I realize that this may be a question answered before, but is there a difference between the US zone system and the European one? Is there a web site where I could see a US zone classification for the rest of the world?
Thanks so much for any input.
Are US Zones the same in Europe?
Yes there is, but many are using the USDA zones for conformity. I doubt that many people here would know of a temperature zone system but there is one. I have seen a worldwide zone chart using the USDA system, see if I can find one! But of course this only demonstrates the lowest temperatures, not the highest!
This site is interesting, the 'Soil Temperature Regimes' one gives a good idea of world temperature zones.
http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/mapindex/
Another interesting site,
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/climate.htm
Here you can enter a city to find it's climate,
http://www.worldclimate.com/
Here's one for Europe with USDA zones!
http://www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com/European.htm
And a world one,
http://tct.netfirms.com/tropics/usdazone.html
Dear Wallaby,
You are my hero! Thanks so much for your input...I've tried figuring this out before with little success. I even tried contacting the RHS for info, but they indicated I needed to be a member to get any info...a foolish endeavor to keep such information secret, don't you think so?!*!
Recently, I traded with someone from England. He had moved recently and hadn't really begun much of his new garden. I wanted to pass along some extra seeds so that he could get it going quicker, but had such a time of it trying to figure out what might grow by him or not. Again, thanks a bunch; I hope others pick up on the info you provided as I am sure it will be helpful for all.
Best regards,
Valerie
You're welcome! I see you are nearly the same zone as I am in, but your climate will be much different in TX. I could be in zone 8b as we rarely get below -5C, but on the rare occasion do and it can go as low as -20C (-4F), but that happens rarely. The last time was winter 1981/2 when we had 3 months of frost and snow January through March with temps down to -20C. 2001 was a very cold winter too with prolonged frost down to at least -11C (about 12F)
By a different climate, I mean we are temperate, which means it rarely gets hot or even very warm. Summer temps usually struggle to get above 70F and we can have most of summer with spring temps, like we did this year and last when temps were often 12-16C (54F-61F). At the moment we are having winter, lol, 5C max, today (41F) but it is supposed to warm a little and we may even get up to 8C (56F) tomorrow! In spring we often get winter temps too, with snow in April and temps the same as we are having now! Then we can have an occasional 'warm' spell in winter up to 14C but it's usually around 4-6C, or lower, or a little higher. Humidity is high too.
The answer to what can be grown here is a difficult one and only by trial and error can you know, there are microclimates within a garden and some areas are colder than others. Generally anything which is from a warmer country you can probably grow by keeping them inside most of the year, and in a greenhouse in summer, but plants which need a lot of warmth and sun won't do well as sun is a rare commodity here. I am growing agapanthus, cannas, calla lilies and other things in pots, keeping them in a cold greenhouse over winter and they do quite well, so under cover they will survive. Some more tender plants I bring inside over winter, such as Colocasia, hippeastrums, and anything which I think will suffer from prolonged cold.
Also, it depends on what growing medium is used, I can grow many tenderish plants in a very free draining compost made from gritty soil and leafy compost. They will live easily in a cold greenhouse in this type of medium, even Agaves.
Hope that helps more!
Having lived in both Texas and Lincolnshire I can truthfully say thet both are trial and error! Texas has extremes - it gets really cold at times in winter. Infact I had my first experience of a real white Christmas while we were ther. It also has ice storms and the soil - in the Dallas area anyway is heavy clay - which holds water and freezes.
The result of all that cold is that the Date and Mexican palms which are flourishing in my daughters garden struggled to survive as young trees in our Texas one. Its down to soil type and drainage as much as climate. Here we have free draining light soil so many things that are technically tender will survive.
It is also comfortable to work out of doors in the summer here, in Texas even mowing the lawns was an act of bravery and had to be done at the crack of dawn if you were going to survive. The heat and strength of the sun in summer kill off a lot of the things that can handle the winter cold which is not the case here.
Thats the difference between a maritime and continental climate I suppose. We don't do extremes, hurricanes and tornados on a regular basis in the UK!
Okus, my brother lives in Boston, Lincs and I used to live in E.London but now I am in Florida - I still go back once a year, but Oh do I miss my hot and humid Florida. Only problem is the roses do not fare well here - but I have got other tropicals that do very well.
Dear Wallaby,
It is so lovely for you to go out of your way to provide so much useful information. I truly do appreciate your efforts in helping me to understand the difference in climate between the two areas. I would have normally understood zone 8b to be similar to my zone which 8b to 9a. How wrong, apparently, I was in this assumption! I've still so much to learn regarding this subject, but you are so very helpful in getting me on my way towards this goal. Thanks again so much for your input and time. I hope your days warm up a bit and that they are filled with joy!
Best regards,
Valerie
Dear Okus,
Thank you for your input as well. You are so right about mowing here in Texas...ugh!...I used to live in New York City until a couple of years ago and my goodness, what you have described about mowing is sooooo true here in Texas! I've not, ashamed to admit, mowed for a couple of months now because I am not a morning person (something you need to be to mow here in Texas)! It is just too bloody hot here to mow except in the early am hours. Now that the temps are starting to decrease, I can imagine this long overdue task as possible (without the risk of heatstroke!).
I too have found many things do not survive given the heat...if there is no shade or regular watering going on. I lived for a short spell at my folk's place which had zero shade...so many things died. Now I am living just 6 miles away, but with ample shade and everything (except those plants that I've inadvertently killed due to lack of experience) is surviving nicely. Most of what I have is growing in pots and I've dedicated a room in my place to house anything that is tender to the cold to overwinter there. Problem is, I tend to go for the unusual tropical type plants and as such this room becomes fuller every year that passes.
Thanks again for your input, it is much appreciated.
Best regards.
Valerie
If you think its bad in Lincolnshire, try it in North Norfolk - it rains nearly every day here but I spend a lot of my time in North Ferriby, East Yorkshire where I used to live. My partner and I have decided to still be together but live apart. I have no idea which zone either of our homes are in but we plan our gardens together, and the photograph is of the one I planned at David's home for summer this year.
Now I have moved to a sheltered bungalow (September) and must do it all over again for next year. I really love those cascading hanging basket trees and am on the lookout for another one for my garden. Luckily I do NOT have a flock of peacocks coming to eat MY flowers, like David has. And my dog and cat only like sniffing the plants....
Best wishes
Lorraine
I moved a couple of years ago from South West England to mid Finland. One of the things worth remembering when you change latitude is that temperature is not the only thing to consider. The annual life cycle of many plants is governed by night length. Here we get no darkness at all in June and July.
David will be back with me in Norfolk next Friday so we can then decide what to do about next summer. Already we have planted lots of bulbs for Spring but ONE of the plant types I collect is giant californian fuchsias (with blooms 4" across) so I will have to find a new supplier as the one I have used hitherto (Oxtoby Fuchsias in North Cave) has retired. I hear that there is a good one in Wisbech but the name escapes me at present. David is bringing my helleborous orientalis and a pieris with him. I've got some nice shrubs growing here for winter (abelia, hebe autumn glory, and skimmia) and some roses are still in bloom.
At present my bathroom looks like a jungle. There are two tall umbrella plants, two prolific azaleas, and a huge aloe vera plant on a ledge in there. I bought the foliage plants when they were about 4" tall and that was in the summer. They are well over 36" tall now. The aloe has been repotted three times and is suddenly growing two plants underneath it. I do not know what kind of a plant they are but they each have three shoots poking through the soil that are 1.5" high.
I must leave this now as someone is letting off fireworks outside and my staffie is scared witless and trying to get under the computer desk, which is only a couple of inches off the floor...
Here is a photo of some of my indoor plants, although they go outside for the summer so they can get the sunshine.
Lorraine
dig that ferocactus at the back, eh! I am very proud of that but it IS very slow growing.
And these are my umbrella plants when they were a lot smaller.
Best wishes
Lorraine
