Break Out of Your Hardiness Zone

The Launch of a New Garden Hardiness Zone Map

Are more gardeners developing a fixation for hardiness zones and comparing notes across the back garden fence? The recent launch of an updated plant hardiness zone map probably is causing more people to ponder the fine print on the plant label looking for the height, spread and hardiness zone details. Why the fixation with hardiness zones? Plant hardiness zones are valuable pieces of information that can save gardeners from lots of grief.

Not infallible, hardiness zones are far from 100% accurate though. There are restrictions in the types of data that are being used to create hardiness zones and most often these are just average minimum temperature weather records. It should be noted that plant hardiness involves so many more factors. Whether a plant survives the winter may be because it is growing in a microclimate right in your garden.

Microclimates

Continue reading … Break Out of Your Hardiness Zone

Shopping for Plants!

Garden Center Onward Bound!

Even though the thought of going near a garden center or nursery during the weekend is evidence to question ones’ sanity, the temptation is near impossible to refuse. Late May is such an important time in the gardening calendar that it is hard to break from the tradition of planting annuals, perennials, trees or anything green during this time of year – wherever you may live. So off to the greenhouse, nursery or garden center we will go! Dealing with a bustling crowd juggling plants, children, and carts all the way to the check out is only one of the gardening “rites of passage”.

Weigela ‘My Monet’, Will I buy this plant?

Once in your favourite plant-selling emporium there will be lots of tempting things to pick up. Juggling them in your arms is just too limiting. A shopping excursion

Continue reading … Shopping for Plants!