Each of the zones in southern Delaware has been increased 1/2 a zone. So if you were previously 7b you are now 8a.  This is the coastal area Lewes/Rehoboth to Fenwick Island.

If you were in the more western part of the state and previously 7a you are now 7b.  ( An 'a' zone is cooler than a 'b' zone and the higher the number the warmer the weather) .This is due to the fact that our growing season and winter's have been warmer.  It takes plants a while to adapt to the climate changes though and the zone changes do not mean that we will not have well below freezing weather here in southern DE. (That may come later this week).

We are seeing more insect pests, that previously only occurred in more southern states, appear in southern DE, such as Crape Myrtle Bark Scale. The insects are moving northward as the weather warms, both in the summer and winter.

So what does this mean for your garden?  If you have fruit growing, you will need to make sure you plant fruit that does not require really long chill days.  If you grow vegetables, the warmer summer/spring/fall may shorten the growing season for cold weather crops such as peas, spinach, broccoli; but lengthen the season for hot weather crops such as tomato, zucchini and eggplant. You may need to adapt to options such as using shade cloth, additional mulch or compost or more frequent watering.

If you want to look at it as a half glass full, you can now try some plants that before might have been marginal in your zone and have a better chance  of success.