A cheap and easy way to protect plants from snow

I hit upon an inexpensive and easy way to protect my two small chamaecyparis bushes (about 2 1/2 ft. tall) from the heavy snow we sometimes get here in Masschusetts. For each plant I used a tomato tower--the simple kind with three feet and two rings, burlap, a light plastic 12" planting pot and three ground staples. First I turned over the tomato tower so that its legs were in the air and positioned the bottom ring on the ground around the plant. Then I draped a length of burlap over it, pushing it down over the legs and onto the top ring, tucking the ends under the bottom ring. Finally I turned over the empty plastic pot and slid it over the three legs and through the pot's drainage holes. When it was in place I pegged the bottom down with garden staples and I was ready to go. Just a few weeks later we had 12" of wet snow, but they came through just fine. Cheap, simple and it works-- my kind of gardening.