What’s in a Zone?

What’s in a Zone?  A landscape Zone that is …  Understanding what zoning when it comes to choosing plants or trees for your landscaping can be key. The USDA divided North America into areas, or zones, where specific plants would most likely thrive. The idea was to help gardeners compare the climate of their garden with climates where a plant grows well.  The map is based on the average minimum temperature, divided into 10°F zones. Hardiness zones are particularly informative about the extremes of winter cold.   We (Northern Illinois) are in Zone 5.

Other things to consider.

Planting based on the USDA’s hardiness map isn’t enough for a thriving garden. You must also think about things like having the right amount of sunlight or shade for a certain plant to grow, maintaining the moisture level of soil without overwatering it, giving it the right nutrients, and pruning when necessary.

If you want your plantings to flourish every year, they must be able to tolerate year-round conditions in your area, whether they’re high or low temperatures.

Working with a professional landscaper can be helpful when devising a plan that meets your needs for your home or business landscape.