Zoning Out

Zone 21 according to Sunset, Zone 9b according to the USDA or maybe Zone 8-10 depending on who you ask. That's where I garden, somewhere in there. So plants won't freeze unless, of course, they do. And my plants should get enough winter chill to set fruits or buds, unless of course they don't,which they don't.



Sigh. I know I should give up searching the 'experts' for advice on which plants I can grow. They obviously haven't a clue. Which would be okay except there is so much advice from them. And so authoritative! Do this; don't do that! That won't grow there; this will! Do it now, do it then; it's too late to do it, it's too early to do it. Stop! You're wrong! I can almost see them shaking their heads, throwing up their hands in despair, and turning their backs on me and walking away.



Good riddance. Leave me alone. I do much better without all you experts and my garden does much better too. My pothos is fine even though it doesn't grow here. So is my peace lily even though it should be dead according to you experts. Oh, and the lilacs you all say will grow here? My neighbors say no. They won't bloom much if at all. So I'm not going to get my hopes up and try. And the laelia anceps you all say will do fine? Well I watched that die a miserable death. My neighbors were right again. In fact the neighbors seem to have it right. No only do they tell me what's possible, they also tell me what isn't, or isn't likely. I learned what to plant from walking around the neighborhood and extrapolating from there.

So far, so good. But really I would like to try another laelia, and according to the experts, it should flourish here. Really truly.