John Benedict wrote:
We're expecting 32° here in western Palm Beach county Thursday
morning. All my loved ones are on the patio (southern exposure) somewhat
protected from wind. Should I drop everything that's hanging and cover
with cloth...?

Thanks,

John

I would suggest plastic, weighted down against the wind and some sort of
heat. For heat, the amount required would vary depending on the area to
be warmed. I have used:

tub of warm water on top of a waterbed heater (and a fan to circulate)
set at its highest setting; air blown in from the house through a 5"
plastic tube (flexible black drainage stuff); one or more incandescent
light bulbs (60W) - provided you keep them from starting a fire - they
actually put out quite a bit of heat.

Of course if this is adjacent to a window that could be added to the
covered area, a fan in the window (as long as there is a little room for
air to return beside it so you don't blow the cover off) would be great.

IF it stays cold for a while, simply covering won't be enough for things
that don't want to be below 50 degrees F.

Meanwhile don't water anything. Usually cold is handled best when plants
are drier.