Create Your Garden

Gardening Tips for Gardeners of New England

Regional Gardening, New England Gardening, New England Region, Gardening Tips

New England, New England garden, New England Climate, New England hardiness zones, plant hardiness zones, usda hardiness zones, New England Growing season

New England typically includes the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Weather varies dramatically from state to state and season to season. However, this region generally enjoys four distinct seasons characterized by short springs, hot and humid summers along the coasts but cool in the mountains, cool falls, and long and harsh winters with heavy snow and sometimes ice storms.

The frost-free growing season ranges from 120 to 180 days, with the last frost dates ranging from April end (along the coast) to early June (in the mountains) and the first frost dates starting as early as September until the end of October.

How to extend the growing season and life of your plants in New England

  • You may want to modify the growing conditions in your garden to help your plants thrive year after year and enjoy them longer. Here are a few basic gardening tips:
  • Block damaging winter winds with fences, burlap, or windbreaks.
  • Plant your heat-loving perennials and shrubs near hard structures of stone or concrete (such as buildings) as they emit heat and raise the air temperature.
  • Apply mulch around the plant roots (woodchips, evergreen needles, or any other organic mulch) to keep them cooler and moist in summer and warmer in winter.
  • Apply winter mulch to keep your soil temperature stable throughout the winter and protect your plants (straw, evergreen boughs, marsh hay). This will help reduce variations in soil temperatures that could stress your plants, prevent early sprouting after a temporary rise in temperatures, and reduce moisture loss from winter wind or sun. Did you know that snow is a reliable winter mulch that protects your plants?
  • Provide frost protection to enjoy your plants longer. Use cold frames to get a jump on the growing season and extend it by several weeks. Alternatively, you may want to start your seeds indoors several weeks before they can be planted in the ground. Another option would be to use season-extending fabrics. Simply plant your frost-sensitive plants outside a few weeks before your last spring frost date and cover them with this season-extending fabric. They will be protected from spring frost and kept warm. Remove the season-extending fabric once the danger of frost has passed. Similarly, you may want to use these covers in the fall to protect your plants from the first fall frost and enjoy them longer.
  • If your growing season is short, select early-blooming plants. If you are lucky enough to enjoy a long growing season, pick early, mid-season, and late flowering plants to enjoy their colorful blooms longer.
  • Underplant your trees and shrubs with a ground cover.

Guide Information

Hardiness 3 - 7
Heat Zones 1 - 3
Best Flowering Crabapples for New England
Great Clematis for New England
Best Perennials for Part Shade Gardens in New England
Best Perennials for Moist and Wet Soils in New England
Best Perennials for Late Summer and Fall in New England
Best Perennials for Full Sun Gardens in New England
Best Perennials for Full Shade Gardens in New England
Best David Austin Roses for Gardeners in New England
Best Grasses and Foliage Plants for Gardeners in New England
Beautiful Hydrangeas for New England
Beautiful Azaleas and Rhododendrons for New England
Great Shrubs with Berries for Winter Interest for New England
Great North American Trees for Sunny, Well-Drained Soils in New England
Award-Winning Shrubs for Gardeners in New England
Great Shrubs with Brilliant Fall Color for New England Gardens

Garden Examples

A Luminous Perennial Planting Idea with Echinacea pallida and Veronicastrum
A Spectacular Spring Border Idea with Brilliant Tulips and Cotinus
A Charming Plant Combination for Shady Gardens: Candelabra Primroses, Fern and Bugle
A Charming Plant Combination for Shady Gardens: Hydrangea, Japanese Maple and Boxwood
A Charming Summer to Fall Duo: Achillea & Aster
A Cheerful Border Idea with Monarda, Achillea and Digitalis
A Cheerful Border Idea with Liatris, Sedum and Heliopsis
A Glowing Winter Border with Dogwood, Heath and Grasses
A Glowing Perennial Planting Idea with Rudbeckias and Garden Phlox
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
New England
Guides with
New England
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Hardiness 3 - 7
Heat Zones 1 - 3
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
New England
Guides with
New England

Related Items

Please Login to Proceed

You Have Reached The Free Limit, Please Subscribe to Proceed

Subscribe to Gardenia

To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of Gardenia
  • Add as many plants as you wish
  • Create and save up to 25 garden collections
Become a Member

Plant Added Successfully

You have Reached Your Limit

To add more plants, you must be a paid member of our site Become a Member

Update Your Credit
Card Information

Cancel

Create a New Collection

Sign Up to Our Newsletter

    You have been subscribed successfully

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Find your Hardiness Zone

    Find your Heat Zone

    Find your Climate Zone