Global warming is hitting not just home, but garden. The color-coded map of planting zones often seen on the back of seed packets is being updated by the government, illustrating a hotter 21st century.
It's the first time since 1990 that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has revised the official guide for the nation's 80 million gardeners, and much has changed. Nearly entire states, such as Ohio, Nebraska and Texas, are in warmer zones.
mk: They should have both a liberal and conservative version of the map. Or let states determine their own gardening maps. Clear example of liberal big-government overreach.</sarcasm>Even so, I wouldn't plant a tree that was newly included in my zone. Just because average temperatures are rising, it doesn't mean that swings aren't going to occur. It would suck to grow a fig tree for 10 years, and then have it destroyed in a cold-snap.