Oh yikes, many people have bad experiences with landscape fabric. I tried using it many years ago - maybe they've improved the material - but it was awful, and this seems to be a common opinion. It isn't that easy to lay down, it bunches up, it gets punctured and weeds grow through anyway, AND last but not least, it doesn't break down for a long time. By that time, lots of roots have grown through and it ends up being difficult to remove. If you want to move your perennials around, then it's real fun dealing with that mess. It's better to use an organic mulch in the long run. Cardboard or newspaper along with mulch gives you pretty good weed control for about a year and you can smother sod or weeds or groundcovers underneath at the same time, all of which are quite the effort to weed or dig out. Breaks down eventually into a nice organic matter that enriches the soil. The worms actually love the paper. Not that I don't still dig garden beds, I just dug one last fall - wanted to plant it right away and I fuss and muss with placement so much. They say you can't be too thin or too rich, but I think you can't have too many flowers. :)

For you guys who know what I'm up to, an update. My large trachy is now covered for the season, as of this past Sunday. I did go with a version of dln949's method. I've been monitoring temp since it was completed and it seems that this one will be a definite winner! A quick description. Frame built from 2x2 pine posts, 1x4s for supports, all assembled with screws. The 2x2s are driven about a foot into the ground and staked very solid and secure. The enclosure is just high enough for the tree, about 7 feet. It is an odd shape because of the slightly raised triangle planter it is in. It's about 4'x3.5'x4'x3', and about 7' high as stated. It has a supported roof of 3/8" plywood covered with carpet. The enclosure is wrapped in chicken wire stapled down, except for on the roof. Over the chicken wire are two old but good shape bed comforters (bedspreads). They are stapled on, ground to roof. They staple on at the ground on 3 sides directly to the wood borders of the raised planter. Over the comforters is silver bubble wrap insulation which comes in a 4' wide roll. This is tacked on with staples and heavily duct taped at the seems and wrapped round and round with duct tape. All seems are overlapped by about a foot. Also the insulation over-wraps the roof. The thing is air-tight! Over the insulation is a waterproof tarp covering the whole thing, tied on tightly but able to be easily removed if I need to sneak a peek at a spot where I made an access hole which can be opened where I can get at the power strip if needed. Around the outside base of the enclosure are leaf bags packed tight to the bottom and anchored down by bricks and 6x6 timbers. I hand-packed more leaf/grass mulch into the areas between the bags and against the enclosure under the bags. Inside the enclosure: 5" deep cedar mulch as normally is in the planter. Under it is a "rope light" right at the dirt around the trunk right on top of the roots. On top of the cedar mulch is a string of mini outdoor xmas lights zig zagging over the ground/mulch in there and especially around the outer perimeter of the enclosure to keep the ground from freezing. Over the mini lights is a 6" layer of loose leaves and packed a little higher around the outer walls. Wrapped around the trunk and crown area of the tree is another string of mini xmas lights. The 2 strings of mini lights and the rope light are ALWAYS ON. Then zig-zagging throughout the inside of the enclosure frame, but not touching the tree or enclosure walls are 2 more strings of xmas lights, a string of white c-7s and white c-9s connected in series. These are connected to a "thermo cube" which comes on at 35 and off at 45 degrees. Also connected to the power cube is a clamp-on reflector fixture with a very bright CFL bulb in it for a little extra heat if needed. All of this extra heat only comes on if/when needed and has already tested to be very effective. When they come on when it hits 35 or so, which only happened twice that I have observed, it warms to beyond 45 in there within minutes, and they turn off. I believe this will protect it to well below zero for sure! My remote thermometer is mounted on a bracket about midway up the wall inside the enclosure far enough away from any of the xmas lights where it is accurate and transmits to about anywhere inside my house from all the way across the yard. A few more notes: I did not use the "Night Watchman" for this enclosure (thanks Jim for the "cube" tip). The Watchman is sufficient for one large string of xmas lights, but no more wattage than that. Two strings and it does not work right. The Cube is for higher wattage applications and an absolute PERFECT device for our needs here! I will use that Watchman thing for my needle palm which will only need one string of c-7 lights when I do cover it. The needle has a rope light under the mulch at the base/roots right now and the ground is warm to the touch there. I'll leave that on when the large trash can goes over it in a few weeks or when lows dip under the teens at night. The needle is taller than I thought, I might have to mulch it higher so it fits under the plastic trash can. The Watchman will prevent it from overheating under there and it will be easy to check on periodically. Bottom line, this was a pretty easy enclosure to build and assemble. I might not use it next year, maybe I will, depending on how easy it comes down and what condition it is in. I'd say I have about 4 or 5 total hours invested in its assembly and setup. Total cose: About $100. That includes the lights, materials, remote hermometer ($11.95), Thermocube ($8.95), etc. I really need to figure out how to post pictures right here on GW, rather than that outside link thing. I have a ton of pictures from all summer, to every step of the building process of the enclosure. I'd love to post them... So that's my outdoor palm's protection setup. Wish me luck, and good luck to you guys!

Awww Carol!! I feel your pain! Believe me!! On my side of ND.. It started raining this morning about 11, then turned to snow twice! Just enough snow to say it was snow. I was praying it would end fast! Should I tell you about the year my sister had a big birthday party planned for her DD? Her birthday is April 25th, that day we got like 12-15 inches of snow! There now I bet you feel better don't ya?! LOL I think you should swing over here, pick me up and I will head out for a nice warm spot ANYWHERE! LOL I know you don't drink, but hey you drive and I will drink enough for the both of us!! This weather is enough to drive you to drink! Its been the winter that just never quits and I am so sick of it too. Cross your fingers this spring warms up faster than last year!! Hang in there Carol!! Spring is coming! (so they tell me)

boxerpups, thanks for your info. I have to say that your kitchen is one of the first ones I saw, and I just love it so much! I am still going back and forth, but my current thinking is that I found that a sears outlet near us has tons of inventory. They have the bosch 50 floor model (seems to be the same size as their 800 series, but doesn't have a wine rack or door alarm but does have a child lock) for $1265. They have a kitchenaid that sounded really nice too for around $1300, but it's too tall for my existing cabinets and if I'd like to avoid moving them if possible. So I think the bosch in the kitchen, and then something in the basement, either getting a smaller top freezer (from the outlet or craigslist) or trying to fit our monster down there will work for us. I will likely go with the smaller one. Thanks so much for listening to me! My dh has officially told me to stop talking about refrigerators and says I am starting to sound like our 4 yr old daughter (who has autism and is particularly stuck right now talking about beds in hotels all the time)....that's probably funnier to us than how it sounds typed out. ; )