Gardening can be a reward-ing and relaxing hobby, one that allows gardeners to escape from the daily grind and soak up some sun. As rewarding as gardening can be, it’s even more so when gardeners ply their trade in an eco-friendly way.

Gardening with the environ -ment in mind is something many gardeners might do already without even knowing it. The following are a few ways to garden in a way that’s mutu -ally beneficial to gardeners and the environment.

• Use mulch to conserveresources and reduce reliance on fertilizers. Conserving resources is one of the best ways to help the environment,and applying mulch is a great way to conserve water. Mulch helps the soil retain water,keeping the water from evapo -rating into the air, which means less watering for gardeners who want to keep their gardens looking lush and healthy.

In addition to helping con -serve water, mulch can also help reduce reliance on fertilizers.That’s because mulch provides nutrients to the soil as it breaks down, providing an eco-friendly alternative for gardeners who don’t want to rely on fertilizers to deliver nutrients to their soil.

• Plant more flowers.Planting flowers is another eco-friendly way to garden. Nativeflowers, in particular, can help maintain an area’s natural eco -system, providing food and shel -ter for insects and other wildlife.

More flowers and plants around the property also means there will be significantly less grass to mow, which reduces the amount of gas necessary to mow that grass in the warmer weather and the amount of greenhouse gases the lawn

Go green in your gardenmower produces. In addition,less grass means less need for fertilizers and pesticides to maintain that grass.

• Choose gardening tools and products with the environ -ment in mind. Veteran garden -ers have a host of tools that help tackle every problem imag -inable. But many older tools or gardening products might not be made of recycled materials.When shopping for gardening tools, whether you’re a begin -ner who needs everything or a veteran gardener whose tools have seen better days, choose products made from recycled materials. For example, manygardeners use mats to help reduce stress on their knees when kneeling down to garden.When buying a new mat, choose one made from recycled tires.

But emphasizing recycled products shouldn’t stop at the tool shed. Mulch, for instance,can be made from recycled rub -ber and won’t impact the envi -ronment in a negative way. Just be sure to purchase recycled mulch that is nontoxic and does not consume natural resources.

• Live and let live. Insects might be a nuisance, but theycan also be a gardener’s best friend. Spraying insecticide simply because insects can be pesky is shortsighted and impractical. Certain spiders prey on other insects that can be harmful to a garden, while butterflies and bees help pol -lenate flowers. Earthworms are also very beneficial to a garden,helping to aerate and fertilize the soil and enabling plants to grow by removing harmful mat -ter from the soil.

Gardening is a rewarding hobby, one that is even more so when gardeners institute eco- friendly practices.

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CITIZEN’S NEWS Friday, April 13, 201214

Gardeners rely on a number of factors when deciding on what to plant in their gardens and around their property. One of the most important things to take into con -sideration is the climate.

Since 1960, the go-to source for cli -mate and relation to agriculture has been the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zone map. In 1967, Agriculture Canada developed their own map that took into consideration Canadian plant survival data and a wider range of climatic variables. The maps remained constant until now.

In January 2012, the USDAreleased an updated zone map. The map is now more precise and reflects microclimates, heat islands, prevailing wind, elevation, and generally better data. It breaks down the country into 13 unique zones from the pre -vious 11. Individuals who once resided in a particular zone may find that they are now moved into another zone. This updated map has taken into consideration climate changes that have occurred between 1976 and 2005. You now may be able to try plants that you may have been skeptical about in the past.

The new map now offers a Geographic Information System, or GIS, -based, interactive format and is specifi -cally designed to be Internet-friendly. The map website also incorporates a “find your zone by ZIP code” function. Static images of national, regional and state maps havealso been included to ensure the map is readily accessible to those who lack broad -

Maps reveal new planthardiness zones

band Internet access.

The new version of the map includes 13 zones, with the addition for the first time of zones 12 (50-60 degrees F) and 13 (60-70 degrees F). Each zone is a 10-degree Fahrenheit band, further divided into A and B 5-degree Fahrenheit zones.

A hardiness zone describes a geo -graphically defined area in which a spe -cific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions,including its ability to withstand the mini -mum temperatures of the zone. Summer temperatures are not factored into the mix.Therefore, areas with similar winter pat -terns and average lows may be in the same zone despite having drastically different highs. Hardiness zones may not take into consideration snow cover, either. Snow helps insulate the soil and hibernating plants. Therefore hardiness zones are more like guidelines instead of foolproof methods of determining viable plants.

Although a poster-sized version of this map will not be available for purchase from USDA, as in the past, anyone may download the map free of charge from the Internet onto their personal computer and print copies of the map as needed.

When shopping for plants, most will display a hardiness zone right on the con -tainer to help you determine whether this particular plant will be acceptable out -doors in your zone. To learn more about hardiness zones, visit www.usda.gov or http://planthardiness.gc.ca.

Hardiness zone maps courtesy of the USDA and Agriculture Canada.