New England Garden & Flowers Season
Gardening in New England, as anywhere, depends on several factors. The growing season differs according to hardiness zone variations between the northern and southern most parts of the region, as well as climate and terrain changes ranging across coastal and mountainous areas. Does this Spark an idea?
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Geographic Region
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Gardening is a long-standing New England tradition. New England refers to the most northeastern region of the United States, and includes: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. With four distinct seasons, gardens and flowers grow in New England, roughly from mid-May through mid-October.
Hardiness Zones
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Hardiness zones range from 1 (most frigid) to 11 (most tropical), as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Zones differ according to average annual minimum temperature in a region. New England's Hardiness Zones are 4 in the north and 5 in the south. In the farther reaches of each, the conditions may more nearly resemble those in zones 3 and 6, in some seasons.
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Seasonal Changes
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Frost and snow may linger as late as June in the mountains. New England winters are long, with snow and ice; spring and fall are short; and summers are hot and humid along the coast with cooler weather in the mountains. Gardens are present in all of these regions, with growing seasons in each bounded by the arrival and departure of cold weather. Other affecting factors include hours of daylight and annual rainfall.
According to the National Gardening Association, first frost dates in New England tend to be from early September to the end of October, following a 120 to 180 frost-free-days growing season, depending on location. Last frost dates range from the end of April along the coast to early June in the mountains.
Stretching theSeason
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Seedlings can be transplanted outside when the ground is warm enough. University of New Hampshire Cheshire County Extension Educator, Carl Majewski, recommends that New England gardeners make the most of shorter growing seasons by starting seeds indoors or in cold-frame shelters and exposing young seedlings to a "hardening off" process prior to transplanting in the unprotected ground. These activities begin well ahead of the last frost.
In many areas, New Englanders hold with a tradition of planting their annual and vegetable gardens on Memorial Day.
Visitors
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Roadside stands bring local produce to visitors and passersby. Visitors, and others looking to enjoy the beauty and bounty of New England gardens will find a changing array of offerings from May through October. Many vegetables, fruits and berries reach maturity in July and August, according to VisitNewEngland.com, making roadside stands, farmers' markets and other locally grown produce abundant at the height of vacation and tourism times. Orchard grown fruits like apples and peaches, as well as pumpkins and other squash, are plentiful through the fall, making them favorite finds during the popular New England fall foliage season--mid-September to mid-October.
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References
- National Gardening Association: Region Description: New England
- The Heart of New England: Anyone can Start a Vegetable Garden
- VisitNewEngland.com: New England's Gardens
- University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: Growing Flowering Perennials
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Planting & Maturity Dates of Vegetables in New Hampshire
Resources
- Photo Credit garden organic ryton ryton gardens warwickshire mi image by david hughes from Fotolia.com maine house image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com idyllic mountain stream image by Stephen Orsillo from Fotolia.com planting the seedlings image by starush from Fotolia.com
