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Re: How long should I push my luck?

Message from Jim Wilmington DE 7a

> deer are munching the newest growth, because not much else is green here. <

Where I live, deer are not an issue. But woodchucks and rabbits are. Rabbits visit my front yard occasionally, but have not touched my Needle, Minor, nor Aucuba. I suppose the grass alone satisfies them.

On my walk today, I was cataloging in my head all the green I saw in the neighborhood. Heck, I also encountered several mosquitoes! December 6th, mind you! There are still partially green Cannas here. Many Knockout Roses that are still blooming and looking passable. I even have a few unfried green leaves on my Fig. Grass, in particular, looks real good now. Almost every lawn is looking aces. The biggest find today was a lone bloom on a spring blooming Camellia Japonica. It's loaded down with flower buds and I guess one of them just couldn't wait! After mild winters, this particular one puts on quite a show in spring.

What amazes me after all this time spent learning about American climates and hardiness zones is that there is a LOT of difference from one zone to another. Eastern North American 6a is a different world from 7a. Just as 7a is, in turn, much different from 8a. And so on.

I'd love to have permanent 8a winters, but don't want the 8a Eastern U.S. summers.


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