New England
February, 2012
Regional Report
Web Finds
U.S. and Canadian Hardiness Zone Maps
Check out all the features of the newest version of the USDA Hardiness Zone Map. Find out if your zone has changed, print out a zone map of your state, and read about how the map was made. Canadian gardeners can find their own hardiness zone map at Plant Hardiness Zones of Canada.
Favorite or New Plant
'Somerset' Seedless Grape'
Who wants to have to spit out seeds? 'Somerset' is the earliest, hardiest, high-quality seedless grape available. Bred by noted Wisconsin grape breeder Elmer Swenson, this red variety produces small to medium size clusters of medium size grapes with a strawberry-like flavor. Fruits are edible at their pink stage in August, but are sweetest if ripened to their full red color. The vine is hardy to -30 F and shows good disease resistance, but may need spraying to control powdery mildew.
