In the world of gardening cloches are best described as types of cover that can be utilized in order to protect plants, bushes, flowers, and seeds from the nasty effects that weather can bring about. While many people tend to conjure up images of the popular hat that goes by the same name, gardening cloches are most often used for protecting against frost. The reason that the name is the same as the bell shaped hats is exactly that, these gardening tools are also shaped like a bell. The world cloche is derived from a French term that is loosely translated into bell, which makes it easy to see why the word is used to describe these smaller greenhouse style structures.

Cloches have been used for years as one of the very best ways to keep plants and seedlings alive and happy even when mother nature seems to be a little bit ticked off. Without the protection that these unique gardening tools provide it can be easy for weather such as frost to kill off your plants and prevent seedlings from getting the start that they need.

Garden cloches can be made from a variety of different materials, but are most commonly made from wood or plastic. While some gardeners use glass cloches for indoor environments, most cloches are intended purely for outdoor use. Pre-built cloches will usually vary in price based on their size and the brand that you are looking for and can range from anywhere between 10 pounds to a few hundred.

One of the most popular uses for a cloche is to trap in moisture early on in the gardening season. This can protect seedlings from harsh weather and unexpected frost or help to preserve larger plants and keep them alive all year round. If there is a large number of plants that require protection then usually large row coverings are more useful than cloches as it is easier to put the covering into place and more efficient. In many instances the terms row covering and cloche are often seen as being the same thing even though they are quite different in contrast.

In essence, garden cloches harness the effects of a greenhouse in order to protect plants and keep them warm. In a pinch you can improvise in terms of cloches and use plastic containers, water bottles, or wine jugs. This type of trick can save time and be ecologically friendly but will not be beneficial in the long term and is hard to utilize permanently through the winter or early in the spring.

If you are serious about gardening and are dedicated to making sure that your plants thrive and survive no matter what weather conditions come about, then you have to take advantage of the protection that cloches provide. They are easy to find, simple to utilize, and bring a number of advantages to a garden of any size. Stop letting your plants suffer from the cold and give them the atmosphere they need to flourish.