Hardiness Zones in England

[zigs]

We live in Zone 9

Although I did use to work on Thomas Hardy's House in Dorset too

 

[LouisFerdinand]

It is nice to learn about hardiness zones in other countries.

 

[cpp gardener]

Somehow I think you’re a day early and a zone or two away.

 

[Sheal]

@zigs you've cut me off!

 

[zigs]

@zigs you've cut me off!

I found one for Scotland in the summer...



And one for winter...

 

[Sheal]

They're not much good, there's no hardiness zones. I notice the winter one is in black. We've had a better winter here than the rest of Britain, tut!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

It doesn't really compare, we are an off-shore island sandwiched between the North Sea and the Atlantic, America is a continent. Continental countries get climates, we get weather.

 

[cpp gardener]

But the climate in London is different from Aberdeen which is different from Cardiff. You do have climate and it’s probably more like California where we have 24 zones (Sunset Garden Book) as opposed to 10 for USDA. Takes into account highs, lows, altitude, slope, aspect, wind exposure, etc.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have to disagree. Climate implies a greater degree of predictability. The average annual rainfall may be greater in Cardiff than in London, and the average temperature lower in Aberdeen, but just because it is Summer does not mean we won't get hail or snow, and there are sometimes lovely warm, sunny days in winter. The lack of the consistency found in continental climates, I reckon it is why Brits talk about the weather, it is varied and not very predictable.
The sun just came out briefly, though the ground is still wet from the rain earlier, could be a nice day yet, you never know.

 

[zigs]

Yep, the map shows us in zone 9, but there's a bloke I know on the coast here (same zone) that grows Agaves outside all year round. Likewise, there is a Carpobrotus growing on the coast and doing fine.

Try growing either of those outside here up on the hill (we can see the coast from here) and they'd freeze to death outside in the winter. So really, zoning the UK is a load of pants.

I just heard this morning from a viewer in Denmark that they've zoned his country too