Monty Don on 4 Bushes You Should “Wrap” to Avoid “Real Damage.”

Gardeners are taking extra care of their plants as temperatures begin to drop. Monty Don shared four bushes that should be covered to protect them from damage when the cold weather arrives.

A gardening expert explained that sudden changes in temperature at night pose a real threat, especially to semi-tender plants.

He said plants such as pomegranates, olives, bay leaves and citrus fruits grown in containers are best kept outdoors for as long as possible, but can be damaged by sudden frosts.

Luckily, many of these risks can be minimized by using gardening fleece, lightly secured with twine.

He wrote: “Climate change has made our winters warmer and wetter. Twenty-five years ago, you could count on a week or so of bitter cold in mid-November, with temperatures remaining below freezing for several days in a row. but this is becoming increasingly unlikely.

“However, temperatures can drop very quickly overnight and semi-tender shrubs such as pomegranates, olives, bay leaves or citrus grown in containers that are best kept outdoors for as long as possible can suffer real damage.

“The solution is to cut squares of garden fleece to fit each plant and prepare them for wrapping.”

While one layer of protection (such as a cover or frost cloth) is usually sufficient to protect plants from light frosts, additional measures are necessary in colder conditions.

When temperatures drop below -5°C, plants will either need an extra layer of insulation to keep them warm, or ideally they should be moved indoors where they will be protected from the cold temperatures.

Monty added: “I secure them lightly with twine so the fleece can be easily removed once the temperature rises again.”

For those looking to fill their homes with flowers for Christmas, gardening enthusiast Monty Don recommends planting papery white daffodils.

He noted that if you plant them in early November, they will bloom by the end of the year.

A gardening expert said: “Unlike most daffodils, it is native to the Mediterranean and does not require a period of vernalization or cold to trigger flowering.”