"D Kat" wrote

I really don't understand the zoning system here. I'm in zone 7 (Long
Island) and last year (although it was a real #$tch of a winter) I had
probably 6" of ice on my pond for quite some time. Every year that I have
lived here the pond has frozen over enough that I had to use something to
keep a hole open. You really don't get ice? Even in California (labeled
Zone 9 where I lived) we would wake up on occasion to the wonder of the
dogs
water being frozen.

DKat, keep in mind that these zones are determined by the USDA. As I
understand it, the entire concept of zones began for farmers who wanted to
know how a given crop would "usually" do in a given area.

And then, of course, the zone map was (or will soon be) redone -- I
believe that those of us in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, currently
Zone 7b, will now become zone 8.

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC