NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Temperatures each morning this week have been harsh with a freeze warning overnight Monday into Tuesday and Tuesday into Wednesday. This comes after warm conditions last week brought the chance to do some gardening.

Spring starts on Monday, but that doesn’t mean we are done with the frigid temperatures. This weekend, lows will drop into the 20s again. So, what do you do with the plants that you’ve worked so hard on?

Horticulturalist Austin Lohin at Bates Nursery and Garden Center says plants can handle more than we expect but you need to take precautions.

The best thing to do is cover your outdoor plants overnight with a sheet or blanket; however, as the sun comes up, you will need to quickly take the covering off because plants can quickly “bake” or burn while covered in the morning.

Finding out if plants are dead or alive takes time. Lohin says it’s best to wait and see if plants try to bloom again in two or three weeks when the temperatures rise again.

If you are anxious to find out if your plant is alive, you can bend the branch and see if it snaps or bends. If it breaks off, it is likely dead. The frost and freeze aren’t likely to kill the entire plant, but they can harm the top layer or blooms on a plant.

If you are looking to start gardening soon, Lohin suggests April 15 as a good day to start looking into new foliage for your home.