ANSWERS: 8
  • If you take a look at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html), you'll see that most of Ontario falls in Zone 2b, which means the average winter minimum temperature there is between -45 and -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-42.7 to -40 degrees Celsius). There is a swath of Zone 2a cutting through the middle of the province and the area bordering Lakes Superior and Huron is in Zones 3a and 3b. After you've determined which zone you're in, all that remains to do is find plants hardy through that average winter minimum temperature. Below is a list of perennials that are hardy in these areas (modified from the Bachman's gardening link below). If you plan to grow any of them, do a little research ahead of time and find out preferred soil types, whether the plants thrive in sun or shade, and other factors that will affect the growth of your garden. Information on individual plants: http://www.davesgarden.com/ Extensive information about growing in Zones 4 and colder: http://www.coldclimategardening.com/ A list of trees, vines, shrubs, and other plants that do well in colder areas: http://www.bachmans.com/tipsheets/Minnesota_gardening/HardyPlantforTheLake.cfm Ballerina Yarrow Pearly Everlasting Silver King Baby's Breath Bleeding Heart Calamintha Harebell Snakeroot Chatterbox Coral Bells Firefly Coral Bells Moonbeam Coreopsis Zagreb Coreopsis Shasta Alaska Daisy Magic Fountain Delphinium Pacific Giant Delphinium Coneflowers Globe Thistle Daisy Fleabane Joe Pye Weed Spurge Meadowsweet Forget Me Not Sneezeweed Summer Sun Dames Rocket Foamy Bells Hollyhocks Candytuft Bearded Iris Siberian Iris Jacob's Ladder Gayfeather Lily of the Valley Lupines Maltese Cross Campion Gooseneck Loosestrife Blue Wonder Catmint Peonies Summer Phlox Woodland-type Phlox Creeping Phlox Obedient Plant Balloon Flower Plume Poppy Iceland Poppy Black-eyed Susans Goldenrod Sea Lavender Red Creeping Thyme Culver's Root
  • Black-eyed susans.
  • This question is similar to one later in this section, so I repeat much of my answer here... You should begin by determining within which plant hardiness zone you reside. Plant hardiness zone charts are available from Agriculture Canada at http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/climate/hardiness/intro.html . The boundaries of the zones were adjusted in 2000, defining them more accurately and including local microclimates. The Canadian plant hardiness zone system is not the same as the one used in the US, so recommendations in gardening books published in the US should be treated with care until you familiarize yourself with the differences between the two systems. Gardening books from the US and UK are generally intended for gardens in a warmer climate, which may leave you with a garden full of dead plants if you follow their advice verbatim. There are several books on the market that specifically address the needs of Ontario gardeners. If you live near the boundary of a hardiness zone, you should avoid planting anything that is also at the limit of its growing range. A hard winter or late spring will kill any plants that are borderline viable where you live or are not well-protected. I live at the edge of zone 5a, within about 20km of zone 4b and 50km of zone 4a. I don't plant anything that is not zone 4 hardy, because zone 5 plants just don't survive the winters. You don't say where you reside in Ontario and that is important, because Ontario lies within plant hardiness zones 0a to 6b - a huge range. However, most of the population lives south of zone 2a. Most of Southern Ontario lies within zones 5a to 6b. A hardy perennial is probably the best choice. Perennials take several years to establish themselves, but most are easy to care for. I have found Tulips, Daylilies (not actually a lily), Irises, members of the lily family (e.g., Tiger Lily), and members of the Daffodil family to be little work, attractive, and quite hardy - at least to zone 4a/b - provided they are planted in full sun. Other hardy perennials include: Astilbe, Bellflower, Bergenia, Black-Eyed Susan, Blazing Star, Bleeding Heart, Butterfly Weed, Cardinal Flower, Columbine, Coneflower, Delphinium, Evening Primrose, False Dragonhead, Foxglove, Hollyhock (biannual, self-seeding), Iris, Lupine, Marguerite Daisy, Oriental Poppy, and Peony. There are many more and you should look into gardening books for more information. It is probably most important that you can provide a growing area that is in full sunlight, because some of these plants need all the help they can get. If the area is partly or fully shaded, you will not be able to grow flowersw. However, there are many smaller plants and groundcovers that do flower for a period of time. You can borrow gardening books from a public library - they are very popular and libraries have many titles - but you should always check where the books were published. Many of the books provide little advice applicable to Canadian gardeners, except those in the temperate west-coast region around Vancouver. Some, however, are specifically targeted to Canadian gardening. A garden supply centre is another source and you will be able to leaf through a book before deciding whether or not to purchase it. Last year, I encountered a series of books that were written specifically for gardening in Canada, published by Lone Pine Publishing (http://www.lonepinepublishing.com/). I have found these very useful for planning the new gardens for the home my wife and I recently moved into. These are: - A. Beck and K Renwald, "Perennials for Ontario". - A. Beck and K Renwald, "Annuals for Ontario". - A. Beck, "Gardening Month by Month in Ontario". There is another book in the series, which we have not yet read: - L. Klose and A. Beck, "Best Garden Plants for Ontario". I would recommend that you take a look at these books, because they are written especially for Ontario.
  • carnation's are good flower's they need to be watered twice a weak and need full sunlight,but make sure is not direct sunlight.
  • I would recommend Geraniums. I have always had good luck with those.
  • Daylilies and hosta are almost foolproof, If you kill them, you better forget about gardening. Where in Ontario do you live? In the southern part it is much more forgiving than the in the north.
  • marygolds are very hardy. they will comeback every year and are more difficult to rmove then grow. pretty and (iv been told) and insect reppelent.
  • Go to a local nursery and ask.

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