Zone Map From 1936- with Key

This old map from 1936 was supposedly the first to designate national hardiness zones. It divides the continental USA and Canada into 9 hardiness zones, and it doesn't include Alaska or Hawaii. This is a different system, so the numbers are completely different from more recent maps with finer divisions - they usually put Austin in zone 8B, and my old garden in Illinois into zone 5.

You might like to check out a recent thread titled "Hardiness Zone Changes" on the Texas Forum of GardenWeb . A member has posted a map from 1960 that was different from the 2006 Arbor Day version.

Added Oct 17 - I apologize for not finding and adding the key for this system when I first posted the map. All zone numbers are based on "the average minimum temperature of the coldest month" and are expressed in Farenheit degrees.

Zone 1 average minimum temperature is zero or below. [spruce and fir forests]

Zone 2 average minimum temperature is zero to 10º above. [red & white pine]

Zone 3 average minimum temperature is 10º t0 20º above [beech-birch-maple]

Zone 4 average minimum temperature is 20º t0 25º above [box and English holly]

Zone 5 average minimum temperature is 25º t0 30º above [beginning of Southern plants]

Zone 6 average minimum temperature is 30º t0 40º above [upper limit for cotton]

Zone 7 average minimum temperature is 40º t0 50º above [great cotton belt]

Zone 8 average minimum temperature is 50º t0 60º above [relatively safe for citrus]

Zone 9 average minimum temperature is 60º or above [some frost-free, some rare frost]

According to this map, Austin would be on the border of zone 7, with an average annual minimum temperature of 40º t0 50º above; on the 2006 Arboretum map Austin is listed as zone 8B with an average annual minimum temperature of 15º t0 20º above zero F. The areas where certain plants survive according to the key seem similar to today - did the term average minimum temperature mean something different in 1936?

If any additional information comes up I'll post it.

Late Summer Books

Blue Pea Vine

Here's a photo for Kate who gardens in Saskatchewan. I don't know if the summer there would be long enough or warm enough for her to grow this beautiful blue annual flower, but she's very successful with blue morning glories! Blue pea vine is also called Blue Butterfly Pea, and by its botanical name, Clitoria ternatea.

Annie, Your Grass is Past

The only way I can join the bloggers who are posting photos of their ornamental grasses is to get out a photo album from Illinois and scan something from my old garden. This Miscanthus zebrina was the anchor for a bed of yellow, white, silver and blue. The grass had five blades when it arrived from Wayside Gardens and the surrounding border evolved over time. This is how it looked in July of 1992, which was about season four for the Zebra grass. Can you see some Perovskia/Russian sage at left, and a tall yucca stalk at right?

I think Layanee of Ledge & Gardens made the original post.

An Odd Way to Build a Garden House?

The wood trim was attached to the siding with a branch of an adjacent tree in between board and wall.

This was taken at the partially completed garden house in Zanthan Gardens.

Garlic Chive Insect

I've been looking at the garlic chive photos taken by MSS at Zanthan and Pam at the Micriobial Laboratory, and decided to see what was on my container plant. My camera can't really capture small insects, but this looks a little like the one on Layanee's blog. Maybe it's a metallic green bee .

For Hank

Carved from Lava rock in Mexico in the mid-1960's. Height about 11 inches.

Stevie Ray Statue, Austin Texas

Philo took this photo of the large statue of musician Stevie Ray Vaughan on the South side of Ladybird Lake [the new name for Town Lake]. If you reuse the photo - give credit to this blog. The area is called Auditorium Shores Park. Practically everyone gets their photo taken with Stevie - it's a favorite with marathoners after the run.