I am in Buhl, Idaho and am in zone 5, I know that Boise and closer to the river up there it is 6 at least. Everything comes on at least a week and up to 3 weeks before the things down here. I am sure 6 or warmer. Gail

Thank you Gail. That is what I thought. The man I talked to said he goes by the Western Garden Book, which does rate us differently. I don't really understand the reason behind that.

Debbie

I consider Boise to be zone 6 (-5 degrees), meaning zone 6 plants should be safe. A lot of winters, especially lately, would put us in zone 7 (0 degrees). Also, if you are in the city, temperatures will likely be slightly warmer than out of town. You can probably grow zone 7 plants with good success, but you might have to protect them if it gets really cold. This is usually do-able for the home gardener. Even a cold winter will probably not kill zone 7 plants, but they might have some injury requiring pruning / re-growth.

Thank you, that is all very helpful.