I think this country should be zoned,

My RHS book......the encyclopaedia gives 'snowflake' symbols for every plant which I find really helpful.
The trouble with the UK is that the weather can affect all of us, think of the other year when they hsd snow on Brighton Beach and the whole country was under freezing weather for a long while, then you get times when the west coast of Scotland on the Gulf stream is warmer than southern England......its why we talk about the weather so much. :0)

Diane sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience losing your Chrysanthemums. Have a look at this link it gives suggestions and details of hardy chrysanths. http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Plant-trials-and-awards/Plant-awards/10-AGM-plants/10-AGM-chrysanthemums
I had difficulty overwintering this plant in the garden until I planted some in raised beds. They do like free draining soil. I think too they need to be well bedded in before the winter, I'd plant them in the spring after the danger of frost has passed then they can put down a good root system to take them through the winter.
12 plants in a tray are not the same as one plant with good roots which has been pot grown and which should be able to be planted in the garden at any time of year. They are rooted cuttings which will need protection until they build up their roots. I'm planting up pansies which should have been planted ages ago. The weather has been so wet that I am way behind with routine tasks but knowing my garden as I do I will keep the pots in a sheltered area until I know they are growing well before putting them in their winter quarters. I'd contact the nursery from whom you bought the plants and complain. It might not help you but it might make them realise that they are only as good as their last sale and if they get the wriong kind of publicity it won't do them any good. Members of GOY often rightly complain that garden centres are selling bedding plants before the last frosts of the winter are passed (end of May for most of GB), which have no chance of surviving either in their trays because they are already bursting out of the available growing medium or in the garden because its far too early. I hope that you will be able to enjoy chrysanths next year.

Diane I am not far away from you in 'sunny' Wellingborough and I have had great success with hardy Chrysanths all bought very cheaply from Morrisons. They are the small and medium flower head type and have survived the last two winters. They are dense with flowers and add such cheer at this time of the year. I am assuming that you have the same horrible clay soil as me which they seem to enjoy here.

Zoning does not work for the British Isles because of our maritime climate. Appart from the coastal strip, North America has a continental climate meaning that it has proper seasons that are reliably wet or dry, or in between. Here we can have cold wet winters or cold dry winters and they affect our plants differently. We also have micro-climates such that you have a particularly cold spell whilst Annella (see above) does not have it so cold and her plants survive. The RHS has tried to make a 'sort of' zoning system but even they advise that it should only be used as a very general guide.

Actually, we are zoned. Most of Britain, Wales, Scotland and Ireland are Zone 8, with parts, mostly along the western coasts, graded 9. The one exception is a tiny part of Scotland, towards the east coast, but not on the coast, which falls into Zone 7. But you won't find plants labelled with the Zone, because the bulk of the British Isles is Zone 8.
And that doesn't mean temperatures will always only be this or that, the zoning system does not take account of exceptional weather conditions (which seem now to be becoming more 'the norm').

Thank you all for wonderful advice, wish I had known this before I paid for so-called Hardy Chrysanths. I
potted them up and kept them for several weeks before planting them out on the allotment. They grew well and should have been ok.
A man on the Burton Latimer field had a thick row of lovely yellow Chrysanths. It had been there for years, in an exposed position. No trouble at all.
If I see any in Morrisons at a reasonable price I will try them again in pots, to put in the greenhouse in the winter.
I just think its wrong to grow plants in Jersey, and advertise them as being grown in the Fens. They were as dry as a bone when they arrived, must have been in the special plastic container for a month before being posted.

I'd have a word with the man on Latimer Fields he may offer you a plant or two. He may also know someone who grows and sells them for pin money. On this site we do try to ID plants using their Latin names but all of us have wonderful treasures in our gardens, sourced in this way. We may never know their 'proper' name but that does not spoil the enjoyment of seeing them flourish. Good advice on your new blog from Drc.

I'm hoping to move to Burton Latimer soon Diane