A combination of windbreaks, and wood chip mulch on your garden can help to raise the temperatures as much as a full climate zone. Wood chip mulch should be applied each spring - about an inch. Compost or Manure may be added on top of the mulch. Windbreaks may include buildings, trees, or snow fence type barriers. If you live in an area with much drifting snow, a windbreak will create a great drift on the leeward side of the break, which may be as much as 4-6 times wider than the height of the windbreak. This may be an important source of moisture, but it also REDUCES soil temperatures and delays the spring thaw in that area. There is a ribbon of sheltered ground between the windbreak and the drift, and more sheltered area beyond the drift. Planting in naturally sheltered hollows also provides a windbreak.