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Out with Zone 5 plants!

Posted on June 4th, 2008 – 8:35 AM
By Connie Nelson

For years I’ve had two Nikko Blue hydrangeas in my garden. For years, I’ve fed them and fussed over them. Every winter, I’ve wrapped them in a blanket of burlap and filled it to the top with leaves. And every spring, they’ve responded by putting out lush growth. Or maybe putting out a little bit of straggly growth. When they bloomed, they bloomed spectacularly — massive blue flowerheads the size of a dinner plate. But they only bloomed every 3 or 4 years. And this wasn’t going to be one of them.

These Zone 5 plants (sometimes they’re even listed as Zone 6) bloom off old wood. And despite my burlap and the many bags of leaves, the old wood didn’t make it through the winter. So I ripped them out. Just like that. I cut off all the stems — the dead and the few living — and ripped the gnarly root right out of the ground.

In their place, I planted two Limelight hydrangeas. Not as showy, sure. But they’re Zone 4 hardy.

From now on, I’m staying within my zone. No more burlap. No more bags and bags of leaves.

Am I whimping out? Or getting wise? What say you, Zone 4 gardeners?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 at 8:35 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

19 Responses to "Out with Zone 5 plants!"

Nate says:

June 4th, 2008 at 8:45 am

Our limelights do very well on both sides of our yard. I do wish they were a little more interesting, but at least it’s low maintenance. Now you can spend your time on bigger projects like veggie gardens, roses, new gardens, etc.

Robyn Dochterman says:

June 4th, 2008 at 9:15 am

This may sound funny, but I really appreciate all the people who try out zone 5 plants in their gardens. I learn from them where and how to grow these tender, tantalizing things, and then I’m not afraid to try them myself. I do keep my expectations low and try not to spend too much on things that likely won’t tough it out. But I salute those who try.

judybusy says:

June 4th, 2008 at 9:37 am

Robyn, I’m with you. I spend enough money on plants that I just can’t take the chance on Zone 5ers. I definitely do not have any warm microclimates in my yard!

Also, I hate having more garden chores (burlapping, etc.) I did steal a neighbor’s bagged leaves last fall and put them on–still in the bag—my ‘Orange Queen’ trollius, and will do it again this year with those and my ‘Magic Fountain’ delphiniums. Otherwise, I won’t even grow stuff that needs mulching.

Connie Nelson says:

June 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am

I’m OK with mulching. But I’m done pushing the zones. For the first time in about 4 years, we finally had a true zone 4 winter . . . and it showed in my garden. I’m sticking with the hardy stuff!

Zoned out! says:

June 4th, 2008 at 10:05 am

Those Nikko Blues have been driving me nuts along with the other blue ones that they say are zone 4 hardy. Every year I have one die on me! I’m glad to see I am not alone.

Here is where I NEED HELP!!! I have a climbing hydrangea that is super healthy but it has NEVER bloomed in 5 years? I alos do not know of anyone who has success here with the blooming? Could this be zone related?

Anna says:

June 4th, 2008 at 10:31 am

I do try to stick with the hardy stuff. However, I find that up here in Duluth, many of the nurseries label zone 5 plants (and sometimes even zone 6) as perennials. For us, getting a zone 4 plant to grow successfully can be pushing it.

Jaime Chismar says:

June 4th, 2008 at 10:39 am

Garden centers don’t help matters much. After I mistakenly bought sedum for Zone 7, I want all non-Zone 4 plants clearly labeled and separated from their hardier counterparts. Oh, the heartbreak!

Connie Nelson says:

June 4th, 2008 at 10:42 am

Zoned out,
There are some hardy blue (big leaf or macrophylla) hydrangeas. Endless Summer, which was developed by Minnesota-based Bailey Nurseries, is getting good reviews.

Climbing hydrangeas, however, are notoriously slow growers. (So slow in my garden that I eventually gave up on them and ripped them out.) I wouldn’t expect them to bloom until they’ve been in the garden for 3 to 5 years. But they do bloom here.

Connie Nelson says:

June 4th, 2008 at 10:47 am

Garden shopping can be tricky. I try always to buy plants with plant tags that state the zone. (Some garden centers mix hardy and non-hardy plants together. I was shopping this spring and saw tropicals mixed with perennials. None of the plants had tags. Aiyeeee!)

But even if you buy a plant labled for zone 4, doesn’t mean it will survive. Zones are set by the companies that develop plants. And while the plants are supposed to be tested, not all of them are.

And then there’s the weather. A harsh winter can wipe out even the hardiest of zone 4 plants . . .

Zoned out! says:

June 4th, 2008 at 10:51 am

Good to hear. I can’t even get the Endless Summer to well. They seem very weak for lack of a better term. I will hang in there a couple of more years on the climber. If nothing else it looks very lush.

sparklegirl says:

June 4th, 2008 at 11:16 am

Connie, you ask if you’re wimping out, but I think it take a lot of courage to look at something (whether a job, a significant other or a hydrangea) in which you’ve invested a lot and say, “Not working — time to go!” Good for you! :)

Cindy says:

June 4th, 2008 at 4:33 pm

After a couple of years…..or so (yea, it took that long!) I finally caught on to what does/doesn’t work for me in planting ornamental grasses. Lots of them are clumped together as perennials but in reality, not all are Zone 4. Some are Zone 5 or 6. And some varieties, like Purple Fountain Grass, are truly just annuals. Considering the investment you’re making and the look you hope to acquire in your garden, you HAVE to read those labels. So far, ‘Karl Forester’ and ‘Tuber Oatgrass’ have survived our winters….and me! :)

Connie Nelson says:

June 5th, 2008 at 10:14 am

Cindy, if you’re interested in ornamental grasses, there’s a really neat publication by the U Extension: “Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates.” It’s a 40-page booklet of honest assessments of hardiness and invasiveness for grasses. I think it’s available at
http://www.extension.umn.edu/catalog/item.html/item=06411.

P.S. I’ve got a tone of Karl Forester. I love it.

Connie Nelson says:

June 5th, 2008 at 10:16 am

Sparklegirl, thanks for being so nice. I know there are lots of folks who make it a point of pride to cheat the zones. I just hate losing plants — and throwing away money!

Holly says:

June 5th, 2008 at 5:25 pm

My pet peeve is when the tags for new plants are zone-optimistic the year they’re introduced. And then those same plants that were advertised as hardy for Zone 4 are labeled Zone 6 the next. The poor things never stood a chance here.

Beth B says:

June 6th, 2008 at 10:29 am

I applaud you for giving up the non-zone 4 plants. Like others have said, you can concentrate more on other things, and the Zone 4 hardy items also require less watering and other fussing, making them a little better for the environment.

Cindy says:

June 6th, 2008 at 5:02 pm

Thanks for the link, Connie! I’ll definitely check it out!

Claire says:

June 6th, 2008 at 6:09 pm

I’ve always thought the only plants really worth the fight to get through winter here are roses, after all we inveted the Minnesota Tip so we could protect them!

Carolyn says:

June 7th, 2008 at 10:39 am

I think you will be very happy with limelight. Its been in my garden the last 2 years and has done very well.

I’ve only been gardening for 5 years, and I too have lost interest in zone pushing. Yes, you can get the plant to survive, but it never thrives. I’ve got ornamental oregano, balloon flower and munstead lavender growing in my garden. They make it every year, but never put on much growth.

Who wants to have a plant that is hanging on by a thread instead of reaching its full glory?

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