What's Your Garden Zone?

Knowing your garden zone number is vital to your success as a gardener.

It is a number between 1 and 11. You don't get to pick your own number.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture created a Plant Hardiness Zone Map that is used throughout the nursery industry.

What Zone Are You In?

The easiest way to find your Zone is to use this handy tool:
Your hardiness zone will be displayed in the box after you enter your zip code.
No cost, no tricks and it doesn't ask for an email. Just type in your zip code and your number appears!

When I type in my zip code a hardiness zone of 5-6 is displayed.

This means that plants, trees and shrubs labeled hardy for zones 5 or 6 will do very well in my garden.

Plants labeled with a 5 or less will do fine in my yard.
Plants with a zone 7 or higher rating would have a very hard time living through the winter in my yard. They can be used but would need to be grown as annuals.

How accurate are the numbers?

Zone maps are based on average minimum temperatures for a region. Since winter temperatures change every year the numbers are a general guide.
They are not perfect but they do give the best indication of which plants will likely survive in your gardening climate.

Every yard has micro-climates which can effect plant survival.

What do I do with my zone number?

When looking through plant catalogs you will see zone numbers listed along with the plant description. Pick only plants that match your garden zone.
As you gain more experience gardening you can pick plants from other zones to experiment with.

Here is a copy of the actual USDA Plant Hardiness Garden Zone Map.