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Do you know your gardening zone? Do you care? You may be one of those adventurous gardeners who live in "zonal denial". You may not care that your banana plants won't survive outdoors in your Minnesota winter, or your tulips won't come back next year if you live at the mild coastal beaches. You are a whimsical gardener who thrives on adventure. You probably don't own even a single gardening book. If so, then grab your bungee chord and head for a bridge; this section isn't for you. 
If you are the cautious type, you don't want to unnecessarily subject your plants to conditions they don't like; you want them to live (even thrive!) happily through your cold winter or hot summer and be at home in your garden. You don't want to waste a lot of money and time on plants that will not be at home in your garden and will have to be replaced year after year. You want to know if the plants you desire are appropriate for your gardening zone, even if you plan to "push" your zone a bit (more about that later).
Two different climate zone systems are helpful in determining which plants will thrive in your garden -- and which ones will not. Some plants require a winter chill with freezing temperatures in order to set fruit or bloom the following year. Others will turn to mush in freezing temperatures and never emerge again. And some will just sulk -- they will survive, but won't look their best. To get an idea of what plants are best suited for your zone, check out these zone systems.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) zone system is based on minimum winter temperatures. This system consists of zones 1-11, zone 1 having the coldest winter temperatures and zone 11 having the warmest. Plants grown in the colder zones have much shorter growing seasons than those grown in the milder zones. If you chose a plant that requires mild winter temperatures but you live in a climate with severe winters, that plant may not survive the winter. Discover your USDA zone and more information about this system at The United States National Arboretum's USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
The Sunset Western Climate zone system has 24 different zones for Western North America and additional zones for Alaska (A1-A3) and Hawaii (H1-H2). In addition to winter minimum temperatures, the Sunset system considers other factors including summer temperatures, elevation, amount of rainfall, marine influence, mountains, humidity and aridity, and growing season--the average number of days between the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall. Discover your Sunset zone and more information about this system at Sunset Western Climate Zones.
Microclimates exist within your own personal garden zone. A sheltered spot protected from cold northern air, such as against a warm south-facing wall, can be a zone or two warmer than exposed areas on the north side of the house. This would be a good spot to grow plants that are only marginally hardy for your zone by protecting them in this sheltered spot. Also, a warmer zone can exist at the top of a slope, where warm air rises. So, if you live in zone 7, but you really, really want that tender plant designated for zone 9 or warmer, you can go ahead and try it in a sheltered spot. You can also "push" your zone by experimenting with plants that are designated as best in a zone 1 or 2 above or below yours. The zone systems aren't always 100% accurate, so you may be surprised what you are able to grow in your garden. Just be reasonable--don't expect your banana plants to survive outdoors in a Minnesota winter.
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