North America
Gardening in United States
From Alaskan tundra to Florida subtropics. Your zone matters more than your country.
The numbers that decide your year
- Growing zones
- USDA 2a–11b · every climate there is
- Last spring frost
- January to June depending on zone
- First autumn frost
- August to December depending on zone
- Rainfall
- 150–1800 mm
The local challenge
Assuming national advice applies to your yard. It rarely does.
Rules worth knowing
Plant import between states is regulated; several states restrict specific invasive species and some HOAs restrict front-garden planting.
How people actually garden here
- Native prairie
- Xeriscape
- Cottage borders
- Raised-bed vegetable gardens
Native to this country
Plants that evolved here. They ask least of you and give most back to local insects and birds.
Reliable in this climate
Introduced rather than native, but proven in these conditions. Each links to its full encyclopedia entry.
Seasonal jobs
Open the calendarThe calendar reads your device clock and orders every job for the northern hemisphere.
The printed guide
The United States Gardening Guide
344 pages written for this country alone: its soil, its frost dates, its rules and the plants that reward the effort. Everything on this page, expanded and in your hands.
- Find your true zone
- Native planting by region
- Xeriscape without gravel deserts
- Vegetable gardens in extreme heat
- Pollinator corridors
- Regional frost and rainfall tables
€9.95344 pages · PDF download