Yes. Some sources say 9, some 10 and some even 9.5!
I agree with what my local gardening columnist once said: walk in your neighborhood to see what grows.
Best advice I’ve ever gotten for gardening - I see all kinds of plants in nurseries and/or the big box stores that I know do not grow here (So Cal)- our climate is very very dry with hot winds and scant rain until December/January.
We also have micro climates (I’m in the foothills) and that can certainly effect what is planted - we get a lot of wind here which dries things out even more.
*** I agree with what my local gardening columnist once said: walk in your neighborhood to see what grows.***
While this is certainly true, I like having things that aren’t as common as what most of my neighbors grow in their yards. Some of them even seem dull because you see them everywhere.
So far, the Beautyberry shrubs we planted in late May are doing VERY well!! I wasn’t sure if they could even grow here, and of course, there’s winter to deal with. Fingers crossed that the berries will grow a little bigger and turn a beautiful shade of purple in the autumn.
I highly recommend this book:
Landrace Gardening: Food Security through Biodiversity and Promiscuous Pollination
by Joseph Lofthouse
It teaches how to garden where YOU are, not where “experts” or heirlooms are. YOUR climate has to be recognized to grow what’s successful. Here in Zone 10 and on the beach, there are many many practices and species that will simply not survive the heat and salt. Those that can are my “winners” and get to have a legacy. My Yellow Petite Watermelon is the newest winner of the race.