Plants in, frost coming

This year I learned a very important lesson about my gardening....that the fluorescent lights I use in the garage to start the seeds each year is an excellent setup!  I tried starting the plants in Winston using sunlight and they just didn't respond the same.  Most of the plants were smaller and "spindly."  However, 5 days under the fluorescent lamp in the garage had them looking great!  Because I was rehabilitating the plants I have waited until the last possible minute to plant them in the garden.  But that time has come so this morning I put in the remaining tomatoes, jalapenos and eggplants (these are just to distract the bugs from the stuff I actually want to eat).

But as luck would have it, there is a good possibility that the last frost of the year will be tonight, right after I leave town!  Fortunately I had been experimenting with a row cover earlier this spring to get the brussel sprouts and swiss chard going.  Since the tomatoes, jalapenos and eggplant (all of which are very sensitive to frost) are underneath the trelises, it was fairly easy to rig up a modest protection to frost.  They don't have protection on the sides, but I am hoping that this will be enough to allow them to survive.  Also, I got the impression that the row cover kept in some heat and allowed the sprouts and chard to really take off....hopefully a few days under the row cover will allow the plants to continue the excellent progress they've started under the fluorescent lights.