The Urban Permaculture Farm Magazine
For 
A Tale of Two Zones Part Two
by Judy Hale
And From the Other Side of the Continent!
At the end of 2007, I decided to build a new square foot gardening area that would allow me to grow more vegetables. Previously, I had been gardening in 2 - 2'x8' beds in my front yard used primarily for summer vegetables. But I wanted more space and wanted to concentrate my efforts on growing vegetables year 'round - something that by living in USDA Zone 8B, I should be able to do.
Along the way during that time, I met Sinfonian (Rich) online who was in the Seattle WA area. He was also planning and constructing his new square foot vegetable gardens. What surprised us even more was that even though there are over 2500 miles in distance between our gardens (Rich is in the Pacific Northwest and I am on the Gulf Coast), we both were gardening in USDA Zone 8B. Hmmm???
As we both gardened throughout 2008, it became quite evident that our growing climates were as different as daylight and dark LOL! Rich did some investigating and found that the USDA zoning only tells how many days you'll experience low temps and approximately when your last cold snap will be. This is a good indicator of "when" to plant, but that's about it.
On the Gulf Coast we have an almost subtropical growing environment. Even through our "winter" months, we rarely get temperatures that are below freezing. This past winter was more of the exception - there were several nights the garden had to be covered and protected. But for the most part, our winter months are a great time to grow cool weather vegetables like carrots, beets, lettuce, and all of the cabbage-family veggies.
As our Spring-time temperatures really start warming up down here in the South, I am busy "shading" some of my cooler weather veggies in an effort to extend my growing season. At the same time, my gardening buddy in Washington State, in the same USDA Zone 8B, is just taking his row cover hoops down that he's been using to protect his cool weather veggies from the cold!
When Rich's lettuce growing season is kicking in, my poor lettuce is beginning to bolt! Now, about mid-July, if we could just find a way to get some of his lettuce down here and some of my tomatoes up there, we'd both have the makings of an awesome salad J
May Square Foot Gardening Tips from Mel Barthalolmew and Patti Moreno.
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