High Altitude Gardening

It is time to start thinking about your summer gardening plans! The gardening centers throughout the Wood River Valley will be opening their doors in the next couple of weeks. 

Choosing the right plants is the most important part of gardening at high altitudes. The reason you should take time to understand your Idaho hardiness planting zone is that you should be choosing perennial plants for your garden that will survive the winter in your area. By choosing plants that either match your zone or will survive in a lower zone, the plants you choose will be better equipped to survive the conditions in your area. 

Here in the Wood River Valley, we have various zones - Sun Valley and Ketchum will have a higher zone than Hailey or Bellevue. So, pay careful attention and ask the experts what they recommend. You can also lookup your zone here: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

If you choose to grow plants that are suitable for a higher zone, you will need to provide extra protection, or even bring these plants indoors for the winter. You can find plants appropriate for growing zones in Idaho at your local garden center. Reputable nurseries will only sell perennials for landscaping that will survive the winter in your area. These plants will be clearly marked with the zone that they are meant for. Your local nursery may also sell some non-zone-appropriate perennials, but these will be marked as non-hardy.

There are considerations outside of perennials as well. We have a short growing season, with frosts possible until late into May. But, if you think a vegetable garden is out of the question, think again. Short-season veggies will still thrive in the garden provided you incorporate plenty of compost or manure into your soil. Try leafy greens, root vegetables, cole crops, peas, and many varieties of herbs.

Visit any of these amazing local garden centers for zone-appropriate plants. They will be able to give you suggestions based on your wants and needs and your property location! 

Moss Garden Center - Ketchum

Web Landscape and Garden Centers - Ketchum and Bellevue 

Sun Valley Garden Center - Bellevue

Branching Out Nursery - Bellevue

Happy Planting! 

Information from www.gardeningknowhow.com