Gardening in NE England

[Toontoon]

I'm newish to the north east (been here about 18 months) and new to gardening. I want to plant a border in my garden (south facing) but I'm not sure how hardy the plants will need to be. Most I've seen are H3 which is down to -5 but will that be enough for the north east? It got colder than that the winter just gone but a lot of that was windchill. Am I totally overthinking this

It depends where in the north east you are.

If you're on the coast or in a big city that will mostly be fine (though h4 for any expensive plants). I also live in the north east - in the middle of the north Pennines - it was -5 one day last week and I wouldn't consider anything less than h5 if I wanted it to last.

What do the H3 etc refer to? The US hardiness zones are a bit misleading for the UK because, compared to the US, we have a long period of cold and damp without much light, and our plants can have problems even when the temperature isn't as low as the US hardiness zone would imply was OK.

I don't have too much trouble in W Yorks, but my Hartlepool relatives claim the difference between there and me is "one overcoat".

Thanks for the comments! I'm in Newcastle

It's the RHS hardiness scale I believe. H3 is down to minus 5, h4 is minus 10 to minus 5.

Take notice of the plants that grow in your neighbours gardens. If you see a particularly interesting garden the owner might give you some good tips.
Gardeners love to share.

If you buy a plant in the UK and it says 'hardy' on the label, then it will be, and garden centre staff will be able to advise you. That's why it is better to go to a garden centre than to buy online.

The RHS website is very good for individual species if you want to check.

That's why it is better to go to a garden centre than to buy online. better still to go to a nursery where they grow their own stuff! Or buy from a specialist nursery on line rather than a generalist.

Also worth thinking about buying from a nursery based in the NE.

In Newcastle you'll mostly be fine with h3. There'll be a couple of days most years where it will be that cold but generally it will be warmer.

However, if you're spending a lot you'll want to either go for h4 or seriously think about how you can protect those plants; fleece/sheltered spot/move to greenhouse if in a pot etc. And you need to keep an eye on the forecast in winter/early spring.