Garden Geeks thread

[akerry]

I want to start gardening. What do I need? I bought some flowers and some tools but I'm not an expert in it. So I decided to contact maximus customer service where the professionals work that can help create my perfect garden.

[dxmnkd316]

I want to start gardening. What do I need?

Software

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Due to warming temps, twin cities are now considered zone 5a instead of 4b

[dxmnkd316]

No wonder our snapdragons came back

[walrus]

Due to warming temps, twin cities are now considered zone 5a instead of 4b

Coastal Maine is now 6b but frosts will still happen in late May and early Sept so I wouldn't spend a ton of time and money planting stuff that won't take that. We used to get a few days in -10 area buts its been a few years since we have seen that. This November has been one of the coldest in many years though. Maybe it will be an old fashioned winter?

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Coastal Maine is now 6b but frosts will still happen in late May and early Sept so I wouldn't spend a ton of time and money planting stuff that won't take that. We used to get a few days in -10 area buts it’s been a few years since we have seen that. This November has been one of the coldest in many years though. Maybe it will be an old fashioned winter?

Yeah I don’t plan on actually changing anything I plant . I think it’s interesting we’re changing though- I think twin cities was named 4b back in 2012 so curious to see how fast it could change again.

[dxmnkd316]

Holy ****. The average winter temperature has gone up 5.7 degF since 1970. Jesus Christ.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Holy ****. The average winter temperature has gone up 5.7 degF since 1970. Jesus Christ.

I believe our region is the fastest warming in the US (upper Midwest)

[dxmnkd316]

:-(

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

No wonder our snapdragons came back

When we bought our house, the previous owners had a bush planted in the front yard that was from southern family, so it had sentimental value for them. This bush grows like a weed everywhere in Tennessee, but it wasn't really supposed to survive in Zone 6. It grew very slowly and only bloomed for about 4-6 weeks each year in September/early October. The wife told us that she usually cut it back and covered the roots each fall to protect them from snow and frost.

We never bothered to do any of that and the bush did just fine. If anything, on our watch it grew and actually started choking out the bed it was planted in. This past year, we asked them to come dig it out if they still wanted it, because we wanted to remove the bed. We walked outside around 10am one Saturday morning to a giant hole in the yard where the bush used to be, lol. The husband is kind of a toolbag who rinky dink DIY'd and brute forced a lot of stuff in this house, so it's for the best that we didn't get a chance to chat.

[dxmnkd316]

That was a really nice gesture.

[WisconsinWildcard]

When we bought our house, the previous owners had a bush planted in the front yard that was from southern family, so it had sentimental value for them. This bush grows like a weed everywhere in Tennessee, but it wasn't really supposed to survive in Zone 6. It grew very slowly and only bloomed for about 4-6 weeks each year in September/early October. The wife told us that she usually cut it back and covered the roots each fall to protect them from snow and frost.

We never bothered to do any of that and the bush did just fine. If anything, on our watch it grew and actually started choking out the bed it was planted in. This past year, we asked them to come dig it out if they still wanted it, because we wanted to remove the bed. We walked outside around 10am one Saturday morning to a giant hole in the yard where the bush used to be, lol. The husband is kind of a toolbag who rinky dink DIY'd and brute forced a lot of stuff in this house, so it's for the best that we didn't get a chance to chat.

Our prior owner randomly shows up to our house...

I kind of get it. It was his parents house and then his house, in the family for 70 years. But, he has gone so far as to ask our contractor why we are changing the garage (he showed up randomly when we were actually fireproofing and insulating the garage our bedroom is above). Now I take a small pleasure every project I do that is fixing his shotty, cheap work.

[leswp1]

When I moved to this house in mid 90s we were a zone 4-5 depending on where I was planting. I am now a 5 or 6 and have a couple of things that made it from 7 in a very sheltered area. I have trouble with things that do better in zone 4-5. And the amount of rain we had this yr has lost me a number of plants (and a yew) that were 40+ yrs of either reseeding or just happy where they were.