There might be a valid explanation if you’ve had trouble cultivating plants and flowers in and around your yard. It would be best to read this article before giving up and selling your gardening supplies since you could have a “green thumb,” after all.
Have you ever wondered whether you could obtain information on the plants that grow in your area online? Have you heard people talk about zone maps for landscaping but are unsure what they mean or why they matter? It is easy to figure out which landscaping zone you are in, but it is more difficult to interpret what that means for gardening success. This article will discuss how landscaping zone maps may be used to assist you in identifying the plants that match and will grow best in your region.
What is Hardiness Zone?
Zones of similar minimum temperatures throughout the year’s coldest months define hardiness zones, also known as landscaping and planting zones. You need to know the average extremely low temperature in a place to know what hardiness zone it falls into. Your home or company will be classified as either an A or B sub-region and given a number between 1 and 13 based on its average extreme minimum temperature; thus, you should determine your planting zone if you want to plant in the spring.
Why Does the Hardiness Zone matter?
The criterion by which gardeners and farmers may decide which plants will thrive in their location due to weather and local factors is the Plant Hardiness Zone Map. This map can assist you in identifying the plants that thrive where you live, but it is not always the case that it can be relied upon to predict how long a plant will survive in a given environment.
Finding the Hardiness Zones of a particular plant is the best approach to determining where it can thrive. There are 11 numbered climate zones in North America, with Zone 1 defining the subarctic climate in Northern Canada and Alaska and Zone 11 indicating the tropical climate in Southern Mexico. As a general rule, the lower your plant hardiness zone number is, the further north you are located. The Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the most accurate resource for locating your landscaping zone. The map is based on zones 10 degrees Fahrenheit apart and the average yearly minimum winter temperature.
Consider the Limitations
Certain limitations to this Plant Hardiness Zone Maps resource make it less than ideal. Depending on the local microclimate, the data it provides may be off. Even though a plant is known to do well in your region on average, it may not do so under specific conditions due to soil moisture and pH levels, elevation, ground slope, wind, and sun exposure. The climatic circumstances can make it difficult for a plant to live even if the temperature is ideal.
Consider Microclimates
Microclimates should be taken into account when looking at this map. Zone 8 includes both coastal Seattle and dry Tucson, but it doesn’t mean the same plants will thrive in each. The fact that Seattle and Tucson are in the same hardiness zone would lead you to believe that a plant that thrives in Seattle will likewise thrive in Tucson. Often, alas, this is not the case. They may experience similar temperatures, but the other aspects of their environments may have a greater impact on whether or not the plants bloom successfully. Remember this as you consider the climate in your area and make your planting decisions.
Invest in Landscape Design!
If you want to make sure you pick the proper plants for your microclimate, it’s best to work one-on-one with a local landscape expert in Calgary because hardiness zone charts have limitations. If you want to create a landscape that will make your neighbours green with envy, Project Landscape is here to help. We can help you save time, money, and stress if you contact us before you purchase landscaping materials.
