Urban Landscape, Native Landscape: February 2009

Sunday, February 22, 2009

West Coast Perennial Garden (Cascadia Garden)

Iris tenax May 2009

Iris macrosiphon May 2009

Erythronium oregonum March 2010

Lithocarpus densiflorus echinoides May 2009

This small garden features perennials from Washington, Oregon & California. It started with 8 Pacific Coast Native Iris: 3 succeeded. At the center of the garden Arctostaphylos ‘Monica’ grows in a large earthen pot. Allium & Iris encircle it. Lilies grow in the open area beyond. Lithocarpus densiflorus echinoides waits in back, growing slowly. After 5 years, it is 2 feet tall. Heuchera micrantha & Tellima grandiflora linger under a tall, spreading Mahonia aquifolium. Fragaria vesca spread quickly throughout. The garden was started in 2004, replacing the lower half of the Rock Garden. Spanish Narcissus bulbocodium remained in place. Japanese Ajuga reptans has crept into the garden now. I don't want to kick it out. There is also the Australian Pratia pedunculata that I cannot stop.

West Coast Perennial Garden Plant List

Shrubs

Arctostaphylos ‘Monica’ (Manzanita)

Lithocarpus densiflorus echinoides (Dwarf Tanoak)

Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon Grape)

Perennials

Allium cernuum (Nodding Onion)

Allium unifolium

Erigeron glaucus (Beach Aster)

Erythronium oregonum (Fawn Lily)

Heuchera micrantha

Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’

Iris douglasiana (Douglas Iris)

Iris macrosiphon (Ground Iris)

Iris tenax (Oregon Iris)

Lilium columbianum (Tiger Lily)

Lilium pardalinum (Leopard Lily)

Sisyrinchium californicum (Yellow-eyed Grass)

Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup)

Groundcover

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)

Hebe ochracea in front of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’ May 2009

Aster in front of Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point November 2008

Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ September 2008

The double row of shrubs evolved along the north edge of the Cascadia Garden between 2003 & 2008. A tall Rosa ‘Queen Elizabeth’ remains from the rose garden period prior to 1992. Roses are not effective screens, but this gives a glimpse of neighboring lawn. In 2003 Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ & Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ were planted, the remaining shrubs were added in 2007. Screening was more effective with more evergreen shrubs. Smaller shrubs & perennials are planted south of the screen, where they bask in full sun.

Privacy Screen Plant List

Shrubs: evergreen except as noted

Callicarpa bodinieri (Beautyberry): deciduous

Callistemon sieberi (Bottlebrush)

Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ (Plum Yew)

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Blue Surprise’ (Port Orford Cypress)

Juniperus chinensis ‘Blue Point’ (Blue Point Juniper)

Rosa rugosa ‘Blanc Double de Coubert’ (Rugosa Rose): deciduous

Rosa ‘Queen Elizabeth’ (Grandiflora Rose): deciduous

Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’ (Arborvitae)

Thuja occidentalis ‘Yellow Ribbon’ (Arborvitae)

Groundcovers

Ajuga reptans ‘Bronze Carpet’ (Carpet Bugle)

Fragaria vesca (Woodland Strawberry)

Geranium himalayense (Cranesbill)

Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’

About This Blog

This blog began in 2008 as Metropolitan Gardens to provide information on gardening in Seattle & places like it. Click on Gardening in Cascadia. The blog expanded to include Parks P-Patches Public Gardens in the US, Canada & Europe. Then Nature was added. (The difference between nature & gardens is intent. Nature happens. Gardens are planned.) Many recent posts are not about Seattle, or even Cascadia. They are Urban Landscape: streetscape & architecture. Cascadia is the region including the Cascade Mountains of Washington & Oregon. If you want to contact the blogger, leave a message in comments. Comments are moderated & private messages will not be posted.

Our Land & Climate

The city of Seattle rests between 2 bodies of water: Puget Sound & Lake Washington. Puget Sound is a substantial part of the Salish Sea & a very small part of the Pacific Ocean. The Salish Sea is set apart from the Pacific by the Olympic Peninsula in the state of Washington & Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia. The dense, wet clouds of the Pacific Ocean travel as far as the Cascade Mountains, near the Salish Sea & not very far from the ocean. East of the Cascades lies the desert of the Columbia Basin. The moist, temperate climate of Seattle extends south to northern California & north to southeastern Alaska. The Pacific Northwest Coast from San Francisco Bay to Cook Inlet shares a flora dominated by evergreen coniferous forest. The central portion, west of the Cascade Mountains, is called Cascadia. The climate is cool & wet from fall to spring, warm & dry in summer. The Olympic Mountains block Seattle from much of the Pacific rainfall. Seattle is drier than the Atlantic coast of North America & northern Europe, cooler in summer & warmer in winter. It lies near the latitude of Paris & Quebec City.