A Momentary Drop

The onset of global warming, although detrimental and a worldwide problem that is only getting worse due in part to the current “administrations” refusal to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Pact, is proving to be beneficial in one instance- my ability to grow less-hardy species without protection throughout the winter. The USDA was even nice enough to bump my region from a USDA zone 6 to USDA zone 7.

Throughout my primary school days, my classmates and I always waited for the news to come across the radio that school was canceled due to snow. Incidentally, the snow cancellations came two, three or sometimes four times a year, but eventually faded to once or less by the time I graduated secondary school. Flash forward to last week when the Mid-Atlantic experienced a few 70 degree days that allowed some time to work outside in a Hawaiian shirt. Pleasant.

Mother Nature has a cruel sense of humor. Today brought temperatures in the teens, and wind chill numbers that make my golf scores look (more) pathetic. Unfortunately, only a few hours- not days can have a lasting effect on the growth of many plants. Only time will tell if some of the borderline-zonal garden plants will survive, but I remain optimistic. While pondering the effects of the recent cold snap in a parka and boots, I can’t help but believe the USDA system could be flawed. By relying on the “average annual minimum temperatures” they lure both the gardening public and the horticultural industry into a false sense of security. It is amazing that a single cold front of temperatures in the single digits that will effectively kill most USDA zone 6 plants or severely damage their future growth prospects can do little to change the “average” established by the USDA.

Europe has an interesting way of determining zones- they give the consumer the minimum temperature the plant will withstand and nothing more. No convoluted web of inaccuracies. The American need to simplify even the most basic forms of information has allowed the American gardener to become complacent in being ignorant of their regions weather patterns- the most elementary of all gardening information. While appreciative of the USDA’s information and data pooling for a reference point, all should keep in mind that they are just that- reference points. Gardeners should know the minimum temperatures in their gardens, as they can vary a degree or two within even a square foot radius, let alone a square mile. Minor elevation changes, tree cover or even reflective heat from surrounding structures can change the minimum temperatures and how the garden and therefore how the gardener performs.

The bottom line is that regardless of what zone a region is classified as, the gardener should take the onus on themselves to determine if an item should be planted without protection, rather than relying on the horticultural machine that follows rather than leads, or any government entity, as they are typically over-funded and under-staffed. A hard, and expensive lesson learned.