So, northern gardeners feeling reckless could try the windmill palm, Trachycarpus "Hayes Stiffie," listed as hardy to Zone 7B, where winter temperatures stay above 5 degrees, from Plant Delights Nursery, in Raleigh, N.C. (plantdelights.com; 919-772-4794).

Gardeners in tropic climes do not have to go through this pot-bulb ritual because the amaryllis bulbs can be planted outdoors and grown in flower borders just as northern gardeners enjoy tulips and daffodils.

An orchid outside is a rare treat for northern gardeners.

They are purple, which for some reason means they germinate well in cool soil, an important consideration for northern gardeners who want to start picking beans for July 4 celebrations.

Lectures cover such varied topics as bamboo for northern gardeners, bamboo cultivation, bamboo flowering (a rare event), bamboo bonsai, bamboo basketry and all kinds of uses for this plant so dear to the heart of Asia.

This is one plant that northern gardeners, who move South, miss and they fail to understand why lilacs will not flourish.

To northern gardeners, this time of year is full of anxious pleasure.

For northern gardeners, this plant is either an annual or a houseplant that summers outdoors.