Am I in the Zone?

What does that even mean in the gardening world?

All plants and gardens are not created equal.  And because at Plants in the City we want your garden to flourish we therefore want to ensure that you buy a perennial that will thrive in your area. That is why you will see on the website that all plants are tagged with respect to their zone. 

But what is a gardening zone?  

Zones are a measure of hardiness.  Canada's hardiness map is divided into 9 zones:  from 0, which is the harshest - to 8, the mildest.  Just to further confuse you there are sub zones for example an “a” zone and a “b” zone are provided for all zones except 8, which consists of 8a only.   “A” is harsher, ”B” is less harsh.

Toronto is generally considered Zone 6. 

Mississauga is also generally considered Zone 6.

However, the hardiness zones differ even within the greater Toronto area, where parts of Mississauga fall into zone 6b,and Etobicoke can be considered zone 7a.   

Within the GTA, the specifics of your landscape can push you higher or lower. Close to Lake Ontario, you’re more likely to be Zone 6b or you might have a micro-climate (a pocket that is a zone unto itself) that’s Zone 7. In a more exposed situation, or farther from the lake, you might be 5a or 5b.

We recommend that you think about your micro-climate when interpreting these zones. Here are some hints: 

If you are in zone 6a, but the wind howls over your garden all winter, plant something extra hardy.

If you are planting on an apartment balcony, or roof garden, assume you need everything to be a couple of zones hardier.

On the north side of your house you probably have a later spring than on the south sunny side.

 As gardeners we need to pay attention to these details when deciding if a plant is going to thrive in our yard.

 You will notice that we carry plants that are not hardy in your zone...we carry those for people who need them for their yard. You are responsible for making your own decisions about this.

So bottom line you have to get to know your garden.  You might have a sheltered spot where you can grow plants normally rated for a slightly warmer zone.  We mean 7 not 11. 

We are supplying this neat link to a garden zones map  https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-canada-hardiness-gardening-zone-map.php  (we apologize for the annoying advertising, don’t click on the links unless you want to download whats offered.)

 Check out the following on our website, PlantsintheCity.ca   they are Perennial favorites that thrive in this zone including:

• Bee balm.
• Coneflower.
• Salvia.
• Daisy.
• Daylily.
• Coral bells.
• Hosta.
• Hellebore.

Happy gardening in the zone.

Marg and Chaz

https://plantsinthecity.ca