Zone One in Northern Alberta
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Christine Kent
Posted on: March 20, 2000

I have been living in Pickering [Ontario] and going to your store for the past two years. Love your herbs. I have quite a medicinal garden now.

Next month I am moving to <bold>Grande Prairie, Alberta</bold>!!. What grows there? Can you recommend any of your herbs for zone 1? Maybe mint?

It is surprising what can be grown in northern Alberta. Recently, we were supplied with a long list of species that grow in zones 2-3 which, according to conventional wisdom, shouldn’t grow. Plants rated hardy to zones 4 and 5 are growing just fine in those zones. The key seems to be the snow cover: in northern Alberta the snow cover is a reliable protector of plants, allowing gardeners to "push" the zone ratings by one or two or even three! You need to experiment, but we would be bold and try anything rated hardy up to zone 5.

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