Totally agree... know your zone LIMITATIONS.

But I want more!!!!
Its gotten to the point I can't even look at garden photos from people outside of my zone.
We're either too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer for a lot of things that trip my trigger.

And I say, Ignore your zone recommendations and try anyways. My 300+ roses defy the zone limitations. They're all zone 6-7, and they keep coming back for me. It's all on how you prepare the plant for the winter. I heavily heavily heavily HEAVILY mulch each rose and I don't do any pruning between October & spring (whenever the forsythias bloom). Now certain things that are definitely not going to grow here, like Birds of Paradise, I'm not even going to try. But try it anyways!

Of course, here in my town, the town's horticulturist has a joke. "Oh, that's what we in the industry like to call an 'annual'."

Melvalena, I think we just have to have an attitude adjustment! I've given up on some things that I know I have to baby too much. I bought some poppy varieties yesterday in 4" pots to plant and hopefully get seeds from for next year. No more palms for me, even tho we're having a palm expert speak to our garden club this summer. BTW, did you hear the meteor last night????

Toni, I wish I had all the money I've spent pushing the zone for the last 15 years! Every fall, we roll out the plastic and cover PVC pipe hoops to get a jump on the weather. I've finally decided not to do it to that extent anymore. Of course, this winter has been one freezing night...period! As we wait for the other shoe to fall, I've focused on a little veggie garden on the north side of our back yard. We have one tiny strip of sunlight that streams through that side space. I have roses there and they will share space with my attempt at vegetable gardening.

I've pushed zones enough for one lifetime. I surrender. No more.

I was always pushing though for things that wouldn't take the heat & humidity where we lived. Most people have the opposite --- just as you guys were talking about palms & bird of paradise. We always want what we can't have.

What the pond area looked like a couple of months before the freeze (photo above). And I have to admit, I have a Bird of Paradise in my hoop house getting ready to bloom.

Pretty, pretty, pretty! OMG, you really did go tropical didn't you? I see so many things in there that grew where I lived but when I was there I was bored with them (no offense) & wanted daffs & roses & all kinds of things that I couldn't grow.

We always covered the area around the pond. I finally decided to give DH a break and told him we'd just take our chances. Had two really hard freezes that winter. I was sad, but I adapted the area with bananas and gingers this past summer. It really isn't the same, though. We either have to move to FL, or I have to learn to love cacti and succulents. We're about to enter Stage #3 watering restrictions.

I think we all crave to grow things that we remember growing up, or that we've seen and think we can have them with just a little extra care. It's just a short road to heartbreak!

House for sale in south Fl., 1 mile to beach, sidewalks all the way, 1/2 mi. to Intracoastal waterway. Complete with xeriscape garden. Coconut palm included. But seriously, it will be for sale.

Oh I think we're pretty much stuck here for about 12 years, at least. We have the cutest little 6 yr old that loves to visit us nearly every day. We'll think about retirement villages where it's warm when he goes off to college!!!

I think the water restrictions have really been the game changer, atleast in Texas. I still have some plants that need extra care, but I know eventually I will lose them b/c I either will have forgot to protect them from the cold or shade them from the heat or give them extra water.

Who said anything about retirement village?

Who is the cutest little 6 yr. old?

flaflwrgrl , are you going to move away from Florida?

No, we moved from the south to the north. 2 whole zones!

For cold winter folks, know your zone but don't trust cold hardiness from too many retailers. Loads of good info. right here.

Some of our military friends have moved to FL to some cool retirement areas. It's very tempting. They pared down their stuff, moved, and now take lots of little trips. I would have to blast DH out of here! He does, good naturedly, let me nursery hop with my gardening friends. I see the time coming when I won't have the time or energy to keep up the gardens. I need to cut back one of these days!

The 6 yr old is our grandson. He has his own "secret garden" behind the pond. I hope it'll still be "secret" again this spring, only if the bananas and gingers come back.

Anna, even with severe water restrictions, they are letting more and more large developments spread out on the outskirts of Austin. Makes no sense to me.

eclayne, I find that there are a few really good local nurseries here, but you still have to find a knowledgeable clerk to ask questions about suitability for your area, etc. That said,... if I find something unusual or just gorgeous, I cannot be discouraged from taking it home!

Bubble - Actually, go to a local cemetery. guaranteed you'll find plants that survive quite well in your zone, whatever it may be!

And as far as spending money, that's why I shop at places that have 1 year warranties on their plants. Just in case they don't overwinter. I really don't understand about you zone 7-8 people.. what I would give to be in a warm zone like that!!!

Of course, as I type this, we're under blizzard warnings with an expected snowfall of between 12-24" after this storm is all said & done.

I agree that zone pushing in either direction can be a bit disheartening. Usually there's some part of the year where you begin to think you might just have won, then reality strikes heavily. The trouble is that the most beautiful plants (for pretty well anyone) don't grow in the same climate or soil.

I think we all crave to grow things that we remember growing up, or that we've seen and think we can have them with just a little extra care. It's just a short road to heartbreak!

Far better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Be selective on succulents choices, some will also need winter protection.

Zig ~ I love your links.... Kristi