We’re not the only ones feeling shocked by this cold weather. Our gardens are also taking a hit. Cold can do some damage to flowers the daffodils are getting a little droopy. Experts with Ginger Valley say cold can kill blooms, but luckily not the bulb under the soil. Staff at Stover’s Farm Market in Berrien Springs say they’re concerned about the damage to their blooms and what it will mean for fruit crops this summer. Greg Leyes works in the nursery at Ginger Valley. He told us a little about pansies. He’s planted a few in his own yard. "But they survived very nicely, they are really the cold weather spring flower," said Leyes. Leyes says perennials that have been planted for a long time, like daffodils, will also survive the cold pretty well. But if you’ve picked up any other early annuals, maybe petunias or alyssum, you’ll want to protect them. "It’s really easy to cover them," said Leyes. "You want to cover them with a cloth. If you have a terry cloth towel, or a sheet. Of course with the kind of wind we’re experiencing, you’d have to anchor that down." Unfortunately for Kenny Stover at Stover’s Farm Market, there’s less he can do to protect his crops. He says — in some situations — he can use fans and wind machines. "Once the temperature gets to a certain point, you’re actually doing more damage because you’re just helping blow that cold air all around." Stover says last night’s cold temperatures seriously thinned out his peach and cherry blooms. “I would say it will be at least a 50% loss of a crop if not more." We’re expecting snow tonight — but Stover says he’s not worried about that. In fact he wishes it had come last night when temperatures were colder. "That snow will actually help insulate the blooms on the tree," said Stover. As for your plants at home, snow isn’t much of a concern for them, either. "In fact, I had pansies this spring that I had planted in the fall in my own yard coming up through the snow in February," said Leyes. As much as our plants don’t like it, cold temps this week do bring some good news. Chilly weather reduces the amount of pollen that trees produce — which is great for allergy sufferers. But when warm weather comes to stay, allergy season will kick-in in full force. Source - https://wsbt.com