Come gather round, gardners, wherever you roam, and admit that the climate around you has warmed.
The USDA has released new climate zone maps which on the whole show a warming trend. The Northeast is half a zone warmer than the previous map, released in 1990, indicated. Henbogle has moved from 5a to 5b according to the new map.
While my oil bill might be smaller for this news, this really only has an impact for gardeners when considering plants that overwinter. The increased temperature may mean a marginally hardy shrub or tree has a better chance of survival. It doesn’t really mean the season will be longer, the frost later in the fall or earlier in the spring. It might mean though that overwintered leeks are more successful. It might also mean that some pests, reliably killed by cold winter temperatures, survive. You takes the good with the bad.
Thanks Manny for the heads up.
Henbogle 
January 25, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Facts do matter! I plan on linking to this post on this Friday’s Good Eater post.
January 25, 2012 at 5:09 pm
The new map says that I am still 6b. But, 7 is just a couple of miles from here.
January 25, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Climate change, crazy weather, my hens are enjoying it. Wonderful new header, such a good looking couple. Was that a tripod set up? I’m impressed. Greetings to you both, Julie.
January 27, 2012 at 10:39 am
[…] the blog Henbogle: As Ali has put it, the climes they are a-changing. The USDA has released a new climate zone map, which shows that the Northeast is a half a zone […]
January 28, 2012 at 6:04 pm
[…] that I read religiously. This week she posted a link to the new USDA hardiness zones map. Check out her post and the USDA link to see if your garden zone has change. A lot of people are finding that they are now in a warmer […]