Wednesday, January 25, 2012

More gardening news

My lust for gardening information is still here. Today I found out that the USDA is changing the hardiness zone map for the first time since 1990. "The map carves up the U.S. into 26 zones based on five-degree temperature increments. The old 1990 map mentions 34 U.S. cities in its key. On the 2012 map, 18 of those, including Honolulu, St. Louis, Des Moines, Iowa, St. Paul, Minn., and even Fairbanks, Alaska, are in newer, warmer zones." Well, that's good to know. Maybe someday we'll be able to grow fruit trees.
On the other hand, some people are doing it already. For Valley folks like me, we get about "90 frost-free days" out of the year so crabapples are the only option. But people on the hills, like our friend J's parents, they could potentially grow very hardy apples, such as Siberian varieties. Once again, I'm super excited for when Shane and I can buy our own house. I want to plant crabapple trees! Or even real apple trees. I'm wondering why I never saw this guy's booth at the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market? I totally would have bought tons of apples from him. I guess I'll just have to look a little harder this summer. It sounds like the apples might have come in while we were on our honeymoon.
If he needs a helper, I'd gladly help pick and learn from him....

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