By
konarikcy
Hello all
For those of us who do not live in the States, the USDA Hardiness zone guidelines are a useful indication of what may grow in our country. I live in Nicosia Cyprus where we have relatively mild winters for most months - it is October and we are currently 36oC with 20oC(night). But it will suddenly change and by January, it will be continuous cold, a little wet with possibly zero some nights which would normally I think put me on a 9b bordering 10a zone.
However this can be misleading as I have found out the hard way. We have months and months of Mediterranean summer reaching 46oC this year (blame global warming). This means that the USDA zone alone is an insufficient guideline for us with more extreme weather as it does not take into account the max summer temperatures, the length of summer and winter conditions, rainfall etc.
Nowadays, I often look at what other people are growing with similar climates nearest being Southern California and even Sydney (not in Cyprus as there are few of us pushing boundaries I think). Having recently joined this site, I look forward to following closely what people are growing in these areas. I currently grow Bungalow palms, livistona chinensis, bismarkia, robellina, trachycarpus fortunii and waggies, chaemadorea, and many cycas, dioone and encepalartus. Here is a picture of part of my garden.
I would be interested in hearing how other people decide on what to try apart from the obvious desperate "must have this plant" garden urge.
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