Question
Your site is very interesting, but I keep seeing references to zones with no explanation as to how to determine what zone i'm in.  Am i missing that somehow?????    Thanks   Pat

Answer
Plant hardiness zones were established by the USDA to help us correctly plant the right plants in the right climates. The zone map was created to illustrate plant hardiness based on the weather year round including factors such as average low temperatures and special climate areas like the Great Lakes region. While not a hard and fast rule, planting outside of the recommended zone for a specific plant exposes you to a much higher chance of failure. For instance, a tree or shrub grown outside of its recommended zone may bud out too early for your area. If the early bud break is followed by a frost or too low of a temperature, this could damage the plant and even cause it to perish.
Please keep in mind that planting your seedling in the correct zone does not ensure its survival. Other factors such as soil type, moisture, drainage, humidity, and exposure to sun and wind can have a direct effect on the survival of your tree or shrub.
Here is a web link to this map and you can find the zone for your state. http://www.plantmaps.com/