Do you have your gardening zone map tucked into your apron and ready to go? What about the USDA gardening zone map? You know, the one that used to hang on the bulletin board in nurseries and garden centres throughout the land? Are gardening zones changing? We live in a world bound by dynamics, and we humans stick to the status quo, instead of recognising the changes – however slight – that are occurring and adjusting.
This is never more true than in our attempts to keep up with the rapidly changing planet while we grow annuals to fill our gardens and the spirits of our souls. Gardening zones, that system of plants and soils dividing the world, shift as the parameters that define them change. Virus receptions aren’t the same in 2021 as they were in 2019. So, given this is occurring, what do we do about it? Can we adjust our planting based on the fluency of our situation? Is the garden’s ecology changing in step with us? Let’s get to the root of the matter, shall we?
Understanding Gardening Zones
So what exactly are gardening zones? In the simplest terms, gardening zones are the way that the USDA has divided the regions of the country to indicate what is usually the most appropriate plant material for your area – each zone is assigned according to the average annual minimum winter temperature, broken down into 10-degree Fahrenheit increments.
Signs of Change
Boundaries are moving, and the murmurs about those changes are turning into howls. The upward drift is real, well-documented by scientists and reflected in updated testimony of a quantified form: the USDA zone maps. What’s driving the shift?
Climate Change: A Culprit
The main culprit behind changing gardening ‘hardiness’ zones is global warming. Higher average temperatures affect the conditions in a given area, which affect what plants can thrive. Not only do winters warm up, but rainfall amounts and patterns change, as do frost dates and insect infestations, both present and potential on sites that might warm up enough to allow growing.
Impacts on Gardening
New Opportunities
Higher zones might mean a fresh avenue for other gardeners, enabling them to grow plants that were previously deemed too tender for that climate, which could radically change the colours available to the gardener’s palette.
Challenges and Adaptations
Instead, these changes often create difficulties as gardening knowledge passed on by previous generations may no longer be appropriate. Planting schedules need to be modified, other varieties are needed, or temporary pest management becomes a priority.
The Broader Environmental Implications
The northward shift of garden zones reflects broader climatic shifts in ecosystems. Forests and other wildlife take thousands of years to adapt to new climatic conditions. When such Global Garden climatic conditions trump natural processes of change, forests and other wildlife native to particular climatic conditions are likely to become out of sync with their surroundings, creating a series of ecological mismatches.
Mitigating the Impact
Educating Ourselves and Our Communities
Informed action powers transformation. As long as we know how the weather is shifting and can promote knowledge-sharing in our gardens, we can also help shape our responses to the changes.
Sustainable Gardening Practices
We also must embrace sustainable practices for gardening, using native plants, water conservation and all-natural pest control, which can prohibit some of the damage climate change causes to our local environments.
Looking Forward
In the decades ahead, without doubt, gardening zones will continue to shift, and our garden practices need to reflect and respond to these changes. But with each shift, we have a chance to learn and adapt in a way that will further benefit ourselves and the environment in which we live. Is that not part of the excitement (and challenge) of gardening?
Conclusion
Shifting gardening zones are a manifestation of climate change, and it is increasingly the reality for our planet. Given our privileged position as gardeners from which we see the world a little differently to most, what do we do? As the environment changes, it places a new set of challenges in front of us. We can either keep gardening and bask in the sunshine or we can simply throw in the towel and move indoors. However, I’d like to think we can respond differently than that. Moving, adapting and making the most of a new set of assets. For gardening is not about growing plants, it’s about creating a way to live on this earth sustainably.
Ultimately, the question is not simply whether gardening zones are in flux – they are – but how we respond to these changes. With consciousness, adaptation, and action, these challenges can become opportunities to evolve, in our gardens and our neighbourhoods.