9 wonderful reasons to be thankful you garden in Western Washington

The third week of November is time to focus on all the wonderful reasons we should be thankful we live and garden in our corner of the Pacific Northwest.

After traveling the world and visiting gardens and talking to gardeners from Europe, the Mideast and many parts of the United States, I can say that we garden in an area that is the envy of the world.

Here are reasons to be thankful that we get to garden in Western Washington:

Natural rainfall

All our rainwater is loaded with minerals, and after thunderstorms the rain can even hold nitrogen, so plants here grow lush and our lawns stay green for much of the year. This is why the plant size on nursery tags underestimates how big our trees, shrubs and perennials will become. Those heaven-sent rains give us all a natural green thumb.

Mild winters

In many parts of the Midwest and East Coast, roses must be mulched, evergreens covered with burlap and frozen ground endured for months.

Not so in our climate.

Gardeners can enjoy roses blooming as late as December and there are no neighborhoods sprouting burlap brown bags over hedges, and Styrofoam towers covering prize roses. Mild winters mean a longer growing season that supports much more diverse plant material.

No rattlesnakes

Sorry Eastern Washington, but gardening on the sunny side of the state means checking for poisonous snakes wintering near crawl spaces and sunning themselves on patios. Nothing ruins a day in the garden like finding a rattlesnake or heading to the ER due to a snake bite.

The best hydrangeas

Big, bold blooms from all the new hydrangea varieties may be sold in many areas, but I am here to brag that hydrangea macrophylla, or the big leaf, old-fashioned hydrangea prefer to grow in Western Washington. The sun tolerant hydrangeas such as Limelight and other hydrangea paniculatas also thrive in our climate. Plus local nurseries are full of all the new hydrangea varieties including “Eclipse” with the dark foliage and deep pink blooms.

The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

We have native rhododendrons in Western Washington and we have local nurseries filled with rhodies and azaleas all year long. But we also have the most inspirational garden in the world (no, really, I mean the entire world) in the form of the RSBG. Just to go to Rhodygarden.org to plan your visit, and learn about the more than 700 varieties of rhododendrons. The garden is at 2525 S. 336th St, Federal Way.

WSU Master Gardener Program

Give credit to Washington State University in the tiny town of Pullman for birthing an idea that has spread across not just the USA but internationally as well. Universities all over the world now train volunteers to share science-backed information at clinics, classes and demonstration gardens. Washington State University started the Master Gardener Program, so thank a cougar if you have a beautiful garden and have learned from a Master Gardener.

The Northwest Flower and Garden Show

How could we welcome spring without the NWFG show? All over the world, gardeners have heard about the spectacular indoor show that occurs every February in Seattle. Head gardeners in England vie to speak at this show, garden clubs from Canada book hotel rooms for this show, and garden lovers from New York to Minnesota make the trek every year to enjoy this gardening extravaganza.

This year the NWFG show runs Feb. 18 to 22 and tickets are on sale now at www.gardenshow.com.

Bellevue Botanical Garden

This gift to the city of Bellevue is run by the parks department and open to the public all year with a gift shop, coffee stand and rooms for the many classes and seminars members can enjoy. After paying to visit hundreds of beautiful gardens all over the world, I still can’t get over that this fabulous display of perennials, shrubs, trees and native plant nature walks is free to the public.

Washington Park Arboretum and its winter garden

Another beautiful space that does not charge a fee to visit is this arboretum near the University of Washington campus. This arboretum has a world-class “winter garden” that features trees with beautiful bark, evergreens with great forms, and early blooming flowers plus shrubs, bulbs and even a few perennials that look great during the winter months.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.