Keyword: Horticulture--Pacific Northwest

When authors Carol and Norman Hall started gardening in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970’s they had to learn to grow their plants by trial and error, because most gardening books of the time addressed only East Coast weather conditions, such as summer rain and winter freezing.

However, perhaps it’s just as well the authors had to figure it out on their own because their depth of understanding how the Pacific Northwest climate affects plants is impressive. Although the question of where the boundaries of the Pacific Northwest lie is open to debate, the Halls define them as: the areas stretching between the ocean coast and the Cascade Range, and between latitude 51° in British Columbia and latitude 41° in northern California. The northern boundary was chosen because north of latitude 51° the “difference between high and low temperatures become smaller and light intensity starts to diminish even on clear days… gardening conditions beyond this point are not those of the Pacific Northwest, but those of coastal Alaska.” The southern border seems a bit more arbitrary, especially on the coast, but the authors note: “It’s only after negotiating the steep descent from [the Cascade Range] to the valley floor and seeing the palm trees lining the streets of Redding, California, that you know you’ve suddenly entered a whole new gardening world.” The unifying climatic conditions that defines the region are wet, mild winters and dry summers.

This large format book with 351 pages and a liberal use of color photographs is divided into 4 sections: the region, 12 month maintenance calendar, recommended plants and common problem & solutions.

Detailed descriptions of climate, soils and horticultural conditions are given about the region’s seven sub-regions, which include: the Georgia Basin/Puget Trough, the Olympic Rain Shadow, Puget Sound, Pacific Coast (northern section), Pacific Coast (southern section), the Cascade Slopes/Outflow Valleys and Willamette. The authors recommend their favorite plants that grow well in the Pacific Northwest according to plant types such as: ornamental trees, shrubs, bulbs, and others. Instructions on caring for the recommended plants always refer to specific Pacific Northwest climate considerations. For example, heaths and heathers need supplemental water during our typical regional summer droughts for the first two years, until they become established.

This is an excellent general gardening reference that focuses on the Pacific Northwest climate like no other.

Excerpted from the Winter 2009 Arboretum Bulletin.

Ann Lovejoy has updated her popular 2004 “Handbook of Northwest Gardening,” with a new appendix entitled “What’s New in Sustainable Gardening.” Here she discusses rain gardens (that capture as much of naturally occurring water as possible), dry gardens (plantings that survive and even thrive with no supplemental watering once established), and the importance of bees and their current peril — and ways that gardeners can help their cause. All good additions.

Excerpted from the Fall 2008 Arboretum Bulletin.

A coastal garden book, this written by a transplanted Pennsylvania Master Gardener, who took the training again in Oregon. Written to a very specific audience, a fact brought home by the second chapter: “Dune Gardening.” Yes, this is for those with lots of sand in their soil. Carla Albright has designed this as a handbook, with many pages of worksheets for the reader to fill out based on experiences. The tips are very basic, too. “In my tool bucket I keep two trowels, a narrow one and a wide one. The narrow one is good for…” Following a review of native beach plants, there are suggestions for appropriate beach garden aesthetics, and an extensive list of shore tested vegetable varieties.

Excerpted from the Fall 2007 Arboretum Bulletin.