This map also allows you to plug in your zip code to find out your exact planting Zone. My zip code in Linn County places me in Zone 5a, but I have lost Zone 5 hardy plants in my garden.

Starting a successful garden begins with knowing your planting zone. These maps can help.

The 26 zones are based on 5-degree increments, but gardeners can get more precise data by plugging a ZIP code into the map (www.planthardiness.ars.usda. gov).

Planting zones are warming — affecting which plants thrive in different U.S. regions. This trend is likely to continue as global temperatures rise.

Global warming is hitting not just home, but garden. The color-coded map of planting zones often seen on the back of seed packets is being updated by the government, illustrating a hotter 21st ...