2003 USDA Hardiness Zone Map
This is the USDA Hardiness Zone Map from 2003.
In my opinion it is outdated and you should use the one from Arbor Day, below.
2006 Arbor Day Foundation Hardiness Zone Map
The Arbor Day Foundation has recently (2006) completed an extensive updating of U.S. Hardiness Zones based upon data from 5,000 National Climatic Data Center cooperative stations across the continental United States.
Cooperative Extension System Offices Map
Use the link above to find your Local County Extension Office in all of the 50 states, Washington DC and the territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia and Northern Marianas Islands.
This section of [their] Web site will help you find your nearest Cooperative Extension office. The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes.
NIFA is the federal partner in the Cooperative Extension System. It provides federal funding to the system and, through program leadership, helps the system identify and address current issues and problems.
USDA Plant Database
The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.
Resources
Safe Seed Source List
Your Resource for GM-free Seeds
The companies listed have signed the Safe Seed Pledge. We encourage you to support them in their efforts to preserve the integrity of our seed supply.
Public opinion polls in the US and abroad reveal that the large majority of consumers are wary of genetically modified (GM) crops and plants. As a result, agricultural producers and manufacturers have found that "GM-free" can be both a socially responsible statement and an effective marketing slogan.
Created in 1999, the Safe Seed Pledge helps to connect non-GM seed sellers to the growing market of concerned gardeners and agricultural consumers. The Pledge allows businesses to declare that they "do not knowingly buy or sell genetically engineered seeds," thus assuring consumers of their commitment.
Old Farmer's Almanac
Since 1792, The Old Farmer's Almanac has spoken to all walks of life: tide tables for those who live near the ocean; sunrise and planting charts for those who live on the farm; recipes for those who live in the kitchen; and forecasts for those who don't like the question of weather left up in the air.
The Almanac, North America's oldest continuously published periodical, comes out every year in September.
Books
Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth
This is a complete seed saving guide that describes specific techniques for saving the seeds of 160 different vegetables.
The New Seed Starter's Handbook by Nancy Bubel
Why start plants from seed?* Earlier harvests* Greater variety* Heathier seedlings* Lower costs* Satisfaction*
Written by a gardener with 30 years of experience, this easy-to-use reference explains everything you need to know to start seeds and raise healthy seedlings successfully.
Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work by Mel Bartholomew
My garden is based mostly on this method.
His revolutionary system is simple: it's an ingenious planting method based on using square foot blocks of garden space instead of rows. Gardeners build up, not down, so there's no digging and no tilling after the first year. And the method requires less thinning, less weeding, and less watering.
How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons
shows how to produce a beautiful organic garden with minimal watering and care, whether it's just a few tomatoes in a tiny backyard or enough food to feed a family of four on less than half an acre.
Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte
Originally published in 1975, this comprehensive and user-friendly guide to companion planting. Lifelong gardener and prolific author Louise Riotte reveals how plant relationships - be they mutually beneficial, one-sided, or downright dysfunctional - can have a tremendous impact on your garden's outcome.
Roses Love Garlic by Louise Riotte
Another companion-planting book by Ms Riotte, this time with flowers & vegetables.
How-To
~Growing Asparagus
~Growing Peaches, Nectarines & Apricot from Seed
~Growing Pomegranates
Web Articles
Attracting Beneficial Insects
[This] article explores the topic of natural pest control using beneficial insects and gives specific tips about how you can add certain plants to your yard to create a haven for the good little buggers that can help you fight the bad little buggers. |
