Out in the Cold

I enjoy reading mainstream gardening magazines. There are neat gardening tricks submitted by other subscribers, and I can glean some neat design ideas. Most of the time I end up wishing my yard looked like the ones in the fabulous pictures.

But when it comes to plant suggestions for that odd corner in the yard or the curb appeal revamp, I usually end up feeling left out. Clearly the magazines are written by people who do not live any further north than Zone 5. This ends up leaving us in all points north, well, out in the cold. Usually these magazines are good at offering alternatives, such as substituting winterberry for holly. But could you just help me out a little on finding a replacement for Sarcococca? I don't even know what that is!

Just today I was reading an article about which roses developed by a certain person are suitable for the various regions in the U.S. The little map for the "Cold Midwest, Northeast and Mountain West" shaded in states and provinces that were in Zones 2-5.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Of the five roses suggested, one was a Zone 4; the rest were Zone 5. What about the rest of us? You included them in your little map! You even have cold in the blessed title! Why bother implying that people in Zone 2 might be able to have this really neat plant if you're not going to list a plant that will live in Zone 2? Sorry Canada, I guess you're out of luck.

My favorite one is about over-wintering pansies. Who wouldn't like to have their pansies from last fall pop up in the spring? Then I got to this sentence: "In photo A you can see how I pulled back the mulch in late February so plants won't rot."

Oh, to be able to do anything related to gardening in February!

I don't know about you, but here in Zone 4, pulling back mulch in late February is going to require:

a snow shovel,

and a jack hammer.