I've seen someone use bubblewrap around their fruit trees during winter, but your leaf mulch looks much more envirnomentally-friendly that's for sure.

I am trying to grow citrus here, but have had the (young) plants inside all winter and only put them all outside last week (almost summer); and that was because one of them was being constantly picked on by aphids.

I was also given a large-ish fig tree last year, which has established with success, but I am looking to put up a permanent windbreak of some sort, to protect it from the fiercer winds we can get. I think creating microclimates is the best way to approach those more delicate plants sometimes.

I hope to see your plants once spring rolls back around, to check out how they survived. :)