The zones in the U.S. are classified on the basis of their temperatures in winter. The maps of these zones presume that all the other factors that are needed for the growth and development of plants like number of days without frosts, soil quality, water supply, sunlight, etc are perfectly ideal. The coldest of winter temperatures in zone 5 may reach anywhere between -20 to -10 F. There are very few plants that can survive in these temperatures.
Your first motive must be the selection of plants. Remember that all the plants you select must be able to survive the worst of winters in zone 5. You can grow a large amount of plants in zone 5. There are some bulbs that you can grow in zone 5 that wouldn’t thrive in a frost free climate. This will provide your garden with ample amount of flowers throughout the year.
Also remember that there might be some parts of your garden or your whole garden itself in some cases that may be colder or warmer than the average zone 5 temperatures. So a plant that is enlisted to survive in zone 5 temperatures may die in that particularly cold spot in your garden.
There are a number of plants that can survive in zone 5 temperatures. This gives you a lot of options while beginning gardening in zone 5. These plants include perennials like Aster, Hibiscus, Geranium, Verbena, Sunflower, Sedum and Iris. They also include other plants like deciduous trees, shrubs and many kinds of vines. Some of the deciduous trees that will survive in zone 5 are Maple, Beech, Alder, Ash, Crabapple, Hawthorn, Oak and Walnut. As mentioned above, you can also plant some shrubs in your zone 5 garden like Boxwood, Broom, Candytuft, Bearberry and Yucca. You could plant some vines in your garden such as Trumpet creeper, Dutchman’s pipe and Clematis.
