I go months without finding a single new gardening resource, and then learn of two within twenty-four hours! I’ll let Jim, of Northscaping explain his website in his own words:
This web site is the answer, for myself and for all of you who enjoy the pleasure of living in the great north, and who dare to try and create an outdoor paradise that will compete hands down with any of those you have seen in your trips to Georgia or California, or any of those in the pictures you simply drool over. I have spent countless hours of thorough research putting together the real facts about northern gardening and landscaping, sorting through the mass of information to tell you the real story in a simple manner that you can use. The result is a compilation of principled techniques, hints and downright specific information for the northern gardener and landscaper, all rolled together into a single source.
What you’ll find is hundreds of articles in the Info Zone, an oft-visited discussion forum,
a plant database that only has plants hardy to Zone 5 and colder–and a lot of other cool features. The only thing I found that I was less than thrilled with was the interactive climate map. Whether I clicked Elmira, Ithaca, or Binghamton, it gave me the climatic information for Syracuse, which isn’t similar enough to be of much help. Ironically, Watertown, which is a much smaller locality, did have its own information. So that was a little frustrating.
If you garden in a cold climate and aren’t yet familiar with this site, you will probably ask, as I did, “where have you been all my gardening life?” There is such a wealth of information here! It will give you something to read for the rest of the winter.
About Kathy Purdy
Kathy Purdy discovered the joys of writing in fourth grade, when she started corresponding with a former classmate. She's been writing letters ever since, first on looseleaf, then electronically, and now as weblog entries. That makes you, the blog reader, her pen pal. Her first independent (though frustrating) attempts at gardening were made in high school, though the gardening bug didn't bite hard until her mid-thirties, when she found herself mistress of a rural home on 15 acres. • USDA Hardiness Zone:4 • AHS Heat Zone: 3 • Location: rural; Southern Tier of NY • Geographic type: foothills of Appalachian Mountains • Soil Type: acid clay • Experience level: intermediate • Particular interests: colchicums, narcissus, cottage gardening, NY native plants, gardening with/for children
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I appreciate all the great resources on gardening and this blog is turning out to be a must read for me. I run a gardening website and I now intend to offer a list of gardening blogs. Yours will top the list! Thank you for the wonderful work.
Alice, the word Northscaping in the second line of my entry is in a different color. That means it is a link and you can click on it. You don’t have to look anything up. And New York state, where I live, is very big. The southernmost parts of it are indeed Zone 5 and warmer, but the area in which I live is Zone 4, and the North Country, including parts of the Adirondacks, is Zone 3.
Thanks for the link. I spent a few minutes reading the forums and will go back later for a more thorough investigation.
I take it we are to look up tis site under Northscaping for Northern Gardeners. I’ll give it a try. As far as “northern” I’ve always thought of New York state as kind of more southern, or Zpne 5 or more. We live in really north country (U.P.) so I guess it all depends on ones perspective!