Jane Ransom wrote:
In article , Roger Van Loon
writes
But as long as you can grow large-leaved tree Rhododendrons in
Cornwall and in the West of Scotland, and not in the rest of the UK,
you have different climatic zones.
Not so?
Absolutely - but they don't correspond to USDA hardiness ones!!!
Well - did I say so?
In this string of messages, I just reacted against Alan's saying
""you americans seem to overlook the fact that we do not have 'Zones'
we have 'weather'""
Remember? :-)
But, on the other hand - as has been said repeatedly -
The 'USDA' zones are just numbers and lines to indicate the average
minimum winter temperatures, over many years, for a certain place,
and, as such, the system is valid for every spot on the earth. How can
there be a place, anywhere, that does not "correspond" to that?
Which does not mean (sigh, again) that a plant that grows in Z8 in the
Mojave desert (yes, there are such places) wil grow without problems
in Lancaster. (Opuntias will certainly need protection from winter wet
etc.) I would suggest, once more, to re-read the first answer that was
given in this thread.
But, Jane, if you think that the average minimum winter temperature is
of no importance whatever, for your garden, then I too say: ""I give
up - we will just have to agree to differ"".
One last thing, though. As soon as you and the British gardeners come
up with a better winter hardiness system (even if only for the UK),
I'm sure it will be a howling success. Why haven't you? If you haven't
found one - why complain?
For example, when I look in my "Encyclopedia of Rhododendron hybrids"
by Cox (very good work, by the way) I see that he doesn't use the USDA
system; no - he just gives a minimum temperature that (he thinks) a
certain plant will survive ("Albatross = 0 F/ -18 C", for example). If
anything, I find that less useful than the USDA system: as has been
said here repeatedly, a one night freeze does not mean everything, if
you don't look at other factors. Before that, there was the H1 / H4
system - also abandoned, apparently.
Anyhow, best of luck with your garden, Jane. I just wonder, if you
order things and seeds from all over the world (as I do), how you
decide whether or not they are worth trying outside where you are -
without the zone system.
Regards,
Roger.
--
Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right into the eye.
You're welcome to visit my gardening page:
http://users.pandora.be/roger.van.loon/gardenp.htm