First blossom of the year peaking out from my hazel “Arnold’s Promise” Enjoy but don’t be fooled by this tempting spring weather.  We may be lucky and have an early spring or get walloped in March by the proverbial lion!  This weather has me in the mood though and thinking about what to put in the garden this year.  One thing you should check before you buy is the plant hardiness zone for your area and zones listed on the plant label or ask the garden centre staff.  Zones are rated from 1 – 10 with 1 being the coldest and 10 the warmest.  Most sites list the average minimum temperatures and some will list the average maximum temperatures for each zone. Canada wide plant zone map from the  Natural Resources Canada site: planthardiness.gc.ca Make sure the plants you buy are at least hardy to your zone and if you are uncertain or live near a zone boundary pick those hardy to one zone lower. More detailed map of Southern Ontario from a Universtiy of Guelph report by Daniel Newman, David Nowicki and Matt Rapke These are my local maps but simply google plant hardiness zones for your area, province, state or country to find a map showing your hardiness zone.  You can always experiment with more tender plants in a protected microclimate (I do all the time! ) but remember they may wiped out in a frigid winter or scorching summer.