The first hard frost warning went out here in greater Boston last week. Last Saturday early morning was chilly but not freezing. Sunday morning was the same. Monday morning, however, the real cold hit. Fall temperatures dipped below 32 degrees, the earliest in about 30 years or so. As Monday morning progressed, it was clear that the summer-loving vegetables and annuals were down for the count. A time-lapse photo of them would have shown them full-breasted and then slowly slouching in the shoulders as they folded forward and to their knees.

The pro gardener

Frost reveals three types of gardeners. The first type of gardener, let’s call him Pro Gardener Pete, shows up a few days before the frost with, ideally, a specialized frost cloth to wrap around still-healthy tomato, pepper, and eggplant and squash plants. No frost cloth? A light blanket, tarp, or even a sheet will be enough to contain some heat around the plants and keep them from freezing. Chard, carrots, and cole crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale will take some freezing weather, so there’s no reason for Pete to cover those for now. Temperatures are bound to climb in the next few days and he can remove the coverings at that time. Pete will be back at the garden and harvesting fresh vegetables for as long as he possibly can. He has even started greens in a cold frame.

The tidy gardener

The next type of gardener is Clean-Up Kate. She comes to the garden with yard waste bags, shopping bags, and all of her tools. Her mission—and she is on one—is to harvest all of the summer stuff (tomatoes, especially), break down the withering and scraggly tomatoes and other plants, and stuff them all into bags headed for either her compost pile or the city yard waste truck. She will take half of the kale and chard and tell herself she’ll be back for the rest in a few weeks. The stakes and cages are stacked and out of the way, and the garden is, except for a few tall specimens of dinosaur kale, ready for winter.

The busy gardener

Then there’s Done-With-It Dan. He doesn’t come to the garden before frost. Either he’s been busy with his kids’ soccer games or has moved onto some other fall activity and hasn’t been in the garden for weeks. He is, essentially, done with the garden for the season. Dan may remember to visit the garden around Thanksgiving when he finally has a few hours to spend for cleaning up. Or he may not.

There’s no judgment here, no one type of gardener better than the other. Pro Gardener Pete may turn into Done-With-It Dan (and vice versa) next year. Gardening has always depended on how much time and effort we have to give. Sometimes we have more to give, that’s all.

All of those gardeners, as they are protecting, cleaning, or off doing some other activity, are thinking, “Hey, I think I’ll use a different type of stake next season,” or “This variety of tomato was underperforming, I’ll try something else next time.” Success or not, they’ll bring themselves back to the plot after a winter’s rest with a renewed enthusiasm.

It’s what all gardeners do.