Although I was moved from zone 6a to zone 6b, I only grow plants hardy in zone 5 because when the polar vortex went through here last winter I lost all my new zone 6 plants and shrubs.
I appreciate that you and Laura have different view points. Getting all of your information from only one source on any subject is a bad idea. I watch you both for different reasons. I watch other channels and do my own research as well.
Referring to different opinions, we Master Gardeners follow the science and are part of the Extension Service . Your horticultural knowledge comes from different research and resources. We make a difference for the environment including climate change, invasive species, recycling, soil health, water quality, habitat conservation/pollinator protection and environmental policy. I am entertained by other gardening TH-cams but listen and learn from the ones that are Master Gardeners.❤thanks.
There is no doubt that winters are generally milder here in New England, but the reality is that is **on average**- just last February, temps dropped to -10 F... So, no I will be changing nothing despite our gardening zone changing from 6A to 6B. The weather may be milder but the oscillations in temperature are also more extreme which makes it harder on plants that are marginally hardy IMHO
The zones have changed primarily because they have added about 6 thousand new temperature gages, to different areas, from 10 years ago. I have 2 very different micro climates on my 10 acres. Theses temperatures are very specific to the exact area the gages are on. It's all within the 5 degrees. Alaska became a few degrees warmer, because they added temperature gages to the mountain areas, to which they were never there before. Pay attention to your specific area, and buy accordingly:) Zones were created to tell you what perennials will grow in your area. My exact yard is actually colder.
Omg a 6a! I'm in madison, didn't see that sliver on Lake Michigan change. And boy, it sure does get dark early now, lol, it ALWAYS shocks me every year lol The banana cam 😂 Totally agree with your good bug/bad bug philosophy ❤
Thanks for doing the compostable pot experiment. I would consider it a win even if it takes a long time to break down. I really hate contributing to the plastic waste.
For the person who asked about the terrible soil: I have very rocky soil. Erin is right, just keep piling on the wood chips, compost and mulch. Plant roots will work their way around the stones. For digging, shovels are useless. You need a full size pick mattock, a hand mattock and a sturdy augur. Hand mattock is very useful for prying rocks out as you are making a hole. Do not do that with your fingers (don't ask me how I know that is a bad idea :)). The augur will sort of loosen the rocks and pull them up. I grow a large variety of plants and they seem to be able to cope with the rocks, although I do pry up many rocks as I work in the beds. I take a bucket of good soil with me to fill in the volume that the rocks had occupied. We build low dry-stacked walls with the flatter stones and make edging out of the larger specimens. Still, I have a pretty sizeable rock pile, which I am currently using to block our local deer's favorite track. USDA zones -- my immediate area was promoted from 6b to 7a, while the surrounding area is still 6b. The new map is based on much more granular data than the old map. I have long thought that our river valley was warmer than on the other side of the mountains and the new zones reflect that.
I'm on Maine coast and went from 5b to 6a. I thought I was a genius gardener pushing my zone limit with some broadleaf evergreens. Protected planting spots, wilt-pruf, lots of mulch. Turns out the warming ocean had a part, too.
9b to 9b. I’m on the coast in Humboldt County in Northern California. The only real change we have had in weather is getting 1-2 days of snow each year which is super unusual for us. Our last two summers have actually been much cooler. We only hit 70° a handful of days this past summer.
Hi, Erin. I'm an adventurous, yet lazy, gardener whose zone was just upgraded from 8b to 9a. I'm excited to know what plants are hardy in zone 9 that are not hardy in zone 8, so I can experiment with expanding my plant palette without the hassle of artificially overwintering. For example, having been shopping for hardy begonias this past year, I happen to be aware that the few begonias hardy in zone 8 are not the most attractive. But looking at begonias hardy in zone 9 really widens my selection, and includes some gorgeous varieties. So exciting! Wondering what other plants I could be experimenting with, I tried googling for this information. I had zero luck until I searched on "tender perennials" and "tender shrubs" for my old zone. And there it was, just the information I wanted. I wanted to pass along these search words to other excited gardeners who are wondering how to find this information for their zone.
Hi Erin, This will no doubt be the 20th time youĺl read this but . . . its Medo SEE no. Love your channel, you crack me up!! p.s. I went from zone 9b to 9a!
I live in North East Ohio went from a 6a to a 6 b. When I started gardening 25 years ago we were a zone 5b. I'm about 45 miles south of lake Erie we got a total snowfall of 8 or 10 inches . The temperatures were quite mild.
Totally agree with you about the bugs. I was concerned that my roses had aphids and immediately thought about a spray then I remembered what you said about good bugs needing something to eat. Within a week aphids were gone and our wasps clearly had a full belly. We always make sure to leave leaves in the beds and shallow water for our bugs and it has worked for us just fine. The zone thing is interesting because even though we’ve gotten warmer, the cold snaps have gotten longer and colder. I used to overwinter my tropical hibiscus in my carport-not even a garage. And they were fine. That doesn’t work anymore. And this past winter my rosemary died. I’ve been growing rosemary for 30 years. It’s always been evergreen here.
I actually think that at some point t they may need to throw out the hardiness zone concept because of exactly what you’ve mentioned. Average low temps are one thing but the weather is getting more extreme, more often, and at some point that becomes more important than average minimums.
Zones are starting to change which I’m thinking isn’t certainly a good thing. Always enjoy listening to your Q&A’s and gardening videos. Thanks for all your efforts to keep us informed. 👍❤️😊
Hey, we in NE Indiana were upgraded from 5b/6a to 6a. I've decided to keep zone 6 plants close to our home or in warmer, microclimate areas. The pots with same are now along the south side of our home, heeled in with leaves. With the price of plants, tis good to be cautious, eh?
I went from 5b to 6a just like Erin. Unfortunately, this has basically resulted in us losing winter altogether. It gets cold but it doesn’t stick. If it snows (some years it just hasn’t snowed at all) it doesn’t stay on the ground for more than a week at the very most. I’m particularly worried about this because I’m someone with a conservation background. Almost all of the prairie plants in my area require at least 30 days of cold, wet weather for their seeds to germinate, most of them lean closer to 60 or even 90. We are simply not having enough days of cold, wet weather for these seeds to sprout. This doesn’t bode well for restoration work as pretreating seeds for broadcast makes it very impractical (seeds get gooey and clump together, seeds without seed coats get damaged in broadcasting equipment). It also means that remnant prairies and other natural areas which were previously doing well at sustaining themselves will now be producing less viable seed as competition for invasive species which typically don’t require cold stratification or pretreatment. It’s a scary time for sure.
I think this is important point - the new map is only one component of our changing climate. The chill hours - and how they change - is something that also needs to be captured, and further discussed.... I also think it is important to consider the impact of the extreme oscillations we are seeing in our weather, with really warm days in winter, and those unusually cold - so close together...
I agree. We had rain in January in WI Z5a this year and many of the winter sow projects I believe sprouted and froze or rotted. I tried to shade them and should’ve just put them in the shade to start. We had such heat with late snow and then heat with very late frost that killed a lot of plants because they were to far past bud break. Some have went to shading plants to late May to prevent growth. The zone didn’t change here, but those swings are creating problems.
I spent on my money in 2017 on solar and getting off fossil fuels buying a Chevy Volt…we are the problem and we must make changes, now . Thankfully we aren’t polar bears;)
My hardiness zone has gone from 6B to 7 which thrills me. However, I will continue to dig my dahlias - not so much because of the temperatures, but more so because of the sogginess of the soil. As always, thank you for the inspiration. Love your videos!! 💚
It's Mendo-see-no. Also some wine grape action there . Mendocino county is adjacent to the north of Sonoma county , 3 hour extremely scenic drive from the city of Napa. But bring your dramamine, lol.
We should all buy a banana plant for next year and blame it on Erin (ha ha) for her fun new obsession. Then we can share whether or not we can grow one too!
Thank you for this. I’m usually in 5a but now 6a 😳. I noticed some plants that I didn’t expect to last the winter not only survived last year (& the year before) but came back in full force. Now it all makes sense.
I live in SW France (zone6?) and had a beautiful well established Banana musa in my first garden here ,it was in a south facing and well protected courtyard. I had blooms and bananas every year. When I moved only 10 minutes away and tried to grow one in this garden no luck, different soil, elevation, and winter protection just did not work ,so sad. Love your channel ❤️😎👩🌾🇫🇷
Went from 5b to 6a too. Not going to do things much different. But makes sense a few zone 6 things I planted survive. But cautious I remain since we still get plenty of -20 nights.
I live in Central AL previously 7B now 8A. After all that I have learned from you for the last 2 years I have been gardening like a 8A girl! Thanks so much for all that you do and teach us!!! I appreciate you so very much!
Great video, love the postcards. I discovered your blog years ago when I first got really interested in gardening, love that you're still doing that as well as the videos. Always a treat to find time to catch up on both.
Love your channel, Erin and your easygoing nature. Repellex tablets have worked really well to deter the munching deer and rabbits for me this year. I have pretty heavy deer and rabbit pressure. My hosta bed went untouched all spring and summer long by using Repellex tablets. You put them in at the rootball (number of tablets dependent on plant size) and the plant takes up the contents of the tablets into its foliage. The tablets make the plants taste bad so they don't get eaten. They may get tasted but not devoured. The tablets worked for my Bobo hydrangea as well. Do not use with plants you intend to eat (veggie gardens.)
@@lilyw.1788 I wrote a really long reply to you here yesterday, but today I don't see it. Perhaps it was removed because I included links to some of the products I use on Amazon. My apologies if I violated a commenting rule. The short story is yes, I used the tablets with established plants by using a handheld weeder tool to poke a hole into the soil of the roots close to the stems and inserting the tablets down in the hole. Number of tablets to use is dependent on plant size. My hyndrangea took 3 or 4 and each hosta took 1 to 2. Good luck with your deer battle! I will be fighting alongside you in zone 7a Virginia!
I live in central WI and my zone did not change. You were talking about What to do to keep the deer away - I use a combo of liquid fence and milorganite in a yard with irrigation and have been happy with the results. I use it early in the spring and again when I plant all the annuals. After that I try to do it once a month and then I just add the products on the outer perimeter. I haven't had a deer problem since I started to do this. I am in the city, but near a wooded area and the neighbors see deer all the time.
I am in central WI as well, between Wausau and Stevens Point. I'm trying to figure out how a thin sliver where I live went from Zone 4b to 5a! My theory is that the Wisconsin River and all the reservoirs dammed along it are moderating temperatures and creating this isolated hardiness zone. Sheesh! Don't know if I'll push the limit, but I am very tempted to try growing boxwood and oakleaf hydrangea!
One of the public gardens to see any time of the year is in the Belle Isle state park in the Detroit river designed by Piet Oudolf. I so want to have this in my yard some day!
Thank you! That was terrific. And a lot of work for you. I hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving. I know it takes a lot of time to do these videos. I’ve watched for years. Just want you to know your time is really appreciated! Gardener in MA zone 6b -Sandy
Really enjoyed the postcards. I was pleasantly surprised to see my home town, Temecula CA wine country. Although the vines looked beautiful at that time So Cal is a desert that humans brought water to. Meaning we lack the lush greens and fall colors that so many others get to enjoy. It makes me appreciate the postcards so much more. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing Mendocino's magical Botanical Gardens! I appreciate you and love how you inspire me to garden with more of an adventurous outlook! My hubby doesn't like my approach "poke and hope"! You are educational and inspirational to me. Thank you!
You and Laura garden in completely different climates, I would expect a different approach on some topics. I watch gardeners from all over the country-you, GA, Gardening with Creekside, Nicole at Flower Hill Farm. I learn something from each of you and like to see how different our climates are. I relate to you the most being in Michigan. Great video 😊
You mentioned putting out a call for questions on your community page. I had to wonder, how many people after seeing a new video, ALSO click on the page for your channel and then regularly look under any of the other tabs. I know I certainly never have.
I'm not entirely sure if my zone has changed yet. I am in Upstate SC and was in a small pocket of 8A surrounded by 7B. Now the 7B area has been upped to 8A, and there is a smaller pocket of 8B but not enough detail for me to tell if I am in it. I will continue to try to choose plants that are suitable for both 7 and 8, unless I really really love it and am willing to risk it not being able to handle either the cold or the heat that may come. The one change I am considering is trying to put a Meyer Lemon in the ground this spring to see if it will survive, but will keep one in a pot to bring in and out over winter "just in case".
Went from 7a to 7b, but after losing so many plants supposedly zone 7 hardy, I now only plant zone 6 hardy and have been pleased (although I’d still love some gardenias ☹)
Talked about Mendocino. It’s pronounced with the “S”sound. We spent our honeymoon there at a little River Inn. It’s beautiful, and if you ever get a chance, please go!
Hibiscus seeds I put in a bag with damp paper towel and laid on tray with heat mat and they germinated in 2 days. I lost one of 5 seeds of different varieties and it flipped down the sink trying to nick them 🙄so I tried the other way and it worked great.
Margie-here in the kansas city ks area and surrounding areas in the metro, we have been 6a but they are now saying we are 6a and 6b. I am going to still be very cautious.
Hi, did you and Mr. MMP build the pergola on your deck? I’d like to build something similar and can not find a plan or even a kit that looks like that one. Thanks Jenn
Hi garden friend, love ur videos. I really appreciate ur garden advice and knowledge . I learn so much by watching ur videos. What types of plants will survive better in my zone 7 wet clay soil..? Do u think that native plants will have better luck? Thanks for sharing. 😊
Millena Floure bloomed a crazy amount -I did two plants and they both threw almost too many blooms everything else did less than average it wasn’t a good dahlia year except for Millenia It also had the strongest stems but still needed staking because of bloom load -I also need to mention that I was disbudding
I went from a 7b to 8a. I have been growing zone 8 plants from when we moved in five years ago with no problem. It’s a pity this all is happening especially for animals and insects. The hummingbirds stayed for an extra two weeks this year.
Mendocino with a soft “c”. A charming town so small that the 4th of July parade makes 2 loops around its path! And, my zip code is back in the database (and hasn’t changed). Phew!
Adding on to someone's else comment, always appreciate your wit and wisdom! I've been enjoying your blog too, look forward to seeing more. On the subject of zone changes, happily my Chicago Fig returned this year, had many figs, but they started too late. My fig is in the ground and I did put leaves and burlap around it for the winter. Would like to know how to get figs to ripen earlier, if possible. I'm zone 6a. Did you get figs this year?
I’m in southern Illinois just outside of St Louis. Looks like we went from 6a to 7a. It probably won’t change a lot of what I purchase at my local garden center or box store. Before this new zoning map came out, I had unknowingly purchased a zone 7 perennial. I wonder if the local box store had a heads up to the zone change before the rest of us.
I went from 6b to 7a. I don’t think I’m going to anything differently. It seems that we have a little bit milder winter except we will have a really cold snap every winter. I have a question for you - when you see plants that commercial landscapers use everywhere does that make you never want to use those plants in your garden? Knockout roses, Stella d’or daylillies, and some type of hydrangea. Every time I think about hydrangeas, I see them at the gas station and the supermarket parking lot edges.
100%. In fact that’s probably the reason I was anti-Spirea until discovered how many cool varieties available (that you don’t see as the builder special landscaping at new builds).
@@TheImpatientGardener I am still a no on spirea, but I am thinking about it, because I need forage earlier in the season for our native bees I have a lot of bee forage but they largely bloom after the peonies...
honesty i've been so fascinated (horrified a bit as well lol) at the zones changing, i've literally only been gardening now for like 5-6 years, so this is the first time it's ever been actually changed whilst knowing what it is. 6b now, got used to saying 6a but oh well i guess, funny thing is that last year it dipped to 5b temps, but afaik where i am wasn't a 5b even when i was born
I am certainly not the USDA, but I have a huge issue with their Minnesota zones. Our weather has changed so much OUTSIDE of the Twin Cities in Central MN but it is not going from a zone 4a to a 4b as the USDA claims) but 4 to a 3. I am lucky if I can grow zone 4a plants and I chose zone 3 plantings and they claim I am zone 4B now. The reason is not temps but our weather..We now have no early spring-just a late short spring with a freeze/thaw cycle that cause a lot zone 4b and 5 plant blooms to die..and maybe they do grow green but never bloom again here (think roses and hydrangeas). Our winds are terrible too. Our falls are now very long with the normal being LESS moisture but a difficult freezing temp at night with 50-60 degrees during the day- not a good combo if you use hoses to water/irrigation that can burst. I am suspicious that the USDA is changing zones without looking at all the real facts in these colder regions so that Corp. plant growers can put into our market a glut of plants to increase their revenues. I see many who prefer to grow a huge and limited selection for zone 5-7 where they have a huge demand...the plants that grow zone 3-4 are getting a smaller and smaller selection every year esp. with the big corp propagators. . We are not where they make a gob of money. They also have a tendency to mark plants zone 4 or zone 5 and do not mark zone 5a 5b or 4a 4b....an issue I have and I have found them to be all the B zones not the A zones in their use. I have shifted my buying to LATE spring bloom and FALL blooming items-I never had any luck with FALL bloomers lasting as long as they have the last 2 years in the past.
Keep in mind that the map is based entirely on AVERAGE minimum temperatures from 1991-2020. It doesn’t take into account any other data, like freeze thaw cycles, late springs, etc. or serve as any kind of guarantee that a particular zone won’t experience temperatures lower than jts listed zone. I think you’ve made a compelling case for why the USDA hardiness zone map is just one small piece of the puzzle in understanding growing in a particular area.
Although I am now technically a 5A, I KNOW zone 5 trees and perennials will not thrive here. Our last polar vortex in 2019 it was -36 degrees with a wind chill of -63, and then everything perished except for true zone 3 and 4 plants.
My son's house is i a newer subdivision in Madison. The topsoil was literally scraped off to leave clay and sand was layered on top. Around the the house is 6-12" of 2" (ugly) stone or raised beds filled with stone. (No idea the thought process there.) My daughter-in-law has found that a battery-powered drill with a 3" dirt power planter drill bit has been her best planting tool. My son on a shovel is not a match for that. They are still working on resorting the situation on the decorative rock. Three years of generous mulch (but two summers of drought) has not much improved the situation. The story continues; her planted pots are pretty fantastic, though.
I live in Zone 5b and my neighbor winters over his banana plant in the ground and grows back tall and lush and beautiful every year. He doesn't cut it all the way back to the ground. I do believe I see about 1 foot of the trunk that he leaves standing. He also uses a heavy duty black plastic wrap that he places over the plant. If you want more information, I ask him the winterizing strategies and what kind of hardy banana plant he grows. BTW this is an interesting zone change for my area. I live on the border of two suburbs. Technically speaking, if I put in my zip code, my zone changed from 5b to 6b. However if I put in the zip code of the neighboring suburb which is two streets away, it is from zone 5b to 6a. We are at a higher elevation and maybe that has something to do with the slight zone difference? Seems real strange but it just shows that theres microclimates in different suburbs. Still gardening in zone 5b, but gives me a more daring approach to plant marginal plants. We live near lake Erie and the climate is very depending on the lake weather especially with snow fall.
I live in zone 8b. Extremely hot most of the year. How do I get my plant to grow full. It seems that I plant something in the ground and it seem they never grow full like in the pictures. Even if I put several together they seem to sty in one clump like Supertunia or gardenians?
Recently WI did well testing for PFAs and found most had high concentrations. I know Milorganite is made in Milwaukee from sewage. The University of Steven’s Point did the testing and the article I read said sewage can be a contributor to PFAs among others. I’m concerned we are spreading this forever chemical. Other things in the past were not such good practices such as the selling of Asian Jumping Worms that are eating the forest floors. If this fertilizer and other major brands that hide sewage under various names are not testing for PFAs then we have a problem. What do you think?
There has been no update as far as I can find on the Natural Resources Canada site. Canada’s zones take more into consideration than the US system too. The US uses average minimum temperatures to determine zones whereas Canada takes into consideration average low temps, average high temps, snow cover, summer precipitation, maximum wind speed, period between last/first frost, etc.
I never did anything with it other than cut off what you saw and it grew pretty well. It looks weird, of course, because of all the bits that have died, but performed pretty well given what it went through.
Thanks, Erin. I found pretty much the same. I have about half of my viburnum l left. The diseased portion did not come back, but I'm praying that what is left thrives. What do you think was the cause of this problem?
My zone changed from a 9a to a 10b finally, I’ve always thought we would’ve been in a higher zone because of our heat and we don’t cool off at night❤I pray our nurseries do not just explode with cactus. Yuck I am not a desert look fan.
Although I am now technically a 5A, I KNOW zone 5 trees and perennials will not thrive here. Our last polar vortex in 2019 it was -36 degrees with a wind chill of -63, and then everything perished except for true zone 3 and 4 plants.
![ตีสิบเดย์ [FULL] | เปิดใจ "อาจารย์ เบียร์ ฅนตื่นธรรม" นักสนทนาธรรมสายดุดัน!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vqaBI_mnoDk/mqdefault.jpg)
Although I was moved from zone 6a to zone 6b, I only grow plants hardy in zone 5 because when the polar vortex went through here last winter I lost all my new zone 6 plants and shrubs.
Same here Pam! I replaced about 15 mature shrubs. My hollies and Nandinas etc lost all their leaves.
Same here!
I appreciate that you and Laura have different view points. Getting all of your information from only one source on any subject is a bad idea. I watch you both for different reasons. I watch other channels and do my own research as well.
Referring to different opinions, we Master Gardeners follow the science and are part of the Extension Service . Your horticultural knowledge comes from different research and resources. We make a difference for the environment including climate change, invasive species, recycling, soil health, water quality, habitat conservation/pollinator protection and environmental policy. I am entertained by other gardening TH-cams but listen and learn from the ones that are Master Gardeners.❤thanks.
There is no doubt that winters are generally milder here in New England, but the reality is that is **on average**- just last February, temps dropped to -10 F... So, no I will be changing nothing despite our gardening zone changing from 6A to 6B. The weather may be milder but the oscillations in temperature are also more extreme which makes it harder on plants that are marginally hardy IMHO
Me too. All around me lost our roses, the summers hydrangea flowers, and hostas.
The zones have changed primarily because they have added about 6 thousand new temperature gages, to different areas, from 10 years ago. I have 2 very different micro climates on my 10 acres. Theses temperatures are very specific to the exact area the gages are on. It's all within the 5 degrees. Alaska became a few degrees warmer, because they added temperature gages to the mountain areas, to which they were never there before. Pay attention to your specific area, and buy accordingly:) Zones were created to tell you what perennials will grow in your area. My exact yard is actually colder.
Omg a 6a! I'm in madison, didn't see that sliver on Lake Michigan change. And boy, it sure does get dark early now, lol, it ALWAYS shocks me every year lol
The banana cam 😂
Totally agree with your good bug/bad bug philosophy ❤
Thanks for doing the compostable pot experiment. I would consider it a win even if it takes a long time to break down. I really hate contributing to the plastic waste.
Looks like my postcard got mangled in the mail. 😄Guess I'll have to send another some time soon. 😉 Claris in Kvicksund, Sweden.
For the person who asked about the terrible soil: I have very rocky soil. Erin is right, just keep piling on the wood chips, compost and mulch. Plant roots will work their way around the stones. For digging, shovels are useless. You need a full size pick mattock, a hand mattock and a sturdy augur. Hand mattock is very useful for prying rocks out as you are making a hole. Do not do that with your fingers (don't ask me how I know that is a bad idea :)). The augur will sort of loosen the rocks and pull them up. I grow a large variety of plants and they seem to be able to cope with the rocks, although I do pry up many rocks as I work in the beds. I take a bucket of good soil with me to fill in the volume that the rocks had occupied. We build low dry-stacked walls with the flatter stones and make edging out of the larger specimens. Still, I have a pretty sizeable rock pile, which I am currently using to block our local deer's favorite track. USDA zones -- my immediate area was promoted from 6b to 7a, while the surrounding area is still 6b. The new map is based on much more granular data than the old map. I have long thought that our river valley was warmer than on the other side of the mountains and the new zones reflect that.
I'm on Maine coast and went from 5b to 6a. I thought I was a genius gardener pushing my zone limit with some broadleaf evergreens. Protected planting spots, wilt-pruf, lots of mulch. Turns out the warming ocean had a part, too.
lol the banana cam kazoo 😅😭🥰
9b to 9b. I’m on the coast in Humboldt County in Northern California. The only real change we have had in weather is getting 1-2 days of snow each year which is super unusual for us. Our last two summers have actually been much cooler. We only hit 70° a handful of days this past summer.
Hi, Erin. I'm an adventurous, yet lazy, gardener whose zone was just upgraded from 8b to 9a. I'm excited to know what plants are hardy in zone 9 that are not hardy in zone 8, so I can experiment with expanding my plant palette without the hassle of artificially overwintering. For example, having been shopping for hardy begonias this past year, I happen to be aware that the few begonias hardy in zone 8 are not the most attractive. But looking at begonias hardy in zone 9 really widens my selection, and includes some gorgeous varieties. So exciting! Wondering what other plants I could be experimenting with, I tried googling for this information. I had zero luck until I searched on "tender perennials" and "tender shrubs" for my old zone. And there it was, just the information I wanted. I wanted to pass along these search words to other excited gardeners who are wondering how to find this information for their zone.
Hi Erin, This will no doubt be the 20th time youĺl read this but . . . its Medo SEE no. Love your channel, you crack me up!! p.s. I went from zone 9b to 9a!
I live in North East Ohio went from a 6a to a 6 b. When I started gardening 25 years ago we were a zone 5b. I'm about 45 miles south of lake Erie we got a total snowfall of 8 or 10 inches . The temperatures were quite mild.
Totally agree with you about the bugs. I was concerned that my roses had aphids and immediately thought about a spray then I remembered what you said about good bugs needing something to eat. Within a week aphids were gone and our wasps clearly had a full belly. We always make sure to leave leaves in the beds and shallow water for our bugs and it has worked for us just fine.
The zone thing is interesting because even though we’ve gotten warmer, the cold snaps have gotten longer and colder. I used to overwinter my tropical hibiscus in my carport-not even a garage. And they were fine. That doesn’t work anymore. And this past winter my rosemary died. I’ve been growing rosemary for 30 years. It’s always been evergreen here.
I actually think that at some point t they may need to throw out the hardiness zone concept because of exactly what you’ve mentioned. Average low temps are one thing but the weather is getting more extreme, more often, and at some point that becomes more important than average minimums.
I think another good consideration when it comes to bugs in the garden is the "10 step rule" Tallamy suggests for when to let things go
Zones are starting to change which I’m thinking isn’t certainly a good thing. Always enjoy listening to your Q&A’s and gardening videos. Thanks for all your efforts to keep us informed. 👍❤️😊
Yay! Great vlog!
Hey, we in NE Indiana were upgraded from 5b/6a to 6a. I've decided to keep zone 6 plants close to our home or in warmer, microclimate areas. The pots with same are now along the south side of our home, heeled in with leaves. With the price of plants, tis good to be cautious, eh?
I went from 5b to 6a just like Erin. Unfortunately, this has basically resulted in us losing winter altogether. It gets cold but it doesn’t stick. If it snows (some years it just hasn’t snowed at all) it doesn’t stay on the ground for more than a week at the very most. I’m particularly worried about this because I’m someone with a conservation background. Almost all of the prairie plants in my area require at least 30 days of cold, wet weather for their seeds to germinate, most of them lean closer to 60 or even 90. We are simply not having enough days of cold, wet weather for these seeds to sprout. This doesn’t bode well for restoration work as pretreating seeds for broadcast makes it very impractical (seeds get gooey and clump together, seeds without seed coats get damaged in broadcasting equipment). It also means that remnant prairies and other natural areas which were previously doing well at sustaining themselves will now be producing less viable seed as competition for invasive species which typically don’t require cold stratification or pretreatment. It’s a scary time for sure.
I think this is important point - the new map is only one component of our changing climate. The chill hours - and how they change - is something that also needs to be captured, and further discussed.... I also think it is important to consider the impact of the extreme oscillations we are seeing in our weather, with really warm days in winter, and those unusually cold - so close together...
So scary. Thanks for sharing, it's so upsetting.
I agree. We had rain in January in WI Z5a this year and many of the winter sow projects I believe sprouted and froze or rotted. I tried to shade them and should’ve just put them in the shade to start.
We had such heat with late snow and then heat with very late frost that killed a lot of plants because they were to far past bud break. Some have went to shading plants to late May to prevent growth. The zone didn’t change here, but those swings are creating problems.
Really scary changes! We will see more ticks and mosquitoes without enough cold. MA zone 6b
I spent on my money in 2017 on solar and getting off fossil fuels buying a Chevy Volt…we are the problem and we must make changes, now . Thankfully we aren’t polar bears;)
My hardiness zone has gone from 6B to 7 which thrills me. However, I will continue to dig my dahlias - not so much because of the temperatures, but more so because of the sogginess of the soil. As always, thank you for the inspiration. Love your videos!! 💚
It's Mendo-see-no. Also some wine grape action there . Mendocino county is adjacent to the north of Sonoma county , 3 hour extremely scenic drive from the city of Napa. But bring your dramamine, lol.
We should all buy a banana plant for next year and blame it on Erin (ha ha) for her fun new obsession. Then we can share whether or not we can grow one too!
Already did this past spring!
Thank you for this. I’m usually in 5a but now 6a 😳. I noticed some plants that I didn’t expect to last the winter not only survived last year (& the year before) but came back in full force. Now it all makes sense.
I live in SW France (zone6?) and had a beautiful well established Banana musa in my first garden here ,it was in a south facing and well protected courtyard. I had blooms and bananas every year. When I moved only 10 minutes away and tried to grow one in this garden no luck, different soil, elevation, and winter protection just did not work ,so sad. Love your channel ❤️😎👩🌾🇫🇷
Love ya son! Trust the process. It's all gonna work out just fine. You're going to have a great life! You're a good man!
Went from 5b to 6a too. Not going to do things much different. But makes sense a few zone 6 things I planted survive. But cautious I remain since we still get plenty of -20 nights.
I keep my leaves in the garden and the lady bugs, fireflies, bees and other great insects were everywhere and it was so beautiful!!
I live in Central AL previously 7B now 8A. After all that I have learned from you for the last 2 years I have been gardening like a 8A girl! Thanks so much for all that you do and teach us!!! I appreciate you so very much!
Deer repellent, north west Michigan (still zone 6A, but gardening like I’m still zone 5), I’m a fan of Deer Scram and Milorganite
Deer Scram works well!
Great video, love the postcards. I discovered your blog years ago when I first got really interested in gardening, love that you're still doing that as well as the videos. Always a treat to find time to catch up on both.
Love your channel, Erin and your easygoing nature. Repellex tablets have worked really well to deter the munching deer and rabbits for me this year. I have pretty heavy deer and rabbit pressure. My hosta bed went untouched all spring and summer long by using Repellex tablets. You put them in at the rootball (number of tablets dependent on plant size) and the plant takes up the contents of the tablets into its foliage. The tablets make the plants taste bad so they don't get eaten. They may get tasted but not devoured. The tablets worked for my Bobo hydrangea as well. Do not use with plants you intend to eat (veggie gardens.)
I have very heavy deer pressure also. Have you placed the tablets in an established plant?
@@lilyw.1788 I wrote a really long reply to you here yesterday, but today I don't see it. Perhaps it was removed because I included links to some of the products I use on Amazon. My apologies if I violated a commenting rule. The short story is yes, I used the tablets with established plants by using a handheld weeder tool to poke a hole into the soil of the roots close to the stems and inserting the tablets down in the hole. Number of tablets to use is dependent on plant size. My hyndrangea took 3 or 4 and each hosta took 1 to 2. Good luck with your deer battle! I will be fighting alongside you in zone 7a Virginia!
Another question, how often do you have replant the tablets ? Thanks for the follow up , much appreciated!
Only once a year. It’s supposed to last all season. So insert tablets once your plants break dormancy and that’s it until next year.
I live in central WI and my zone did not change. You were talking about What to do to keep the deer away - I use a combo of liquid fence and milorganite in a yard with irrigation and have been happy with the results. I use it early in the spring and again when I plant all the annuals. After that I try to do it once a month and then I just add the products on the outer perimeter. I haven't had a deer problem since I started to do this. I am in the city, but near a wooded area and the neighbors see deer all the time.
I forgot about milorganire. Thanks for the reminder.
I am in central WI as well, between Wausau and Stevens Point. I'm trying to figure out how a thin sliver where I live went from Zone 4b to 5a! My theory is that the Wisconsin River and all the reservoirs dammed along it are moderating temperatures and creating this isolated hardiness zone. Sheesh! Don't know if I'll push the limit, but I am very tempted to try growing boxwood and oakleaf hydrangea!
I am in Black River Falls so we are close to each other.@@cindydamrow1031
I'm 10 mins from Deep Cut Gardens! ❤
❤I hope you get to visit often! I love my trips there. :-)
One of the public gardens to see any time of the year is in the Belle Isle state park in the Detroit river designed by Piet Oudolf. I so want to have this in my yard some day!
Love the Postcards🥰
Thank you! That was terrific. And a lot of work for you. I hope you had a wonderful thanksgiving. I know it takes a lot of time to do these videos. I’ve watched for years. Just want you to know your time is really appreciated!
Gardener in MA zone 6b
-Sandy
Yeah for postcards🎉😍
Love the postcards! I'll check the blog!
I’m always so grateful I found your channel!!
Really enjoyed the postcards. I was pleasantly surprised to see my home town, Temecula CA wine country. Although the vines looked beautiful at that time So Cal is a desert that humans brought water to. Meaning we lack the lush greens and fall colors that so many others get to enjoy. It makes me appreciate the postcards so much more. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing Mendocino's magical Botanical Gardens! I appreciate you and love how you inspire me to garden with more of an adventurous outlook! My hubby doesn't like my approach "poke and hope"! You are educational and inspirational to me. Thank you!
Fun video! Love the post cards! Sharing is caring😂
Yes, love the postcards...thanks for all you share ❤
You and Laura garden in completely different climates, I would expect a different approach on some topics. I watch gardeners from all over the country-you, GA, Gardening with Creekside, Nicole at Flower Hill Farm. I learn something from each of you and like to see how different our climates are. I relate to you the most being in Michigan. Great video 😊
Deepcut is awesome!
Thank you for such informative videos. You often mention having a day job. What do you do other than your gardening videos? Thanks.
Thanks for answering my question! It took me a week to get the wood chips spread.
You mentioned putting out a call for questions on your community page. I had to wonder, how many people after seeing a new video, ALSO click on the page for your channel and then regularly look under any of the other tabs. I know I certainly never have.
If you subscribe to a channel you also see their community updates in your feed.
Thanks for answering my dahlia question Erin!
Enjoyed this so much, thank you! I learned so much on this episode!
Great video! Thanks. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I'm not entirely sure if my zone has changed yet. I am in Upstate SC and was in a small pocket of 8A surrounded by 7B. Now the 7B area has been upped to 8A, and there is a smaller pocket of 8B but not enough detail for me to tell if I am in it. I will continue to try to choose plants that are suitable for both 7 and 8, unless I really really love it and am willing to risk it not being able to handle either the cold or the heat that may come. The one change I am considering is trying to put a Meyer Lemon in the ground this spring to see if it will survive, but will keep one in a pot to bring in and out over winter "just in case".
Thanks for the blog post. Really good information on the zones.
Thanks for the banana update!!!!!
Good bug, bad bug--I agree!!!
Erin,
Looks like the post card from Saudi Arabia had a Uromastyx on the front--great lizards for pets! 😊
This is very interesting information. I also will never personally apply this knowledge. 🤣
Went from 7a to 7b, but after losing so many plants supposedly zone 7 hardy, I now only plant zone 6 hardy and have been pleased (although I’d still love some gardenias ☹)
Thanks Erin. My growing zone hasn’t changed ☹️ I’m in SW Michigan about 10 miles as the crow flies from Lake Michigan. 🦃🍂🍁💚🙃
Talked about Mendocino. It’s pronounced with the “S”sound. We spent our honeymoon there at a little River Inn. It’s beautiful, and if you ever get a chance, please go!
I’m in Northern Virginia, and I went from 6b/7a to 7b!
Hibiscus seeds I put in a bag with damp paper towel and laid on tray with heat mat and they germinated in 2 days. I lost one of 5 seeds of different varieties and it flipped down the sink trying to nick them 🙄so I tried the other way and it worked great.
Margie-here in the kansas city ks area and surrounding areas in the metro, we have been 6a but they are now saying we are 6a and 6b. I am going to still be very cautious.
Hi, did you and Mr. MMP build the pergola on your deck? I’d like to build something similar and can not find a plan or even a kit that looks like that one. Thanks Jenn
Hi garden friend, love ur videos. I really appreciate ur garden advice and knowledge . I learn so much by watching ur videos. What types of plants will survive better in my zone 7 wet clay soil..? Do u think that native plants will have better luck? Thanks for sharing. 😊
Millena Floure bloomed a crazy amount -I did two plants and they both threw almost too many blooms everything else did less than average it wasn’t a good dahlia year except for Millenia
It also had the strongest stems but still needed staking because of bloom load -I also need to mention that I was disbudding
I went from a 7b to 8a. I have been growing zone 8 plants from when we moved in five years ago with no problem. It’s a pity this all is happening especially for animals and insects. The hummingbirds stayed for an extra two weeks this year.
Mendocino with a soft “c”. A charming town so small that the 4th of July parade makes 2 loops around its path! And, my zip code is back in the database (and hasn’t changed). Phew!
I went from zone 7a to 7b. I won't change anything. I buy zone 6 or below.
Adding on to someone's else comment, always appreciate your wit and wisdom! I've been enjoying your blog too, look forward to seeing more. On the subject of zone changes, happily my Chicago Fig returned this year, had many figs, but they started too late. My fig is in the ground and I did put leaves and burlap around it for the winter. Would like to know how to get figs to ripen earlier, if possible. I'm zone 6a. Did you get figs this year?
I’m in southern Illinois just outside of St Louis. Looks like we went from 6a to 7a. It probably won’t change a lot of what I purchase at my local garden center or box store. Before this new zoning map came out, I had unknowingly purchased a zone 7 perennial. I wonder if the local box store had a heads up to the zone change before the rest of us.
Hi Erin, I’m in the suburbs of Philadelphia and I went from 6B to 7A. Not unexpected by horticulturalists in the area.
Same , no change here in zone 8 , GA- but it does seem hotter , sooner , if that makes sense?
I went from 6b to 7a. I don’t think I’m going to anything differently. It seems that we have a little bit milder winter except we will have a really cold snap every winter. I have a question for you - when you see plants that commercial landscapers use everywhere does that make you never want to use those plants in your garden? Knockout roses, Stella d’or daylillies, and some type of hydrangea. Every time I think about hydrangeas, I see them at the gas station and the supermarket parking lot edges.
100%. In fact that’s probably the reason I was anti-Spirea until discovered how many cool varieties available (that you don’t see as the builder special landscaping at new builds).
Another one on the edge for me is Nepeta. It's everywhere.
@@sallypoppema9575 I guess for me Nepeta isn’t as obvious as some other plants, but if you are seeing it lots of places then I can understand that.
@@TheImpatientGardener I am still a no on spirea, but I am thinking about it, because I need forage earlier in the season for our native bees I have a lot of bee forage but they largely bloom after the peonies...
Here in East TN short red salvia is so over planted. Boring!
Bananacam cracked me up.
You must come and stay with us if you ever visit Tasmania
honesty i've been so fascinated (horrified a bit as well lol) at the zones changing, i've literally only been gardening now for like 5-6 years, so this is the first time it's ever been actually changed whilst knowing what it is. 6b now, got used to saying 6a but oh well i guess, funny thing is that last year it dipped to 5b temps, but afaik where i am wasn't a 5b even when i was born
Talk about scary - we were Zone 5 for decades then Zone 6a and now Zone 6b!
If this keeps up we can forget about fruit trees!
I’m 40 miles south of Chicago… was 5b, now 6a, but most likely will continue planting as if I was 5b.
I’m in NM and my USDA zone 7b did not change.
I am certainly not the USDA, but I have a huge issue with their Minnesota zones. Our weather has changed so much OUTSIDE of the Twin Cities in Central MN but it is not going from a zone 4a to a 4b as the USDA claims) but 4 to a 3. I am lucky if I can grow zone 4a plants and I chose zone 3 plantings and they claim I am zone 4B now. The reason is not temps but our weather..We now have no early spring-just a late short spring with a freeze/thaw cycle that cause a lot zone 4b and 5 plant blooms to die..and maybe they do grow green but never bloom again here (think roses and hydrangeas). Our winds are terrible too. Our falls are now very long with the normal being LESS moisture but a difficult freezing temp at night with 50-60 degrees during the day- not a good combo if you use hoses to water/irrigation that can burst. I am suspicious that the USDA is changing zones without looking at all the real facts in these colder regions so that Corp. plant growers can put into our market a glut of plants to increase their revenues. I see many who prefer to grow a huge and limited selection for zone 5-7 where they have a huge demand...the plants that grow zone 3-4 are getting a smaller and smaller selection every year esp. with the big corp propagators. . We are not where they make a gob of money. They also have a tendency to mark plants zone 4 or zone 5 and do not mark zone 5a 5b or 4a 4b....an issue I have and I have found them to be all the B zones not the A zones in their use. I have shifted my buying to LATE spring bloom and FALL blooming items-I never had any luck with FALL bloomers lasting as long as they have the last 2 years in the past.
Keep in mind that the map is based entirely on AVERAGE minimum temperatures from 1991-2020. It doesn’t take into account any other data, like freeze thaw cycles, late springs, etc. or serve as any kind of guarantee that a particular zone won’t experience temperatures lower than jts listed zone. I think you’ve made a compelling case for why the USDA hardiness zone map is just one small piece of the puzzle in understanding growing in a particular area.
Although I am now technically a 5A, I KNOW zone 5 trees and perennials will not thrive here. Our last polar vortex in 2019 it was -36 degrees with a wind chill of -63, and then everything perished except for true zone 3 and 4 plants.
Morning gorgeous lady!
My son's house is i a newer subdivision in Madison. The topsoil was literally scraped off to leave clay and sand was layered on top. Around the the house is 6-12" of 2" (ugly) stone or raised beds filled with stone. (No idea the thought process there.) My daughter-in-law has found that a battery-powered drill with a 3" dirt power planter drill bit has been her best planting tool. My son on a shovel is not a match for that. They are still working on resorting the situation on the decorative rock. Three years of generous mulch (but two summers of drought) has not much improved the situation. The story continues; her planted pots are pretty fantastic, though.
Good for them. That is way too often the case in new builds.
We went from a 5b to a 6b.. which is weird because I'm in NH. We still get crappy winters up here.
I got 1/2 a zone warmer on Long Island, New York- Zone 7b.
I’m still Zone 5b. I live in a nw suburb of Chicago.
I live in Zone 5b and my neighbor winters over his banana plant in the ground and grows back tall and lush and beautiful every year. He doesn't cut it all the way back to the ground. I do believe I see about 1 foot of the trunk that he leaves standing. He also uses a heavy duty black plastic wrap that he places over the plant. If you want more information, I ask him the winterizing strategies and what kind of hardy banana plant he grows. BTW this is an interesting zone change for my area. I live on the border of two suburbs. Technically speaking, if I put in my zip code, my zone changed from 5b to 6b. However if I put in the zip code of the neighboring suburb which is two streets away, it is from zone 5b to 6a. We are at a higher elevation and maybe that has something to do with the slight zone difference? Seems real strange but it just shows that theres microclimates in different suburbs. Still gardening in zone 5b, but gives me a more daring approach to plant marginal plants. We live near lake Erie and the climate is very depending on the lake weather especially with snow fall.
Yes, higher elevations are warmer in our area also.
I live in zone 8b. Extremely hot most of the year. How do I get my plant to grow full. It seems that I plant something in the ground and it seem they never grow full like in the pictures. Even if I put several together they seem to sty in one clump like Supertunia or gardenians?
Recently WI did well testing for PFAs and found most had high concentrations. I know Milorganite is made in Milwaukee from sewage. The University of Steven’s Point did the testing and the article I read said sewage can be a contributor to PFAs among others. I’m concerned we are spreading this forever chemical. Other things in the past were not such good practices such as the selling of Asian Jumping Worms that are eating the forest floors. If this fertilizer and other major brands that hide sewage under various names are not testing for PFAs then we have a problem.
What do you think?
My zone didn't change. I'm still 8b. 😊
Hope I’m not around for it, but there has been talk for many years about magnetic north changing.
Do you know if the gardening zones were changed in Canada too? Is a zone 5 in Canada rated the same as a zone 5 in the US? Bonny
There has been no update as far as I can find on the Natural Resources Canada site. Canada’s zones take more into consideration than the US system too. The US uses average minimum temperatures to determine zones whereas Canada takes into consideration average low temps, average high temps, snow cover, summer precipitation, maximum wind speed, period between last/first frost, etc.
Canada zones were updated in 2010, so I guess we still have a few years before they update again
I have thrips on my house plants and I don’t know how to get rid of them.
What happened to the Viburnum that you were struggling to save last year?
I never did anything with it other than cut off what you saw and it grew pretty well. It looks weird, of course, because of all the bits that have died, but performed pretty well given what it went through.
Thanks, Erin. I found pretty much the same. I have about half of my viburnum l left. The diseased portion did not come back, but I'm praying that what is left thrives. What do you think was the cause of this problem?
My zone changed from a 9a to a 10b finally, I’ve always thought we would’ve been in a higher zone because of our heat and we don’t cool off at night❤I pray our nurseries do not just explode with cactus. Yuck I am not a desert look fan.
I went from 6b to 7a
6:33 YES to BANANA CAM !! 🍌🍌🍌
You had it right the first time--think Spanish, not Italian. It's Men-doe-see-no :)
Ugh! I went from 8b to 9a 😓
Banana Cam! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Although I am now technically a 5A, I KNOW zone 5 trees and perennials will not thrive here. Our last polar vortex in 2019 it was -36 degrees with a wind chill of -63, and then everything perished except for true zone 3 and 4 plants.