Consider Zoning 

Want to start your garden in Spring? First things first, think about the environment! Start here to learn about the climate here at Frerichs Farm.

Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts are in Zones 5 and 6.

This means that plants, which are NOT hardy to -5F, will NOT make it through the winter, making them annuals in our zone. It’s always important to keep in mind that it is better to overestimate how cold it gets—our New England winters are crazy!

At Frerichs, everything found INSIDE a greenhouse is an annual except for a few 4 packs in Greenhouse 6 closest to the cash register (We have to make it a little difficult don’t we?).

Plants found along the driveway or in the courtyard are perennials, and almost everything we say is a perennial is hardy through zone 6. Annuals must be planted annually. However, the advantage to annuals is that they stay in full-bloom throughout the entire summer season. Annuals are most often used in container gardens and to brighten up perennial beds.

Perennials are hardy year-round, though most go dormant in the winter months. Perennials bloom only for a few weeks each summer. This is why perennial gardens are usually varied in plant type so something is in bloom all summer long.  A lot of perennial gardens also feature annuals in borders or scattered throughout to brighten up the foliage.