Summertime in the Pacific Northwest. Sunshine, blue skies, gentle breezes. It’s almost like being … on the Mediterranean. And, as it so happens, Mediterranean plants enjoy the climate here. As a bonus for gardeners, many Mediterranean plants are low-maintenance, water wise, and deer-resistant. So, how do you invite a bit of southern Europe into your Pacific Northwest garden?
The Climate
kAmw6C6 :? $<28:E r@F?EJ[ H6 92G6 4@@=[ H6E H:?E6CD 2?5 H2C>[ 5CJ DF>>6CD] %96D6 2C6 E96 D2>6 4=:>2E6 4@?5:E:@?D E@ 36 7@F?5 :? 4@F?EC:6D 2C@F?5 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? $62] pD =@?8 2D E96J 5@?’E C6BF:C6 :?E6?D6 DF>>6C 962E[ A=2?ED E92E @C:8:?2E6 :? E96D6 2C62D 2C6 =:<6=J E@ E9C:G6 96C6]k^Am
kAm{@H |2:?E6?2?46k^Am
kAm|65:E6CC2?62? A=2?ED 2C6 252AE65 E@ D62D@?D H96? H2E6C :D D42C46] %2<6 4C@4FD[ 7@C :?DE2?46] %96D6 DAC:?8\3=@@>:?8 3F=3D 7C@> E96 |65:E6CC2?62? 6?;@J E96 9@E 2?5 4@=5 4J4=6 @7 E96 D62D@?D] !=2?E E96> F?56C 564:5F@FD EC66D H96C6 E96J 42? AFE @? 2 DAC:?8 D9@H 367@C6 E96 EC66D =627 @FE] $AC:?8 C2:?D H:== 8:G6 E96> 2== E96 >@:DEFC6 E96J ?665 E@ 7=@H6C[ 2?5 E96J H:== 8@ 5@C>2?E 5FC:?8 E96 =@?8[ 5CJ 52JD @7 DF>>6C] ~E96CD[ =:<6 D62 9@==J WtCJ?8:F>X[ 92G6 =@?8 E2A C@@ED E@ 7:?5 H2E6C 566A 36=@H E96 D@:= DFC7246]k^Am
kAm|2?J FD6 E96:C =627 D92A6[ 4@=@C 2?5 DFC7246D E@ >2?286 H2E6C] |65:E6CC2?62? ?2E:G6D E92E 42? 3C:89E6? E96 A6C6??:2= 3@C56C :?4=F56 y6CFD2=6> D286 W!9=@>:D 7CFE:4@D2X 2?5 DF? C@D6D Ww6=:2?E96>F> ?F>>F=2C:F>X[ 3@E9 @7 H9:49 4FE 5@H? @? H2E6C =@DD 3J 92G:?8 2 7FCCJ 4@2E:?8 @? E96:C =62G6D] %96 7=6D9J =62G6D @7 2==:F>D — E9:?< 8:2?E 49:G6D H:E9 DE2C3FCDED @7 =:=24 7=@H6CD — DE@C6 H2E6C E@ 96586 282:?DE 5C@F89E] rC66A:?8 E9J>6 — 2 8@@5 49@:46 E@ 8C@H 36EH66? E96 4C24<D @7 A2E:@ A2G6CD —  92D D>2== H2IJ =62G6D E@ C6E2:? H2E6C @? 9@E DF>>6C 52JD]k^Am
kAm|2?J |65:E6CC2?62? A=2?ED 2C6 H@@5J D9CF3D] %96 D:=G6C 9:89=:89ED @? E96 D=6?56C =62G6D @7 C@D6>2CJ 2?5 2CE6>:D:2 42? 3C:89E6? 2? @FE5@@C D:EE:?8 2C62 @? DF>>6C 6G6?:?8D] %96 D:=G6C 4@=@C:?8 C67=64ED DF?=:89E[ 2?5 E96 ?2CC@H[ 7:?6=J 4FE =62G6D C65F46 DFC7246 2C62 7@C 6G2A@C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm{2G6?56C 2?5 =2G6?56C 4@EE@? W$2?E@=:?2 492>264JA2C:DDFDX 92G6 ?2CC@H =62G6D 2?5 2=D@ 8C@H :? D@7E >@F?5D E@ <66A E96 D@:= 2C@F?5 E96:C C@@ED 4@@= 2?5 >@:DE] p? 25565 25G2?E286 7@C E96 82C56?6C :D E92E H665D 5@?’E 8C@H H96C6 >@F?5:?8 D9CF3D 4@G6C E96 8C@F?5]k^Am
kAm%96 =6DD E:>6 DA6?E @FE :? E96 82C56? 365D H2E6C:?8 @C H665:?8[ E96 >@C6 E:>6 E92E 42? 36 DA6?E C6=2I:?8 @? E96 A2E:@ @C 564< 2?5 6?;@J:?8 E96 G:6H]k^Am
kAms66C #6D:DE2?46k^Am
kAm|2?J @7 E96 492C24E6C:DE:4D E92E >2<6 |65:E6CC2?62? A=2?ED H2E6C H:D6 2=D@ >2<6 E96> F?A2=2E23=6 E@ 566C]k^Am
kAms66C =@G6 E@ D?24< @? =FD9 ?6H 8C@HE9] |65:E6CC2?62? A=2?ED[ DF49 2D E96 DEC2H36CCJ EC66 WpC3FEFD F?65@X 2?5 E96 6G6C\A@AF=2C =2G6?56C[ 92G6 E@F89 7:3C@FD =62G6D E92E 566C H:== 62E @?=J :7 =FD9 =62G6D 2C6 F?2G2:=23=6] p?5 :7 92G:?8 7:3C@FD =62G6D :D ?@E 6?@F89[ D@>6 A=2?ED 2=D@ 92G6 AF?86?E @5@CD E@ <66A 3C@HD6CD 2H2J] $@ H9:=6 H6 >2J 2AAC64:2E6 E96 DF?\<:DD65 D>6== @7 2 DF>>6C 96C3 82C56?[ 566C AC676C E@ 8:G6 E96D6 7C28C2?E 362FE:6D 2 H:56 36CE9]k^Am
kAmpD 2? 25565 56E6CC6?E[ A=2?ED DF49 2D DAFC86 WtFA9@C3:2X 4@?E2:? >:=<J D2A E92E :D 2? :CC:E2?E @? E96 D<:? 2?5 E@I:4 H96? :?86DE65[ 2?5 566C =62C? E@ DE66C 4=62C @7 E96>]k^Am
kAm(:=5=:76 q6?67:EDk^Am
kAm|2?J |65:E6CC2?62? A=2?ED 2C6 6G6C8C66? 2?5 AC@G:56 D96=E6C E@ :?D64ED[ 3:C5D 2?5 D>2== 4C:EE6CD J62C C@F?5] $@>6[ DF49 2D @C682?@ 2?5 >2C;@C2>[ 92G6 D>2== 7=@H6CD E92E 2C6 A2CE:4F=2C=J 2EEC24E:G6 E@ 366D 2?5 3FEE6C7=:6D]k^Am
kAm(2E6C 762EFC6D 2C6 2 >FDE :? 2 |65:E6CC2?62? 82C56? E@ 4@@= E96 2:C :? E96 962E @7 DF>>6C] qFEE6C7=:6D[ 366D 2?5 3:C5D 6?;@J H2E6C 762EFC6D 2=D@] p EC:4<=6 @7 D92==@H H2E6C 2?5 2 >:DE6C @? E96 9@EE6DE 52JD 2C6 A2CE:4F=2C=J 2EEC24E:G6] *@F H:== 36 C6H2C565 3J 7=2D96D @7 4@=@C 2D 9F>>:?83:C5D 9@G6C[ 3J E96 3FKK @7 366D 2D E96 A@==:?2E@CD 86E E@ H@C<[ 2?5 3J E96 <?@H=6586 E92E 2 D>2== 2C>J @7 36?67:4:2= :?D64ED :D E@:=:?8 2H2J E@ 96=A <66A J@FC 82C56? 962=E9J]k^Am
kAm|65:E6CC2?62? u=@FC:D96Dk^Am
kAm*@F 42? 49@@D6 |65:E6CC2?62? A=2?ED 7@C 2 =@H\>2:?E6?2?46[ H:=5=:76\7C:6?5=J 82C56?] ~C J@F 42? 8@ E92E 6IEC2 DE6A E@ 255 2446?ED E92E 3C:?8 E96 |65:E6CC2?62? E96>6 E@ =:76]k^Am
kAmr=:AA65 6G6C8C66? 96586D @7 3@IH@@5 @C r2=:7@C?:2 =:=24 Wr62?@E9FDX A2:C65 H:E9 H9:E6 DE2EF2CJ[ 7@F?E2:?D 2?5 H9:E6 DE@?6 36?496D 6G@<6 E96 7@C>2= 82C56?D @7 xE2=J] ':G:5=J 4@=@C65 82C56? 2446?ED DF49 2D A2:?E65 5@@CD @C H:?5@H 7C2>6D @C 8=2DD 8=@36D 4@?;FC6 FA E96 962E 2?5 G:3C2?4J @7 $A2:?] vC2G6= A2E9D >62?56C:?8 E9C@F89 A=2?E:?8D :? 4@@= 3=F6D 2?5 8C2JD 6G@<6 E96 82C56?D @7 D@FE96C? uC2?46]k^Am
kAm#6=2Ik^Am
kAm|@DE |65:E6CC2?62? A=2?ED AC676C H6==\5C2:?65 D@:= 2?5 DF?=:89E] pG@:5 A=2?E:?8 E96> :? D925J[ D@88J DA@ED :? J@FC 82C56?[ 2?5 2>6?5 J@FC D@:= @C 4C62E6 >@F?565 365D :7 J@F 92G6 962GJ 4=2J] %96? D:E 324< 2?5 6?;@J E96:C 56=:89ED] |65:E6CC2?62? A=2?ED H:== 96=A E@ 4FE 5@H? @? J@FC 82C56? 49@C6D 2?5 E@ 3C:?8 D@>6 @=5\H@C=5 492C> :?E@ J@FC 324<J2C5 — 2?5 >2J36 :?DA:C6 J@F E@ >2<6 E92E G:D:E E@ D@FE96C? tFC@A6 27E6C 2==]k^Am
kAmU>52D9j y2?6 q:==:?89FCDE :D 2 (2D9:?8E@? $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ^$<28:E r@F?EJ |2DE6C v2C56?6C] "F6DE:@?D >2J 36 DF3>:EE65 E@ E96 ($& tIE6?D:@? @77:46[ ``feg (6DE2C {2?6[ $F:E6 p[ qFC=:?8E@?[ (p hgabb] be_\cag\caf_ @C k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^D<28:E]HDF]65F^|vQmD<28:E]HDF]65F^|vk^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.