Before wasting time, money and effort in the garden, you need to take a close look the USDA Planting Zones. Here is how to understand it. You don’t want to start planting your garden without knowing ...

The United States Department of Agriculture released an updated version of last year's Plant Hardiness Map to offer a guide for gardeners to understand which plants can survive and thrive based on the ...

About half of the country moved into a slightly warmer zone in the Agriculture Department’s new “plant hardiness” map, an important guide for gardeners. Climate change may be a factor. By Remy Tumin ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Global warming is hitting not just home, but garden. The government's colorful map of planting zones, most often seen on the back of seed packets, is changing, illustrating a hotter ...

WASHINGTON -- Global warming is hitting not just home, but garden. The color-coded map of planting zones often seen on the back of seed packets is being updated by the government, illustrating a ...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When it comes to planting crops, or your backyard garden, there's hardly a more impactful factor than the weather. As weather patterns have shifted over time thanks to climate ...

What do the updates to the USDA plant hardiness map mean for area gardeners? Don’t try to grow bananas just yet. How we can protect native species. Spring thaw is the gardener’s awakening, time to ...

With the first week of winter officially underway, many local gardeners are adding compost, cuddling potted plants against the house and making room for outdoor plants to come indoors. Yet winterizing ...

Dean Colony of Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty checks on his pumpkin crop July 9. Colony grows around 40 varieties of the fall-harvest gourds. Colony checks on the health of the plants as ...

In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 photo, Manager Jerry Holub looks at seed packages on display at the Earl May Nursery and Garden Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The USDA announced Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 ...