Chargement
Trouvez votre prochain book favori
Devenez membre aujourd'hui et lisez gratuitement pendant 30 joursCommencez vos 30 jours gratuitsInformations sur le livre
Gardening in the Pacific Northwest: The Complete Homeowner's Guide
De Paul Bonine et Amy Campion
Actions du livre
Commencer à lireNotes:
Note : 5 sur 5 étoiles5/5 (2 évaluations)
Longueur: 831 pages3 heures
- Éditeur:
- Timber Press
- Sortie:
- Dec 27, 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781604698367
- Format:
- Livre
Description
A must-have growing guide for gardeners in the Pacific Northwest
A gardener’s plant choices and garden style are inextricably linked to the place they call home. In order to grow a flourishing garden, every gardener must know the specifics of their region’s climate, soil, and geography. Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, by regional gardening experts Paul Bonine and Amy Campion, is comprehensive, enthusiastic, and accessible to gardeners of all levels. It features information on site and plant selection, soil preparation and maintenance, and basic design principles. Plant profiles highlight the region’s best perennials, shrubs, trees, and vines. Color photographs throughout show wonderful examples of Northwest garden style.
A gardener’s plant choices and garden style are inextricably linked to the place they call home. In order to grow a flourishing garden, every gardener must know the specifics of their region’s climate, soil, and geography. Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, by regional gardening experts Paul Bonine and Amy Campion, is comprehensive, enthusiastic, and accessible to gardeners of all levels. It features information on site and plant selection, soil preparation and maintenance, and basic design principles. Plant profiles highlight the region’s best perennials, shrubs, trees, and vines. Color photographs throughout show wonderful examples of Northwest garden style.
Informations sur le livre
Gardening in the Pacific Northwest: The Complete Homeowner's Guide
De Paul Bonine et Amy Campion
Notes:
Note : 5 sur 5 étoiles5/5 (2 évaluations)
Longueur: 831 pages3 heures
Description
A must-have growing guide for gardeners in the Pacific Northwest
A gardener’s plant choices and garden style are inextricably linked to the place they call home. In order to grow a flourishing garden, every gardener must know the specifics of their region’s climate, soil, and geography. Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, by regional gardening experts Paul Bonine and Amy Campion, is comprehensive, enthusiastic, and accessible to gardeners of all levels. It features information on site and plant selection, soil preparation and maintenance, and basic design principles. Plant profiles highlight the region’s best perennials, shrubs, trees, and vines. Color photographs throughout show wonderful examples of Northwest garden style.
A gardener’s plant choices and garden style are inextricably linked to the place they call home. In order to grow a flourishing garden, every gardener must know the specifics of their region’s climate, soil, and geography. Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, by regional gardening experts Paul Bonine and Amy Campion, is comprehensive, enthusiastic, and accessible to gardeners of all levels. It features information on site and plant selection, soil preparation and maintenance, and basic design principles. Plant profiles highlight the region’s best perennials, shrubs, trees, and vines. Color photographs throughout show wonderful examples of Northwest garden style.
- Éditeur:
- Timber Press
- Sortie:
- Dec 27, 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781604698367
- Format:
- Livre
À propos de l'auteur
Paul Bonine is a garden writer, lecturer, and co-owner of the wholesale and retail specialty plant nursery Xera Plants, in Portland, Oregon. A lifelong plantsman, Bonine has worked in the nursery industry for nearly twenty years and has consulted for NPR, the Sunset Western Garden Book, and The Oregonian.
En rapport avec Gardening in the Pacific Northwest
Aperçu du livre
Gardening in the Pacific Northwest - Paul Bonine
gardener.
INTRODUCTION
Pacific Northwesterners are passionate gardeners—perhaps because we live in a land of unlimited planting possibilities. Our spectacular natural landscape and benign climate beckon us outdoors to cultivate and create. For the purposes of this guide, the Pacific Northwest includes the geographical regions of Oregon, Washington, and southwest British Columbia, on both sides of the Cascade Mountains. West of the Cascades, moderate temperatures allow us to succeed with a vast array of plants from all over the world. East of the mountains, a more arid continental climate produces larger swings in temperature, but this area offers no less interesting gardening.
THIS BOOK IS A GUIDE to creating vibrant gardens in the Pacific Northwest while also promoting balance and a more responsible use of resources. No other endeavor connects us so closely to the earth, the change of seasons, the weather. We can paint pictures, enrich the earth and air, provide important habitat for wildlife, grow food, act as conservator, and leave a legacy for future generations. Above all, we can expand our understanding of what a meaningful, personal outdoor space can be in this remarkable part of the planet.
To those ends, this book starts with an exploration of the weather conditions with which smart Northwest gardeners seek to form a cautious alliance. By working with nature instead of expecting the climate to suit our needs, we vastly increase our chances of gardening triumphs and decrease our incidents of frustration. We’ll cover the eight basic subregions in this part of the country and discuss how climate impacts gardeners in each area.
Next, we’ll offer a guide to good garden culture, which begins with knowing what type of soil you have and how to work with it. We’ll give a lesson on planting in our wet-winter/dry-summer climate, and then we’ll explain how to properly fertilize, irrigate, and mulch your Pacific Northwest garden. We’ll also discuss how to deal with diseases such as verticillium wilt and pests like azalea lace bug and slugs.
A significant portion of this book is comprised of portraits of carefully chosen perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees. We’re convinced that gardening for diversity is vitally important. Around the world, the extinction rate of species is accelerating, and it’s imperative that our gardens help slow this trend by becoming zones of conservation and variety. We provide a comprehensive list of region-appropriate plants in an effort to help you keep your own garden’s flora wonderfully eclectic.
We are blessed with a rich assortment of plants that thrive in Pacific Northwest gardens.
Finally, we’ll illustrate the most popular garden styles of our region. We’ll show you gardens that have been designed to both embrace beauty and to fit into the landscape without taking a toll on the environment. Seeing how these retreats are in harmony with their surroundings paints a portrait of what is possible here.
Although this book has two authors, the story will be told from Paul’s point of view, drawing on his more than 25 years of experience as a nurseryman in the Pacific Northwest. While Amy’s no stranger to the nursery industry herself, she is a relative newcomer to the area, and we felt it made sense to have Paul relay the story. Amy’s influence is found in the photos throughout the book and in the editing work she’s done behind the scenes.
Whether you’re a recent transplant or a lifelong Northwest resident, a newbie gardener or a seasoned veteran, there are lessons to be learned and great joys to be found in cultivating a little piece of paradise here. Our aim is to show you some of the many ways in which the pleasure of gardening can find expression in our corner of the world, as well as to share the principles that will help you succeed. We hope you’ll find enlightenment, guidance, and inspiration in these pages.
For eight or nine months of the year, rain falls regularly west of the Cascades, courtesy of the jet stream bringing moisture from the Pacific.
KNOW YOUR CLIMATE
ONE OF THE MOST BASIC ASPECTS of gardening is an understanding of the impacting forces above ground: weather and climate. (Climate is the measure of weather over time.) Mountains, valleys, bodies of water, and landmasses affect our region’s weather in profound and complex ways. As a result, weather patterns can differ greatly from region to region, even between areas that are in close proximity to each other. Gardeners are wise to learn how these factors shape local climate in order to choose the plants and practices best suited to likely conditions.
SUBCLIMATES OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Here in the Pacific Northwest, weather predominantly moves from west to east, courtesy of the jet stream. From autumn through spring, the jet stream ushers warm, moist sea air inland. During the winter months, this climatic fire hose points directly at the Pacific Northwest, bringing storm after storm to our region. West of the Cascade Range, this regimen produces wet conditions, with rain turning to snow in the higher elevations. East of the mountains, less precipitation falls; away from the modifying influence of the ocean, larger fluxes in temperature occur, too.
In summer, the jet stream weakens and is deflected to the north by a ridge of high pressure. This annual intrusion of high pressure creates a dry season throughout most of the Northwest from June to September. Summer temperatures are typically mild, but occasionally high pressure spins clockwise, and air flows over and down the mountains, drying and heating the landscape as it goes. In western Washington, high temperatures during this offshore pattern reach the 80s and low 90s, the Willamette Valley may hit the 90s to low 100s, and in southwestern Oregon, stretches in the low 100s are not uncommon. These periods call for careful attention to irrigation. Even when cooler temperatures occur west of the Cascades in summer, they are often not accompanied by rain—resulting in a net loss of moisture from the landscape.
Despite the Northwest’s reputation as perpetually rainy, virtually no rain falls in much of our region during the summer. By August, the landscape has lost its luster.
Eight climatic subregions make up the Pacific Northwest as described in this book. Southwest British Columbia includes the southwestern Canadian coastline, along with Vancouver Island. The Puget Sound encompasses the area within 20 miles of the Sound (including Seattle); Inland Western Washington lies just beyond this subregion. The Willamette Valley lies between the Coast Range and the Cascades and stretches from Kelso, Washington, to Eugene, Oregon. Portland Metro is found within the Willamette Valley and reaches to Battle Ground, Washington, in the north and Woodburn, Oregon, to the south, Troutdale to the east, and Forest Grove to the west. Southwest Oregon continues southward between Oregon’s two great western mountain ranges. The Coastal Zones measure only 30 miles wide and split into the Northern and Southern Zones at Newport, Oregon. Finally, the Eastern Oregon and Washington subregion covers the vast area east of the Cascades. These boundaries are not hard and fast and are meant only as general indications.
Southwest British Columbia: Canada’s Banana Belt
This region includes the coastline, which stretches along the southwestern shore of mainland Canada (encompassing the city of Vancouver), as well as Vancouver Island, which is situated about 40 miles off the mainland. This area is the most densely populated region of British Columbia.
The city of Vancouver enjoys a lovely temperate climate, thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Winters are mild and rainy. An average of 47 in. of rainfall can be expected here—the vast majority of it coming between October and May. Summers are dry and pleasant, highs rarely surpass 86°F, and weeks go by without any appreciable precipitation.
Vancouver Island is equally mild, and on the island’s southern tip, winters are even warmer than they are in the city of Vancouver. The capital city of Victoria and the adjacent coastline to the northwest sit in the rain shadow of the Vancouver Island Ranges; they consequently receive less than 30 in. of precipitation per year. Many plants find this environment ideal, and in fact, garry oak woodlands on Vancouver Island harbor some of the most florally diverse biomes (specific plant communities that exist within a climate) in British Columbia.
At higher elevations on both the island and the mainland, conditions quickly become harsher. At just 1000 ft. above sea level, gardeners have to deal with much colder and snowier winters than their counterparts on the coastal plains.
Moving inland we see colder winters, even in the lowlands. One particular cold spot is the Frasier River Valley, situated to the north and east of Vancouver. Here, arctic air sometimes spills eastward in winter, and plunging temperatures damage tender plants—especially broadleaved evergreens. Conversely, eastward winds in the summer can make the Frasier River Valley much warmer than the areas around it.
Puget Sound: Inland Maritime
Residents of the Puget Sound subregion generally experience moderate temperatures year-round. Just as the Pacific Ocean influences the climate of the entire Northwest, so too the Puget Sound affects its local area, which for our purposes encompasses the region within 20 miles of the Sound and includes the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington.
In the winter, cold, dry air is warmed and humidified above the saltwater of the Sound, creating a cushion of warmer air that insulates adjacent landmasses against invading cold fronts. In summer, the modifying effects of the sea keep temperatures cool, and highs in the 70s are the norm. This benign climate supports a rich diversity of trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials from all over the globe. Because heatwaves are few, blooms last longer, too. Gardeners in this region are truly blessed with a wealth of plants from which to choose. The only plants that struggle to grow here are those requiring ample summertime heat, like crape myrtles and gardenias. Such plants need special attention; siting them against a south-facing wall can help deliver the warmth they crave.
On the northern end of Puget Sound, weather can be dramatically affected by the Frasier River Canyon and the arctic air that is drawn through this gap under the right conditions. Bellingham is usually the first city in line for a cold wave; gardeners here should be more conservative in their plant selections when it comes to hardiness.
While annual rainfall throughout the Sound averages 40 to 58 in., those on the lee (sheltered) side of the Olympic Peninsula garden in the Olympic rain shadow; less than 20 in. of rain in a year here isn’t unusual. Summer highs seldom approach 90°F, and together with the low rainfall, a unique dry-cool climate is created—one that fosters unlikely plant combinations in the wild, such as Douglas firs and native cacti growing side by side. Winters are warmer as well, with the mercury rarely falling below 20°F.
Another local weather feature is the Puget Sound Convergence Zone. Air traveling eastward from the Pacific Ocean splits when it reaches the Olympic Mountains. On the lee side near Everett (about 30 miles north of Seattle), the airstreams reconverge, causing updrafts that can fuel bands of heavy precipitation. Several inches of localized snow can occur here—with no precipitation just a few miles away.
A great variety of plants from around the world flourish in the cool summers and mild winters that normally occur within 20 miles of Puget Sound.
Inland Western Washington: Away from the Sound
Inland 20 or more miles from Puget Sound, the climate is significantly harsher than that of Seattle or Tacoma. As you move away from the modifying influence of the Sound, much colder winter temperatures and higher snowfalls prevail. Winter lows frequently drop below 10°F during cold spells; in these outlying areas, the temperature can be more than 20 degrees colder than in locations adjacent to the Sound.
To make matters worse, down-sloping winds known as mountain waves can come roaring in from high elevations when conditions are right. Mountain waves can be destructive all times of year, but are most damaging in summer, when they bring searing heat from the interior. In July of 2009, during one of the most severe heat waves in Washington’s history, foothill regions roasted when down-sloping winds ushered in temperatures approaching 110°F. Plants in many area gardens fried.
Gardeners here work with a more limited plant palette than those closer to the Sound, but they do find plants that will thrive in this subregion. Plants like lilacs and peonies, which relish cold winters and tolerate short heatwaves in summer, are border staples. The hardiest hydrangeas thrive. Conifers grow abundantly here, as they do all over western Washington, and woodland plants of all types fill out shady inland gardens.
Willamette Valley: Nursery Country
Stretching from Kelso, Washington, in the north to Eugene, Oregon, in the south, the Willamette Valley has a climate that is distinctly warmer in the summer and colder in the winter than the Puget Sound region. Winter temperatures can dip quite low, especially in wind-sheltered areas and along the western and southern edges of the Valley. In the north, away from the Columbia Gorge, stable winter conditions result in stretches of fog that can last for weeks.
In summer, the dry season begins in June and lasts through September. Temperatures during the dry summer season oscillate rapidly between warm and hot, with mild weather holding court late in the growing season. The warm temperatures cause plants to grow, flower, and fruit faster in the Willamette Valley than in other parts of the Pacific Northwest. Broadleaved evergreens grow to perfection, and subtropical plants, such as pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana) grow happily alongside the hardier gardenia cultivars.
The Willamette Valley’s long, warm growing season has helped make it home to the nation’s greatest concentration of wholesale nurseries.
The Coast Range to the west of the Willamette Valley creates a rain shadow, and low-lying areas here receive considerably less moisture than those at higher elevations. Valley hills above 800 ft. capture 60 in. of rain or more annually, while areas near sea level make do with only 35 to 40 in.
The combination of warm temperatures and a natural dry season means that growers must irrigate during the warm months, and irrigate they do, as the Willamette Valley is peppered with nurseries that supply retailers, wholesalers, and landscapers across the country. Many vineyards also populate this region, and hops and hazelnuts flourish.
Portland Metro: East Winds and Heat Islands
Although Portland is situated in the Willamette Valley, I treat it separately here. The Portland Metro subregion extends beyond the city proper to encompass an area that reaches from Battle Ground, Washington, in the north to Woodburn, Oregon, in the south and from Forest Grove, Oregon, in the west to Troutdale, Oregon, in the east.
Gardeners in the Portland Metro subregion enjoy a longer, warmer growing season than those in more rural areas, and they succeed with a greater variety of plants.
The Portland Metro subregion is subject to distinct climatic influences. The Columbia River Gorge to the east of the city serves as a catalyst for many weather events in the area. This sea-level path cuts through the Cascade Range, providing a thoroughfare for air from central Oregon to pass through the mountains and rush into the Portland Metro area. Known as the east winds or the gorge winds, this phenomenon is a reversal of the more predominant westerly flow. The effects of the east winds vary with the seasons and, more important, with the temperature of the moving air mass. During periods of high pressure in summer, east winds spell hot weather. In autumn, that same air movement can interrupt surface heat loss, preventing frosts until late in the year. This is one reason why the Portland Metro’s growing season is up to six weeks longer than in nearby areas.
The Columbia River Gorge sometimes channels damaging east winds into the Portland metropolitan area.
Conversely, the Columbia Gorge also serves as the main conduit in Oregon for arctic air to traverse the Cascades in winter. This can happen at any time from mid-November to mid-February. Frigid air builds east of the mountains, then races through the Gorge with astonishing speed, creating violent winds. Subfreezing winds ravage tender plants and are especially harmful to broadleaved evergreens. If arctic air collides with warm, moist air from the southwest, dramatic snow and ice storms can develop that are as spectacular as they are damaging to gardens. Hardy species should be chosen in the eastern neighborhoods of metropolitan Portland that are in the direct line of fire of these strong winds.
Rainfall is variable in the Portland area, depending on altitude. Higher elevations can receive significantly more precipitation than valley locations. Within city limits, Portland’s highest elevations may receive more than 60 in. of rain annually, while in the lowlands, just 37 in. is the norm.
Portland gardens are also impacted by the urban heat island effect, which occurs when buildings and asphalt absorb heat during the day and release it at night. In the city, normally borderline-hardy plants survive year after year, the growing season is extended, and heat-loving plants such as crape myrtles fare better and bloom earlier (up to one month sooner) than they do in nearby rural areas.
Southwest Oregon enjoys a transitional climate that is conducive to growing many types of plants.
Southwest Oregon: More Heat, Less Rain
Southwest Oregon, which includes the Umpqua, Rogue, and Bear Creek Valleys, sits between two regions with vastly different climates: the Oregon coast and central Oregon. Its transitional climate is as ideal for gardening as it is for growing the fruit so famous to the area. Pears flourish here, and peaches, grapes, and berries also appreciate the climate. The rainy season is shorter than in the Willamette Valley, and the extended dry season discourages many diseases that plague fruit crops. Summers are hotter, too, which enables fruits to ripen fully and maximize their production of natural sugars. The city of Medford regularly experiences about 40 days above 90°F every summer.
The growing season in Southwest Oregon is nearly 200 days long. Winter lows are comparable to those in the Willamette Valley, or a bit colder in some cases. As stated, rain is less plentiful; Roseburg, in the Umpqua Valley, receives 29 in. of rain a year, while Medford, 100 miles to the south, totals just over 19 in.
One interesting biome within the Southwest Oregon subregion can be found west of Grants Pass, in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness—a wonderland for rare wildflowers. Here, a pronounced Mediterranean climate has much in common with that of California, and the plant inhabitants are similar as well. Broadleaved evergreen trees such as canyon live oak and bay laurel (Umbellularia californica) are common forest components, as are different species and hybrids of manzanita (Arctostaphylos). A great array of native iris species congregates here, too.
Summer highs seldom exceed 80°F, and the air is often foggy in the Northern Coastal Zone.
The Coastal Zones: Moderation Mecca
Few places in North America are as moderate in climate as the coastlines of Oregon and Washington. This strip of land—nearly 350 miles long and only 30 miles wide if measured from the crest of the Coast Range to the beach—is bathed in mild, modified marine air almost all year round. Summers are cool and foggy for days at a stretch; the atmosphere is seldom really dry, and fog drip accounts for substantial moisture in summer. Up to 80 in. of precipitation falls each year. In the Northern Coastal Zone (north of Newport, Oregon), summer highs rarely exceed 80°F, and winter lows drop below 20°F every few years. In the Southern Coastal Zone (south of Newport), winter temperatures rarely fall below 20°F in an entire
Vous avez atteint la fin de cet aperçu. Inscrivez-vous pour en lire plus !
Page 1 sur 1
Avis
1randal-1
An excellent reference for any gardeners in the Pacific Northwest. The first part of the book is about understanding the climate differences in the PNW, and how one area just a few miles away from another can have a radically different climate. It provides a much more in-depth explanation that I have found anywhere else. The book then dives into soil types in the PNW, how they differ, and how to use what you have effectively. The next section is about plant diseases and bugs in the area. Followed by a very, very extensive discussion of the plants that you can grow in the PNW, and where they do the best. And finally, a section on design tips for you own garden. The book is very thorough, easy to read, and easily understandable. The photography is awesome! You could buy this book just for the photos, and would not be disappointed. I have already put into effect several of the ideas from this book in my own garden outside of Seattle. And will be referring to it for many years.