Hey Hunter! I live about 7 miles outside of bedford - between Lynchburg and Bedford. Bedford is a solid zone 7. I have 2 windmills, 2 brazorias, and 1 minor and several naners!
What would you be moving to Bedford for? by the way, it is a beautiful area!

Yes I know because Ive lived there almost all my life!! Im 13 and was born in salem and I lived in Vinton and Bedford for my first 10 years! My dads job brought me too Ohio and we might go back to forest county in Bedford next year! Its not positive my dad will get the job,but its looking pretty good. I was hopeing to plant some windmills and some needles and mabye some europien fan palms. Hows your minor? Id love a minor but I thought VA would too cold. Thanks for the info!

So far so good for the minor. I left her unprotected this past winter and came through with flying colors.

Minors seem to be pretty good with the cold, especially if you get them from places that keep them outside during the winter. I dont think it will have a problem if you move the VA, but if you could, I would try to keep it in a nice sheltered and sunny spot. My Sabal minor is just about to make its first bloom so Im really excited!
-Alex

For me minors are my most hardy palm (much better than windmills or needles). I don't ever have to worry about them,and I have 12 planted. The worst damage I have ever seen on one is tip burn after 8" of snow on last Christmas. I live just north of Winston Salem only 30 minutes from Va.

Windmill palms are my most hardy. They are the only palms I dont give christmas lights to in the winter (that survive). Im not sure why, but my Sabal Minor isnt very cold hardy. I think it might be too dry in its protection which is why I do plan on watering it this comming winter (when the weather is mild.)
-Alex

Yeah, none of mine are protected and they all come from either wal-mart or lowes except for the brazoria, birmingham, louisiana, and savannah Ga. which came from yuccado and plants delight. I think for sabals it all depends on the amount of sun and lenght of the growing season as to how hardy they are. Mine get sun for at least 9hrs a day and our growing season is 163 days on avg. The minors that are planted beside my pindo where planted in Oct. after Lowes put them on discount. For you Alex, since you are farther north maybe your growing season is shorter or some variation in the climate. I don't know, some of the ones I planted this year stayed out all winter in their pots unprotected. Go figure.

My growing season last year was from March 28th to November 29th which is about 230 -240 growing days (the ocean and heat island effect helps keep frost from hitting as frequently as other areas). TOn average my growing season is from April 10th to November 10th which is around 180 days (give or take. But just because my growing season is about the same as yours, or maybe a bit longer, doesnt mean its better, since my growing season is definitely cooler than yours on average).

Mine is in a full sun (During the summer it gets sun from about 11am to 6pm).

The duration of cold during the winter here is longer though so I think that could be one problem (windmill palms do seem to handle cool temperatures better than sabals which might be one reason why I have more success with windmills than Sabals).

One thing I should mention is I have my Sabal a bit above the actual ground level which might make the roots a bit more vulnerable to cold (and heat) and it also stays drier for that same reason.

You are much closer to Sabal minor's native range than I am so Im sure that your soil type and temperatures are more similar to what they want.

Good luck!
-Alex