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New to the UK, advice for hardiness zones

Hello everyone! I have just moved to England (West Midlands, Stourbridge area) from Florida and I’m having a heck of a time adjusting my gardening! From what I gather I’m in a H5 hardiness zone.... I think. 😂 Can anyone is this area give me an idea what the lowest hardiness zone will survive in my area? Will H4 do well? I need 3 or 4 different trees or large shrubs for privacy along my garden fence. My partner doesn’t want to go higher then 6 meters. But I find all the smaller trees/ larger shrubs which I like are H4. Will I be able to get away with H4 or should I stick to H5 to be on the safe side? Oh, and I should also mention my neighbors on all sides have pavers or fake turf (virtually no greenery or plants)  so that may play a role during winter as far as shelter goes for the plants. Thanks for any advice that can be given! So exited to try new plants and revive the neglected garden!
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  • InglezinhoInglezinho Posts: 568
    edited May 2021
    Basically very little you grew in Florida will do here, except grass. Main problem: winter frost. Go to a good garden center and say you want to grow some "fully hardy" plants. There are very many. Just think of stuff that WON'T grown in Florida, Daffodils, Tulips, Irises, plus a host of shrubs and trees that like a cool climate. Two plants that do fine in both UK and Florida - Roses and Japanese Honeysuckle. Good luck !
    PS: USDA climate zones are not appropriate to UK , as the climate is different. West Midlands is technically Zone 8, but really Zone 9 as winters are much wetter.
    Everyone likes butterflies. Nobody likes caterpillars.
  • AthelasAthelas Posts: 946
    edited May 2021
    Welcome to the UK! 

    Looks like Stourbridge is H9a according to this map: https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-united-kingdom-plant-hardiness-zone-map-celsius.php

    We don’t use hardiness zone designations here too much; on websites like Crocus there will be a filter selection for ‘Hardy (Yes/No)’. And then there’s ‘frost hardy’ which for me usually means it will die over winter...

    Of course there are microclimates to consider. I was going to say have a look at your neighbours’ gardens to see what they’ve got, but otherwise have a look at the National Garden Scheme for open gardens near you: https://ngs.org.uk/. They can be grand but also more ‘ordinary’ — I learned a lot visiting a collection of home gardens that opened in a new build estate near me; my garden is in a new build development.

    More on UK hardiness zones here: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/planting-zones/uk-hardiness-zones.htm

    If you can post a photo of your garden especially the fence area, and let us know what trees/shrubs you’re considering then others will be able to give suggestions. Also which way the fence faces, the type of soil and if you have any particular preferences apart from privacy (e.g. wildlife friendly, no thorns, evergreen). You can upload using the icon circled in yellow below. If the photo is not rotated properly, crop your photo slightly and upload it again.




    Cambridgeshire, UK
  • shaunaamilshaunaamil Posts: 5
    Thank you! Great advice! I thought you guys went by Hardiness zones because on the RHS website when I search for plants they use that. I’m a prolific gardener in Florida. I plant there based on the “the right plant for the right spot”. So it’s important for me to do full research on a plant before it goes in. Water / light needs, pest and disease resistance, hardiness etc. The garden center near me seems to have small shrubs or large trees so they weren’t a ton of help. I’m probably going to have to order online. 🤞🏻
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,351
    You don't have to worry about the hardiness much. Most of the plants you can buy from British nurseries and garden centres are ok for you where you are. Tender perennials are usually sold as annuals and borderline hardy plants are usually described as such ("suitable for mild coastal areas only" etc.).
  • shaunaamilshaunaamil Posts: 5
    Great thank you! Perhaps it’s better to search on a different site other than RHS. So I have no experience with gardening in cold weather so just bare with me... I notice a lot of trees/plants are listed as “Hardy” but also suggest “protect from cold winds”. How would one protect a tree from cold wind? Are these trees suitable to plant in my area or should I avoid them to be on the safe side?
  • NorthernJoeNorthernJoe Posts: 660
    I've never heard of those zones. There's never been a gardener in our family who has ever mentioned them. They work on what the local area is like. By this they know if it's typical weather patterns through the year. They know when to expect the end of the frost's or when the garden is likely to need watering. But mainly it's a case of reacting to what's happening and using weather forecasts for close in details, eg to decide whether it's time to harden off seedlings or sow seeds outside.

    That doesn't help you as I assume you have little experience of UK weather. In many places there's a saying, "if you don't like the weather hasn't around it'll soon change". I've known lovely spring sun followed by rain, hall, sleet, snow then lovely spring sun again. We're talking not a cloud in the sky book ending winter weather conditions. That's in may bank holiday btw.

    In the UK though there are usually good garden centres near everywhere. If your local one isn't great and can't help you then your a few others until you find a good one. You're American right? Local drive means 5 hours in the car in suppose. Could be a generalisation because I used to deal with Texans so it might just be true for them. BTW 5 hours would get you up our way and there's loads of garden centres worth visiting up here.

    Trees and shrubs are kind of active right now. I'd have thought it's not a great time to plant out new trees. There's a very good tree nursery about an hour from us up in the Howgills. It's website basically said that they're shut down until dormancy of the trees comes back. You can order but you'd have to wait for the trees. My dad bought hedging whips from there. We all checked it out but you could just as well order online. Weardale Nurseries. They supply trees from whips right up to several years old and getting quite big. Best place near to us to buy trees from. My dad got hawthorn and Blackthorn whips for the hedge, an American sorbus (close relative to our native Rowan or mountain ash), an apple and a plum tree I think. They were doing great years later when they moved out. Didn't lose one whip and they got delivered into their driveway while they were out. Perfect condition.

    I'm not saying come up here just shop around a bit nearer home. I think it's a good idea when moving somewhere new to tour garden centres within reasonable traveling distance to find a good one. It's the quality of advice as much as the plants that are important.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    I wasn't aware of zones in the UK either.  You learn something new every day.  I suspect they will be much more difficult to define in the UK than in Florida because we can have such different weather in locations just a few miles apart.

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698



    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    edited May 2021
    H5 should be fine, H4 should be OK given the protection of surrounding buildings and hedges etc if you are in a built up area - you will see damage to H4 evergreens in a severe winter though.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Bear in mind too, that a cold dry area is very different to a cold wet area in terms of plant hardiness. Altitude/exposure also has a big impact. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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