About Zone 5 Gardens
The average date of the last frost in zone 5 is around April 15. Most zone 5 gardeners tend to hold off until early to mid-may before planting vegetable gardens and annual beds. Most annuals and vegetables do very well in zone 5, as long as they are not hit by a late frost while they are young. Many tough zone 5 or above perennials can withstand a late frost, or will still be dormant in early spring.
Best Plants for Zone 5
A large variety of perennials grow wonderfully in zone 5 gardens. Creeping phlox, dianthus, creeping thyme, stonecrop, and violets are excellent ground covers for sunny zone 5 gardens. For all season long color, interplant zone 5 hardy perennials like:
Echinacea Bee balm Phlox Daylily Delphinium Rudbeckia Filipendula Sedum Lilies Lavender Gaillardia Poppy Salvia Penstemon Russian sage Hollyhock Peony Butterfly weed
For a shady zone 5 garden try ajuga, lamium, lungwort, vinca/periwinkle, or mukdenia as a groundcover or border. Interplantings here could include:
Hosta Coral bells Ligularia Ferns Bleeding heart Jacob’s ladder Hellebore Foxglove Monkshood Spiderwort Astilbe Balloon flower
A zone 5 gardener has many excellent perennials to choose from; too many to list them all. While I’ve already mentioned many zone 5 perennial options, I’ve also comprised lists of my top 5 picks of trees and shrubs for zone 5 gardens. Deciduous Shade Trees
October Glory or Autumn Blaze Maple, zones 3-8 Pin Oak, zones 4-8 Skyline Honey locust, zones 3-9 Cleveland Select pear, zones 5-8 Ginkgo, zones 3-9
Deciduous Ornamental Trees
Royal Rain Drops Crabapple, zones 4-8 Ivory Silk Japanese Lilac tree, zones 3-7 Redbud, zones 4-9 Saucer Magnolia, zones 4-9 Newport Plum, zones 4-10
Evergreen Trees
Arborvitae, zones 3-8 Colorado Blue Spruce, zones 2-7, or Black Hills, zones 3-7 Douglas or Concolor Fir, zones 4-8 Hemlock, zones 3-7 White Pine, zones 3-7
Deciduous Shrubs
Dappled Willow, zones 5-9 Red-twig Dogwood, zones 2-9 Forsythia, zones 4-8 Easy Elegance or Knockout Rose, zones 4-8 Weigela, zones 4-9
Evergreen Shrubs
Boxwood, zones 4-9 Juniper, zones 3-9 Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae, zones 3-8 Yew, zones 4-7 Golden Mops, zone 5-7
These are not all inclusive lists. Zone 5 gardeners will find many beautiful trees, shrubs, and perennials at local garden centers that grow very reliably in their zone.
