Consider Your Climate
With the information from the temperature zone map on the right, you can learn the approximate range of minimum temperatures in all parts of the country, and more particularly in your own area. Use this data to determine the right kinds of plants for your garden…
The climate in your area is a mixture of many different weather patterns: sun, snow, rain, wind, humidity. To be a good gardener, you should know, on an average, how cold the garden gets in winter, how much rainfall it receives each year, and how hot or dry it becomes in a typical summer. You can obtain this general information from your state agricultural school or your county extension agent. In addition, accquaint yourself with the mini-climates in your won neighborhood, based on such things as wind protection gained from a nearby hill, or humidity and cooling offered by a local lake or river.
Then carry the research further by studying the microclimates that characterize your own plot of ground. Land on the south side of your house is bound to be warmer than a constantly shaded area exposed to cold, northwest winds. An area in the full, hot sun is generally drier than a depression along a drainage route.
