Sunset Climate Zone 1A

Here is what the Sunset Western Garden book has to say about the climate zone in which our land is located:

" Zone 1A: Coldest mountain an intermountain areas

Marked by a short growing season and relatively mild summer temperatures, zone 1A includes the coldest regions west of the Rockies, and a few patches of cold country east of the Great Divide. The mild days and chilly nights extend bloom of summer perennials like columbines and Shasta daisies. If your garden gets reliable snow cover (which insulates plants), you can grow perennials listed for some of the milder zones. Along with hardy evergreen conifers, tough deciduous trees and shrubs form the garden's backbone here. Gardeners can grow warm-season vegetables as long as they're short-season varieties.

Winter lows average in the 0 to 11 degrees F (-18 to -12 degrees C) range; extremes range from -25 to -40 degrees F (-32 to -40 degrees C). The growing season averages 50 to 100 days."

Boy, do we have our worked cut out for us- learning what veg to grow, and consistently. I think a green house is definitely in order! :)