Cheating your zone: grow plants not rated hardy in your area by making the most of microclimates

摘要

When it comes to plant hardiness zones, some gardeners play it safe, growing only those plants they think will survive in their climate. Others are more tolerant of risk, refusing to submit to the vagaries of weather and trying to grow as varied a collection of plants as they can. These gardeners view hardiness ratings as a challenge, always stretching to include a few plants not rated as being hardy in their zone. These illicit additions to their gardens often become favorites, if only because they are forbidden fruits, generating "no, it can't be" responses from other local gardeners. For many, USDA Hardiness Zone listings dictate all plant choices. With experience comes the knowledge that hardiness zones are limited in scope and should be usedas guidelines rather than rules. This doesn't mean the zone map should be relegated to the category of garden mythology. Zones are still a valuable general indicator of a plant's hardiness. A far better strategy is to understand how microclimates--smallniches created by the interactions of air, water, solar radiation, soil, and vegetation-determine a plant's survivability in a given zone.