Topic: They Ship Worldwide Too

[Lauren S]

This is an interesting site if you want to grow some new exotics, TREES, or some different veg etc.

I think I have worked out that we are possibly in the zone 8 or 9 growing region of the World. (Jeannine will correct me)

Click on the header that says...WHAT'S NEW

www.seedrack.com

or try

www.sheffields.com
They sell seeds by weight

Lauren  :)

[bcday]

I strongly suggest checking the reviews at the Garden Watchdog http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/1837/ before ordering from seedrack.com (Whatcom Seed Company).  :(

[Jeannine]

I know this company  quite  well, they are Whatcom County and as I mentioned a week ot two ago I had just ordered  from them again this year,  and I have always had good things from them, they are on my list of who to buy fromfrom my personal experience.

The site is interesting and their delivery is fast and fair.


Zones??? Well things have changed and many of the US states have now got a new number, may places have moved up one  so the lists are not as accurate as they once were, frankly I don't know what we are for sure, I did work it out a couple of years ago but have since forgotten.The trouble is even within a smallish area, a county for eg, the numver can change due to hot/cold pockets.

Where I lived on the US border in Western Canada I preffered to go by average frost free days. In my part of Canada which was coastal, last frost was March 31 and first was Nov 3rd, which gave us an average of 216 frost free days, here is Hull I would add about 4 weeks either side of that which would lower the growing days to  about  155 or 160, which is why I could grow so much more tender veggies out there, but even 50 miles could make a difference, so it is very confusing.

I will dig out my Zone map that compares to the US zones quoted on sites so folks can see what they are similar to, so of you are buying seeds nthat need special care it may be a help.

XX Jeannine

After reading BC days mention re Watchdog, I would add that the above comments are my personal experiences which have been excellent, but it would be prudent as they have some negatives there to read for yourselves.

[Jeannine]

Hope this comes through OK XX Jeannine

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've always heard that most of the UK was Zone 8, and I'm glad to see some confirmation. I'm also on a US-based Trillium list, and half the time I don't know what they're on about where climate's concerned, since I don't understand the numbering system.

[Tee Gee]

Having seen Jeannine's map I thought you might want a look at one I drew up a few years ago.

Click on maps to enlarge them!

http://tinyurl.com/y57avq

[Jeannine]

I think yours is excellent , the US one was so that folks buying from the Us know what they  mean when sellers are suggested  stuff for differnt zones, so it falls in line with the US seeds. Yours I like because toi shows variations over the country which is very good for me. XX Jeannine

[GodfreyRob]

Zones sound like they might be useful but the reality is much more complex. Frosts are not the only controlling factor in plant growth.
For example, height, ground orientation and wind exposure are just as important.
A piece of land facing North East, 300m above sea level will be exposed to colder winds and will take longer to warm up than somewhere South facing at sea level - both could be in the same Zone and just a few miles apart.
Climates anywhere in the world do not follow exactly the same cycles year after year - there is no switch that instantly transforms spring to summer, etc.

I think its much wiser to go out to your growing area and feel the weather - if you feel cold then the plants probably do too! Provide protection in the form of cloches, cold frames, etc until the days when you feel warm!

[Jeannine]

Of course, but the zones are important in the US due to the size of the country, eg comparing Hawaii to Alaska has to have some sort of guide.Gardeners in the US have to consider zones wwen deciding what to plant, buying seeds from the US also needs some help for UK gardeners, there would be no point in buying a seed from the US which would need a US zone of 1 or 2 as it is impossible in the UK no matter where you live and the guide if for just this reason. As I said in my first post, one still has to consider the variables, but as a guide for buying US seeds this is a good guide.

When I lived over there it was an excellent guide to purchasing live plants. Many of the seed companies only sell seeds that grow in certain areas and zones are quoted there too.

Used with common sense it can be a great help, bearing in mind that the differnces in the UK for teperatures are not even remotely the same as in the US. I have a friend there who e mailed me last week to say her  latest crop of outside tomatoes are almost ready for picking, she was sad because she didn't get them for Christmas Day!! We couldn't do that here whatevre we did.

XX Jeannine