It may officially be spring, but Old Man Winter will likely bring frosty conditions Tuesday night.

So what's the difference between a frost and freeze, and how it will affect your plants?

Flowers are blooming everywhere and with the recent warm weather, many of you have even planted gardens.

Usually by now, you wouldn't have to worry about freezing conditions.

The average last freeze is generally mid-March for the Grand Strand and late-March inland. But like last year, we'll likely see at least frosty conditions late in the season.

Your outdoor thermometer doesn't have to read 32° for there to be frost. Shaded areas or places just above the ground can drop to the freezing point and be covered with frost.

Patricia Rose from Crabtree Nursery in Conway says it's easy to protect a plant from frost.

"If they have new fruit or flowers, they are sensitive, and you can cover those with a sheet and that works very well," she says.

With a freeze, even the ground drops to the freezing mark or below, and it's harder to protect the plants.

Patricia says you need to bring them inside, and if you can't do that, cover them or water them really well.

"Wet them. The secret to the most protection is to make sure that you've watered those plants really well," she says.

That's because water tends to hold heat better than other materials. It can keep the soil temperature from falling so quickly.

Rose also says most tender plants are the flowering plants like azaleas or any fruit-bearing plants. Your herbs and evergreens are more hardy and can withstand colder temperatures, like what we'll see Tuesday night.