A freeze is in the forecast after a month of unseasonably warm temperatures.The cold is a threat to plants and trees that greened up far earlier than normal. The day before the frees is a day like most days so far in this unusua lly warm April, enticing gardeners to see what is at Rick's Nursery."I think the spring fever kind of got us, so, we're ready to plant stuff," said Alicia Earls, who has lived in Colorado Springs for several decades.It may feel like planting weather, but Earls knows to wait. Some say wait until May 15, while others like Earls use Mother's Day as their gauge."It's usually when the last freeze is, but you know, we have had some big snowstorms after that. But at least that's when the hard freeze is usually done," said Earls."I think a lot of people have been kind of counting on this weather to just extend into summer," said Dan Hopper, the owner of Rick's Nursery.Hopper, who has owned Rick's for nearly a decade, is on board with waiting until mid-May."If you do plant Mother's Day, look at your 10 day forecast from your local weather people to see what's coming down the road so that you can be prepared for that," said Hopper.As for the current incoming freeze, the most delicate plants are packed inside the Ricks Nursery greenhouses. There is not room for all, so hardier plants will get covered with frost cloth well in advance of temperatures dipping below 32 degrees."It creates a tent. This is a great option. It'll give you about a 5 to 6 degree bump in temperature," said Hopper.Trees that have blossomed will lose their flowers. For less established trees and ones not in the ground yet, Rick's waters them 24 hours before it gets cold."Things like trees and shrubs are going to be watering... and they're sitting on the ground, so they capture more of that ground heat once it's when, when they're wet," said Hopper.The below freezing cold snap is a short window overnight, so a good protection plan to insulate plants can minimize damage. The advice also includes hanging on to the plan you have for this freeze because there easily could be more in the weeks ahead.__________Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less