how do i protect my gunnera from cold wheather i live in baltimore md

Hi I live in the UK and cover mine with the old leaves that I cut off the plant with onset of winter.

You might want to consider using straw or other grass type medium, Maybe a heavy duty fleece. Basically anything that would keep the frost/snow off.

Hi Brenda,
If I were you I'd put straw on top of your gunnera to keep the frost out. Then i'd put a bit of netting over the top with stones round the edges to stop it blowing away.
From the picture it looks as if the ground is quite dry. They like it really wet.

I wrap the old leaves over the top of the crown, then a handful of straw, covered in either a piece of fleece or a plastic cloche, and pin it down with pegs or bricks. Romneya is correct - your ground looks dry amd gunnera needs lots of moisture. Mine is next to a large pond, which is where you always see them. Need good drainage though - hope you planted it in a hole with gravel at the bottom ?