COVER STORY
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Get in the zone
Choosing the right plants for your garden and landscape can be overwhelming. Plant hardiness maps with zones based on average seasonal temperatures can help you select vegetation that is more likely to thrive seasonally or year-round in the area where you live.
by MELINDA MYERS
You can’t control the weather, but you can increase your gardening success by selecting plants that survive and thrive in the cold of winter and the heat of summer. Unlike annual plants that grow, reach maturity and die in one growing season, perennial plants—those that grow for multiple years in the garden—need to survive the extreme temperatures to return each year.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and map key
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE, USDA, OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY