Most plants, flowers and vegetables need water on a daily
basis, sometimes twice a day on extremely hot and humid
days. The climate in Zone 6 is apt to change 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. ■
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