Several places actually. I use the Sunset Western Garden Book, articles written by my mentor (horticulturist Ed Perry), the UC IPM Website (for information on pests and diseases) a bit of Wikipedia for fun trivia, and other University sites from various states.
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The website creator is Mark Peet. You can contact him at mepeet@gmail.com
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I notice a lot of great photos by her, who is she and does she sell her photos?
Holly is a good friend of mine who also designed the logo as well as came up with the name “Anne of Green Gardens.” You can reach her at kimchi_kawaii@yahoo.com for more information, or check out her site at www.kimchikawaii.com
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Yes, I do! Please look me up under your search bar and “like”my page!
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It’s short for USDA Hardiness Zone of which there are a total of 10. These zones can be found on this map, just type in your zip code to find your zone. Hardiness means the ability of a plant to withstand cold temperatures.Unfortunately, the zones do not take into account things like summer heat tolerance or the effects of snow cover, blah blah blah…let’s cut to the chase. What you really want to know is CAN I GROW IT?? If the plant is in your zone, you are ready to plant!
The reason I include the zones is because I’m writing from California and readers in other states may need to check if the plant can be grown in their area. Aside from consulting plant zone maps, there are two other ways to find hardy (pun intended) plants.
#1 Observe the Plant World: if it grows well in your neighborhood, it will do great in your landscape! Your only dilemma here may be identification. In this case, take a plant sample and go to step deux!
#2 Visit a Local Nursery or Garden Center: find a qualified nursery person to answer your question or ID your plant sample. Or just walk around and look at plants and plant tags. The reason I recommend local nurseries which are usually small, is because big box stores often have numerous locations and ship plants all over the U.S. As a rule, they do not employ someone to choose plants specific to a growing area. In fact, while walking around some of these stores, I have (to my horror) spotted plants for sale that I knew would not be successful in my area. I’ve also observed plants for sale that I knew would perish in just a few weeks (they would be out of season).
What truly upsets me is that gardeners take the blame for the ensuing plant death, and become discouraged. If you suspect this may have happened to you, take heart and take my challenge: do a little research and find a local place to purchase your plants. As a rule, these folks are friendly, informative and downright cool. But then, aren’t all plant people? 
Ok, and yes, the prices are more expensive. But you get what you pay for and support a local business…and now, I will get off my soapbox.
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Eggplant, I especially like the Japanese Long variety. It’s quite tasty if you cut it into 1/4″ round slices and then lay it on a cookie sheet. Add a dollop of olive oil, a slice of onion, a slice of tomato and a slice of jack cheese on the top. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Yum!