Tenterhooks

Asphodeline damascena

Photographed last night. Today, at 11:09 AM it's snowing like mad although the temperature is supposedly only 36F. Go figure...that's Colorado.

 A.I. when I Google the word "tenterhooks" tells me that ""On tenterhooks" means being in a state of nervous suspense or anxious anticipation, derived from 14th-century textile manufacturing where wet cloth was stretched on hooks—known as tenterhooks—to dry without shrinking. Pronounced /ˈtɛntərˌhʊks/, the phrase describes being stretched tight with worry, often used as "waiting on tenterhooks". 

Fritillaria pontica and daphne friends

So I'm on tenterhooks: various weather sites have predicted low temps tonight from 30F down to 24F.

The cacti will probably be fine (lots are budded already and some blooming)

Salvia absconditifolia

And the salvias are toughies..

Paeonia rockii

This has been blooming for days--so it's not too bad for it--but peonies all over town are budded.

Tulipa batalinii

Lots of tulips still blooming around town: they aren't too sensitive to frost, but snow can knock 'em down....

Arenaria stellata

This sandwort will probably like the cold.

Penstemon nitidus

This is from the Northern Great Plains--it won't be fazed.

Veronica 'Waterperry'

Well, now that I think of it--probably 90% of the plants I grow will do fine even if we drop to 24F. It's the tropicals I put out a few weeks ago that won't be too happy...I should know by now...