World weather notes

Climate shock: Notes for the transplanted gardener

The traveling gardener is often surprised by weather in both its differences and similarities between regions.

Here's a list of some things that caught our interest as we traveled or made virtual exploration of distant places. (Some of these come from our workshops on hardiness and geographic effects on garden color, such as Gardener, Hedge Your Bets and Local Color; these are presentations we can deliver to your group; just invite us to speak!)

We'll extend the list as we go, with geographical and climate related facts related to articles we post. You can contribute.  Contact us if you come home from your travels with items to add here.

Paris, France...

...is at 49°N latitude. That's closer to the North Pole than Thunder Bay, Ontario on Lake Superior's northern shore. Giverny where Monet made his famous Clos Normand garden and Water Lily pond is 50 miles north of Paris. Yet the whole of north central France is as warm in winter as northern Florida -- equivalent to USDA hardiness zone 8. Winter temperatures average 34°F with the possibility in any given year of a snap into the teens.