Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff answers:

Better Homes and Garden prints one. Google their site for information on how to find the book.

GardenersCardiff answers:

You are in a lovely temperate range that should support many old favorite perennials. I have no experience with the specifics of East Coast gardening since I’m from the Midwest but I have done alot of reading ( and planting) and going purely off the hardiness map I think a number of the following old reliables will probably thrive for you. They are all cheerfully low maintenance, to the extent that can ever be said about gardening. Most will spread or self sow or both. You would do well to get a nice perennial book. I recommend The Rodale Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perrennials. It is packed with all sorts of useful information in a very useable format. A list of plant suggestions follows;
Tall Garden Phlox
Rudbeckia (Brown Eyed Susan)
Coneflower (Echinacea)
Shasta Daisy
Monarda (Bee Balm or Bergamot)
Asters
Campanula
Platycodon (Balloon flower)
Daylily
Hybrid Lilies
Mallow
Sedum
Russian Sage
Salvia
Hollyhocks
Joe Pye weed
Columbine
Astilbe
Tiarella
Iris
Bleeding Heart
Hosta Lily
Peony
Rose
Honeysuckle
Clematis
Wisteria
Azalea
Ferns
I’m sure there are many more and this is an eclectic yet incomplete list. I really recommend a good book for researching light and other requirements. Still these are simple and sturdy plants and this is something to start dreaming on. Have a wonderful time. I love a new garden!

GardenersCardiff answers:

The zones have shifted slightly.

Only the Arbor Day Foundation includes the updated weather information in their zone chart. The USDA collected it in 2004, but the current administration blocked them from releasing it. (since it actually is more evidence toward global warming – they don’t want discussion – they only want to suppress information apparently)

So the Arbor Day Foundation went and collected the same data (from the same sources) and compiled it themselves.

The USDA did release a “new” zone map, but basically it merely broke down zones into a/b sections, and shows some microclimates (more detailed) – HOWEVER – it is based on the old (1990) data, not the new data.

You can see the new Zone Hardiness Chart here:

http://www.arborday.org/treeinfo/zonelookup.cfm