Are Your Plants Doing Something For the First Time?

When was the last time you did something for the first time? At least, that is what some of my garden plants are thinking today. It is January and they have decided to tell me it is spring with some new buds. How could this be happening? It appears my lilacs believe our winter in Santa Fe has indeed been a mild one. Is it mild enough to think differently now when it comes to gardening?

Fortunately, the US Department of Agriculture thinks something is changing. Using new mapping technology, the USDA has revised its plant hardiness zone map this year. This is the first time since 1990. By using weather data, the have created an interactive map by state, county and zip code level. This amazing resource now provides more than an estimate but exact information about the average coldest temperatures. Technology is becoming a new gardening tool too. Now I know something my lilacs knew. It feels like spring in Santa Fe for plants and real estate!

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