quickly so a gardener should use common sense and
monitor when frosts could occur in the spring or fall and
alter the planting schedule accordingly.
Most vegetables can be planted in Zone 6. But some
of the most popular include beans, cantaloupe, corn,
cucumbers, eggplant, okra, onions, peppers, potatoes,
pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, watermelon and zucchini.
Fall and winter vegetables include arugula, beets, broccoli,
brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collard
greens, chives, lettuce, parsnips, radish, spinach, Swiss
chard and turnips.
Some popular Zone 6 flowers include amsonia, bee balm,
black-eyed Susan, bleeding heart, clematis, coneflower,
coral bells, daisy, daylily, geranium, salvia, violet, yarrow,
baneberry, bugbane, goat’s beard, helleborus, hosta,
meadow rue, moody blues and Solomon’s seal. Popular
shrubs are Alabama croton, American cranberry bush,
azalea, blueberry, butterfly bush, cinquefoil, dogwood,
forsythia, honeysuckle, hydrangea, jasmine, quince,
rhododendrum, rose and witch hazel.
Trees are also a wonderful addition to any property, and
fortunately Zone 6 supports a wide variety of trees. Some
of the most common are alder, ash, beech, birch, box elder,
buckeye, butternut, cherry, crabapple, dogwood, elm,
hickory, magnolia, maple, oak, pear, pecan, persimmon,
poplar and walnut.
Nature just makes us happy. So what are we all waiting
for? Let’s get out there and get gardening!
For more information on gardening zones and planting
times, visit the website PlantHardiness.ars.USDA.gov.
For gardening supplies in our area, visit one of the
following gardening centers:
Jim Jenkins Lawn and
Garden Center
1877 Painters Run Rd.
Lowe’s Home Improvement
Warehouse
2100 Washington Pike
The Home Depot
1025 Washington Pike
Kmart
1025 Washington Pike #3141
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2014 | icmags.com 11