outside wind!