Hi Transplant,

If they're hardy perennials, they should be fine without being covered. If they're evergreen, the cold shouldn't hurt them, and if they're deciduous, they'll be loosing their leaves real soon anyway. Either way, they're going to be out there all winter, so they're gonna have to learn to fend for themselves! :-)

Even if they're deciduous and loose their leaves soon, the roots will continue to grow until the soil freezes--and sometimes it never does here in Denver. Be sure the soil doesn't dry out completely over winter. If we get a really dry winter, you may need to water a couple times.

Next time you need to cover something, use fabric rather than plastic, plastic transmits the cold directly to whatever it's touching---as you found out. Fabric won't do that. If it gets too cold, of course, even fabric won't protect plants, but for tonight and tomorrow night, it should be adequate. Old sheets work well--or lightweight blankets, etc. If you have big enough boxes or very large pots, they can be used too---just depends on the size of the plant. Tonight I have my tomatoes and mums all bedded down with lightweight wool packing blankets---which I really, really hope works since I'm not nearly ready to give up my homegrown tomatoes yet! Or my flowers!

Also, on the optimistic side, they just said on the weather that clouds have moved in--which should keep it from getting quite so cold--so, hopefully, we'll all wake up to nice green plants that last a few more weeks.

Good luck,
Skybird

Frost on the car the past three nights but no damage to plants.
How did it go, Transplant??

My new "Creme Brulee" Coreopsis plants survived the other night, but now we have a winter storm watch from Sunday night through Monday!!!

I'll say. A good couple of inches of snow this monring here in Woodland Park. Just enough to make my day off less than ideal, lol!!

I went out with a ruler and measured the snow on my patio table around noon, it was 7 1/2" and it is still coming down. The two young trees we have were drooping so bad I had to knock the snow off with a broom.

We're up to about 10" and still coming down. Pretty heavy stuff here too!!
Oh why can't this happen on a workday?!?
I have one 3' cactus that is still outside. Has 6" thorns from H#$$ and guess it will live or not. Still haven't figured how to move it without taking out an eye.

I forgot to bring in my pot of basil, but it never did well this year anyway. I managed to repot some oregano and bring it indoors, and the kids and I harvested our tiny little pot of carrots. They were nickel to quarter sized on top, but when we dug them up they were only 2 or 3 inches long! I was afraid if I put them in the ground the rabbits would get them, and knew anything in a pot on the deck would be safe. Oh well, they tasted fine.

Some of the shrubs out front took a real beating, but I'm hoping they will bounce back when it warms up.

Well, our place looks like a war zone. All of the leaves were still on the trees. I have one mature Ash that's totaled. Heavy damage to Maples and Locusts. We may have to take out a home equity loan to get the trees trimmed.

"We may have to take out a home equity loan to get the trees trimmed."

No joke!! I've been paying upwards of $200 per tree for removal (for fire and pine beetle concerns) and that does not include limbing and chipping.
Sorry to hear of all the damage. Guess I'll keep an eye out when I drive to work this am.