Early next week is supposed to be cold too so cover it then. It was cold here Sat. morning. I live in a valley. Maybe you are on higher ground and were warmer than the record shows. I went to N Greene Park Monday and they had some winter damage in those new conifers that they call the winter garden. I did not go back to the conifer garden. Not much had emerged at the garden but I did notice the way the North Star cherry was pruned. The middle was pruned out and it was very open with spreading branches. I have some little cherry trees which are already beyond getting a good framework. I would like to prune mine into that open shape. I always see something at the garden.

Where is the North Star Cherry planted? I will have to check that out next time I go. I haven't pruned my cherry tree at all. I want it to have low branches so I can reach easily so maybe pruning out the middle would work for mine.
My Oscar Mulberry needs pruned badly. It's been getting some top die-back every winter and it's causing it to grow bushier. Some of the branches are rubbing. BUT at least it's alive (I think). I was concerned about that one since it gets top die-back even in mildish winters and this one was so cold. I was sure it would die and almost ordered an Illinois Everbearing to comfort myself.

Looks like Monday night is supposed to get cold. I need to check the forecast more often.

The North Star cherry was near the fence on the side closest to the new building. They have done an excellent job of shaping it and I had never noticed that before. I bought two persimmons from Stark Bros. and I don't think they made it. The graft didn't look good to me on one of them when I got it and the stems are tiny like little twigs. It looks like something broke one of them. As small as they are a dog could have broken it. A tiny twig is OK on an own rooted plant but a grafted plant can not come up from the bottom.

well I sprayed my tree with water until it coated with ice that cold night and it seemed to keep it from doing too much damage. I may have lost a few, but had lots of small apricots make it.