Derryl wrote:
On 5 Oct 2005 00:31:37 -0700, "Andy MPLS 44:59:56 N - 93:19:3.018 W"
wrote:
Hi Andy
I'm Derryl, a Horticulturalist in Calgary; Zone 3A. We have had snow
already. We have 90 days of frost free gardening. We have a night
tempurature of 50 F.
We have nice gardens and flowers. We don't grow cucumbers, tomatoes
or corn. The irrigation district to the South grows Corn under
irrigation.
Have a nice day.
Derryl
A day ago we had indian summer, 85 and humid, now we're getting
torrential rain, and there's a winter storm warning in the northwest
corner of the state. Chill can't be ignored.
I built a very big compost bin, and planted about fifty new bulbs and
I'm ready for winter, but still its kind of melancholly. At least I
have something to look forward too. In about 3 weeks we'll have the
rain storm that will strip all the leaves from the trees.
Gardening makes winter easier, although I wonder what living in zone 5
or 6 would be like. Zone envy bah!
I'm surprised you don't grow tomatoes - Early Girl (60 days to maturity)
and similar varieties should do OK if set out the end of May, even in
Calgary. Yeah, I know you might have to provide frost protection
occasionally, even in August, but hey, that's the price you pay for
living within sight of the Rockies, you lucky sods. :-)
BTW, Canadian and USDA Zones don't match. Minneapolis is in our Zone 5.
I'm in Zone 4b (Midnorthern Ontario).