The upside of Seattle Weather (Pacific: price, garden, yard)

[LordBalfor]

Much is made of the gray Seattle weather and indeed during a good part of the year the hours and hours of gray skies can be a bit hard to take.

But even with the gray there are distinct advantages to winter here. Compared to much of the country - and especially to the Midwest and Northeast - our winters are extremely mild and short. Chicago just got new snow, but here in Seattle my daffodils have been blooming since aound the first of March - and that's about 10 days later than we've had the last few years. Many spring flower are already out here. Our flowering plum tree has been blooming for nearly two weeks now and the alder trees are breaking out their leaves - and remember, outside of Alaska, Seattle is about as far north as you can be in the USA.

Take a look at this shot of my back yard taken just a couple of minutes ago here on Eastern morning (March 23rd):

Ken

[Chenebe]

Well, as a fellow gardener, it did cross my mind that with all that rain, you wouldn't really have to do much watering ... or install irrigation for that matter!

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by Chenebe

Well, as a fellow gardener, it did cross my mind that with all that rain, you wouldn't really have to do much watering ... or install irrigation for that matter!

This time of year that is certainly true - however, our summers are typically extremely dry. From after about the fourth of July until mid-October Seattle is typically sunny with beautiful blue skies - so during that time of year we do have to water or our garden would dry up and die.

Ken

[pwright1]

Oh wow what a nice yard you have. I am so glad I escaped the winters of the northeast. Things are really blooming around here. As LordBalfor said summers are extremely dry. My first summer here my grass turned to straw. I couldn't believe it.

[allforcats]

Ah yes, three seasons here are green, summer is tan!! But not on the people!! Hahaha!!

Lordy Lord, what a scrumptious, lush garden! Thank you so much for that photo!!

[Chenebe]

Sigh, rains too much for most, too little for gardeners ... but it's a small price to pay for glorious weather, I suppose!

[BostonBorn]

As a current resident of the frigid Northeast (will be a Seattle-area resident within a year), I can tell you from my frequent visits to Seattle this winter that the Pacific Northwest winters are much more temperate and mild, and far more bearable. Enjoy!

[seattlenextyear]

What's the plant that looks like Lenten Rose?

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

What's the plant that looks like Lenten Rose?

Exactly that - a Lenten Rose (Hellebore). We have several of them in various colors. Love the fact that they start blooming around late January.

Ken