Theresa Schrum’s Comments on Hardiness Zones

Theresa Schrum’s Comments on Hardiness Zones

I currently tell people that if they live inside the perimeter or in south metro Atlanta, they can consider themselves 8a and those north of line running across Cobb to Gwinnett Counties are in 7b until you get to the north Georgia mountains. I add the caveat that we could have a year where winter temperatures drop back in the old range of 7a/7b.

Remember: Zone 7a can have a low temperature of 0 degrees and still be considered normal (7b = 5 degrees; 8a = 10 degrees, etc.).

Checking my weather data, which goes back to Christmas 2003, the lowest temperature I can find is 14.0 degrees on February 1, 2004. Before that I remember temperatures around 8 degrees in early 2003 when I was preparing for the Southeastern Flower Show.

The coldest temperature I remember at my house since 1987 was 0 degrees sometime in early 1993.

Technically, that was the truly last 7a winter I’ve had in Suwanee. The temperatures were zone 7b for a while, but it’s been solid 8a/b since then.

I measure my zone by the lowest winter temperatures recorded. If it keeps going this way, I will have a zone 8b/9a winter real soon.

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