Basis of Blog
Horticulture runs in my blood. In some ways its simply who I am. This blog is my outlet for thoughts I have that relate to horticulture. Read more about me at This Horticulturalist.
I used to be very well versed in many different species of plants and could spit off all sorts of details about them, but lately I’ve felt like that knowledge could be greatly improved. So I’m doing a ‘Plant of the Week’ on this blog to talk about at least one plant that I noticed and wanted to do a small report on. Its mostly for my own benefit. It’ll allow me a reason to read through Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants and other exciting books I just don’t crack open enough. Also to explore different plants through hands on experience.
I also try to get to places that are either related to horticulture or are all about horticulture, such as botanical gardens or parks. I’ll also try to post about events or things I know about, even if i can’t get to them.
I’m sure I’ll have random thoughts on other things, but that should pretty well summarize what I hope to be blogging about.
My Zones
Also, just for my own personal amusement… I’m adding some info on the USDA Zones that I’ve experienced since the start of this blog… (beginning with the most recent)
My Current USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (Kennett Square, PA)
Longwood Gardens!!!
6b: At least, thats what it looks like on the USDA zone map… haha. While I’m writing this I’ve only been in the area for about two weeks, so I’m still learning A LOT about it. All I know is that I absolutely love the plant selection here. Its just amazing what can grow in a 6b that can’t in a 5a (area I grew up is a 5a)! So its pretty exciting because I get to learn a lot of plants I didn’t already know. Granted, NYC is the same in some areas in terms of actual climate, but as planting space is limited.. you don’t always get to see many new and interesting plants there.
I’ll add more here once I feel like I’ve gotten to know the area better and feel confident to share info!
My Last USDA Plant Hardiness Zone (NYC):
6B to 7A, theoretically. There are MANY micro climates in NYC, so I actually stuck with plants that were best suited for 5a to 5b when making plant selections, as a general rule. (Every situation seemed to be an exception though. Crazy micro climates!)
Another note about NYC. As you go up in floors, you drop in zones. Logically it makes sense, but its not something people always realize. A good formula to use is decrease 1 zone per 50 floors. Its somewhere between 20 and 25 floors where the half zone changes. It makes a huge difference with plant survival. But you also have to account for high winds, blazing sun or deep deep shade, and not to mention most plants are in planters, so they’re not well protected from crazy temperature changes . (the formula is what my firm had experimentally made a ‘norm’. The firm has been doing rooftops and terraces in Manhattan for over 35 years, so they’ve had some time to double check… haha)
But I lived on a second floor, so that didn’t really apply to me and my terrace… er, fire escape.. haha.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone of my hometown (where my horticulture heart still resides):
5a. Good ol’ Oswego, NY. Great little harbor town on Lake Ontario. Minus the 9 feet of snow we could sometimes get in a week, its a pretty great place to be. Well, it was a great place to grow up and develop a love of all things green. Even though it wasn’t green that often. Maybe that’s why I have such an addiction to things that photosynthesize!
