Episode Details

A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here.
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We are joined by Helen Battersby, a Toronto garden blogger, garden coach, and publisher of the Toronto & Golden Horseshoe Gardener’s Journal.

Battersby talks about the difference between the Canadian and American garden zone systems—both of which provide gardeners with a zone number to use when selecting hardy plant material. The lower the number, the colder the garden zone.

She points out that while her garden is a zone 6 using the Canadian system, it’s a zone 5 using the American system.

The Canadian system uses a number of variables including lowest mean temperature of the coldest month, highest mean temperature of the hottest month, precipitation, and the number of frost-free days.

The American (U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA) zones are based solely on average annual minimum temperatures.

She likens the Canadian system to a Betamax; and the US systmem to the VHS.

 A much-expanded edition of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t is coming this summer. For sneak peeks and updates, and to be the first to know when it’s available, click here.