I'm not surprised by your experience. Companies don't seem to spend money training people anymore.

I suspect the reason he'd heard no complaints about the trees, is that people didn't bother to return them when they died!

I find it particularly irritating to see things for sale that won't possibly grow in our zone. I've been told also that the grower sends them. Hmmm. Doesn't the grower know better?

Didn't you burst out laughing when he said you were in a mix of Zone 3 and Zone 5 ?

BTW What does LMAO stand for?

I snickered pretty loudly when he said that!

The "growers" have no idea about us - we're in Ontario so we must be at least zone 4, 5 or 6. I guess none of these places know anything about hardiness zones. Come to think of it, i'm going to print off a map and bring it in to Canadian Tire. I think that technically we're in zone 2b, though i'm in denial about that!

LMAO = Laughing My A$$ Off!

You're braver than I. When I see or hear something outright stupid, I've learned to ignore or sidestep the conversation because they then talk down to me as if *I* am the ignorant one.

While we're on the subject of idiocy, why is my local garden centre selling tomato and zucchini transplants but not broccoli or cauliflower yet? Spring is whizzing by and there's so many things that don't need to wait until the magical May long weekend. I should've started more of my own transplants.

I think its fun to experiment with zone 4 and 5 plants in zone 3. Ive seen Crimson Maples grown succesdully here in Edmonton for a number of years. Siting is the key for those trees. If not in a protected microclimate they will have severe die-back or die outright. But you can be succesful with Crimson Maples in zone 3.

I hear you on the transplants. For the last three years now I have not bought a single transplant, flower or veg. My DH calls the basement a grow op. Besides the fact that the prices are outrageous for the size and quality of the plant they never seem to have the variety or the timing for transplants is always incorrect. I'm all for pushing zones but somethings are absolutely ridiculous. I have seen pears here in the west too. I would love to try but I'm waiting to hear is anyone can get it through 3 good hard winters first. Cheryl

Marcia - you are in 2b, just like I am, even if I am south of you.
A mix of zone 3 and 5? That must mean the south side of the property and the north side? Lots of places put people in charge of something they know nothing about. Look what happened here in the US when our last president got re-elected. Oops, didn't mean to go there.

There are hardy pears for our area, i'm sure. Konrad grows a lot of fruit trees, doesn't he? But not Bartlett. I didn't look at the price of the trees but i imagine it's a hefty amount and it might end up being an expensive experiment.

Ruth, you're right, but i'm in denial! I started gardening in zone 3 and i'm staying in zone 3! Btw, your tomatoes are growing nicely, most of them. Some misses, but not too much. :)

Thanks Marcia - You're the greatest - even if you are in denial!
I'll garden in 2b, you garden in 3. See, if the few miles between us is 1/2 a zone, maybe in we are a mix of 3 and 5!!!

I see this all the time too. Especially box stores, like the employee said they just get sent big orders of whatever head office decided they were going to get. In some ways I like it though. I like to be able to buy HT roses cheap and not care if they last a few years or not at all.

Ruth, you're closer to the lake so more likely to be in 3 than i am! Feels like we're getting zone 5 weather now, though - i'm going to start the veggie garden this weekend if i can get dh moving with the tiller. :)

Gil, a few years ago, Walmart had a bunch of roses for $4.99. I bought one, planted it in a big container and then figured i should go and get another one. Heck at that price, who cares if it was just an annual! Those trees, however, were probably a bit more than 4.99. :-/

I agree with Andres, Crimson King can be successful in zone 3 in a protected location.

Terry

I don't mind when garden centres bring in plants that are out of zone. If I want to try growing a magnolia or a grape that isn't hardy in my zone, then it's nice to be able to browse some of those plants at a local garden centre so I can pick out a nice one that is potted and healthy, rather than going mail-order for bare-root plants. Case in point, last spring I bought two Chester thornless blackberry plants(zone 5 or 6) from Home Depot. One did OK last summer (no fruit, they fruit on second year canes) while the other struggled to survive. I laid down the very green canes in the fall and covered them with leaves to protect them in my zone 3a climate. Now the healthy plant is putting out lots of new growth from the bottom two-thirds of the cane, giving me a shot at blackberries this summer. (The second plant shows no signs of life, I don't know if it will come back or not). I don't really even care if they produce fruit, or if they produce this year and then die next year, it's the challenge and the attempt at growing something I shouldn't be able to grow that is exciting. And if I can pull it off, all the better!

Last year I was going to buy a Crimson King Maple that Walmart had for $60.00 however when I came here and aked about it, TWROSZ suggested that I get a Prairie Splendor instead. Thanks TWROSZ! I checked the tree two weeks ago and it is starting to bud out and I've planted it in the front yard without any protection at all so there are some that will make it and some that don't. Marciaz3, you're right about the Bartlet Pears though, I don't think I would try those. As I've said before, I don't push the zone too much anymore because of the cost and I think I'm older and wiser, although DW might question that, at least the wiser part. Stan