https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/86343c30-ed9e-4580-ae4c-0a9ea4c03a6f This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares tips and techniques for protecting plants and shrubs. (See below for a shopping list and tools.) SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse Roger helped a homeowner prepare several of her outdoor plants for the coming winter. To protect shrubs from structural damage due to heavy snow, Roger wrapped twine around a plant to make it more compact. Next, he placed a folding wooden "A-frame" over the plant to deflect any snow that might fall from the roof above. For larger plants, Roger used a specially-designed tent that protects from both snow and drying winter winds. To protect the rose bushes, Roger tied the branches together with jute and drove wooden stakes into the ground. He then stapled burlap onto the stakes. To protect the delicate grafts near the bottoms of the plants, Roger added a layer of leaves around the base of the plants to help insulate them from cold weather. Shopping List for How to Protect Plants for the Winter: 1/2-inch exterior-grade plywood, for sheathing the A-frame plant protector, 2x4s, used to build frame for A-frame plant protector, 1/4-inch x 3 1/2-inch galvanized carriage bolts, washers and wing nuts, used to assemble wooden A-frame plant cover, small-diameter rope and cord, used to truss up plants, 1 1/4-inch and 3-inch decking screws, for assembling and securing plant protectors, metal-framed fabric plant tent with plastic tent stakes, used to protect plants, burlap, used to protect rose bushes, 1-inch-square wooden stakes, used to support burlap, Tools for How to Protect Plants for the Winter: small sledgehammer, used to pound in stakes, drill/driver, for drilling holes and driving in screws, portable circular saw, used to cut plywood, 2x4s and wooden stakes, staple gun with 1/2-inch staples, used to secure the burlap to the wooden stakes, utility knife, used to cut rope and cord, 5/16-inch-diameter twist-drill bit, for boring holes for carriage bolts, Roger made a wooden "A-frame" to protect plants from falling snow using framing lumber and plywood from a home center. Burlap, jute and wooden stakes are available at many home and garden centers. Roger installed a large green tent over the larger shrub. It manufactured by The Shrub Coat™ [https://shrubcoat.com/] About Ask This Old House TV: Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook. Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free. https://bit.ly/2GPiYbH   Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/streaming-app Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG http://bit.ly/AskTOHIG For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseWebsite How to Protect Plants for the Winter | This Old House https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:35:01 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://stream.echo6.co https://stream.echo6.co/client/assets/images/icons/icon-512x512.png https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/86343c30-ed9e-4580-ae4c-0a9ea4c03a6f All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://stream.echo6.co/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.