Native Cousins

Kittitas County presents a widely diverse array of ecosystems. From the high Cascade mountains, down the rivers through the sage-steppe regions to the Columbia River, there are thousands of unique native plants. These interesting characters bloom, bear fruit, have interesting foliage and bark and structure and are suited to riverbottom flood planes, dry desert, tough soil, little or a lot of rain and they all perform beautifully with no help from us.

Okay, these aren't those plants. But they are closely related, really well suited to gardens in our area, commercially available in plant or seed form, and I like them. A lot.

Wooly Mammoth salvia is a biennial plant with furry grey leaves and white flower pikes up to four feet tall, in full glory in late June. In this full sun, water wise, mixed garden, it blends well with Rocky Mountain Penstemon as well as two other penstemons and other salvias.

	Rosa Rugosa is a hardy, tough, beautiful group of roses, in white, pink and yellow. They can grow into enormous shrubs if given enough water and food and room (and I mean 12 feet high and wide). They survive just fine after establishment with little supplemental water, are super thorny, and have a loose open wild structure. Blooming heavily in June, they will re-bloom lightly through the summer, and put on a show of huge hips turning orange-red in the fall. Wonderful wildlife plant. Mmmm, and they smell great too.
	Gaillardia and Yarrow -- Both of the types in this photo are gardenized versions of our native wild flowers. They are great for attracting butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects. And both will survive in a super hot, sunny, dry location. Gaillardia performs most spectacularly when consistently dead-headed.

Oregon Grape in the Spring.		Oregon Grape in the Winter.

Sunny Border

Sunny borders typically include a mixture of annuals, perennials, shrubs and perhaps a tree (or several) chosen to divide a space or frame a view. In our climate, tough plants which can withstand our drying winds, long hot summer days and cold (zone 5) winters are the best choices to provide vibrant color and texture in all seasons.

Rose Campion (perennial lychnis coronaria) and Pink catchfly (self seeding annual lychnis annua) are two sturdy examples of different varieties in a single species that return every year. Grey or fuzzy foliage is a pretty sure sign that a plant is well suited to a dry, sunny place.

There are many iris varieties which are well adapted to our location. Tall Bearded Iris are especially showy and can survive with very little water, although they are best suited to a garden setting where they will get some supplemental water. "Iris" was a Greek goddess of the rainbow, and truly I can't think of another flower that comes in as many colors. From pure frosty whites to blue-black, with matching or contrasting beards, to color blotches, stands of one color and falls of another, the variations are endless. "Named varieties" do not propagate themselves nearly as quickly as the species types. Dig and divide your iris clumps every four or five years, letting them go longer reduces the blooms and makes for tough work. The best time to dig and divide Iris is right after they bloom, and don't divide them too small or you will delay the next year's bloom.

Iris reticulata are tiny, early spring iris that grow close to the ground and are available in white, yellow, plum and blue/purple. If you don't see them closely, you might mistake a drift of them for crocus... they bloom in similar colors, size and time of year.

The yellow iris you see in the area growing along ditches and streams are actually Louisiana Iris that have escaped cultivation. They are considered a noxious weed in this county and I discourage planting them. If you already have them, then enjoy them and don't worry too much, unless they are so prolific that they choke off a natural stream (which can happen).

There is also the native blue flag iris growing in most lowland fields. Livestock graze around them and for a brief period in May many pastures are simply beautiful. I have successfully transplanted them into my sunny border, where they did very well.

Ovid, Metamorphoses 11. 585 ff : "Iris, in her thousand hues enrobed traced through the sky her arching bow . . . Iris entered, and the bright sudden radiance of her robe lit up the hallowed place . . . Iris departed, and fled away back o'er the arching rainbow as she came."

A stunning tangerine Iris.
"Beverly Sills"		"Beverly Sills"
"Timescape"		"Timescape"
Variegated Iris
Spiderwort		Helianthemum and Coral Bells
Helianthemum and Thyme		Helianthemum +

Shady Gems

In general, plants that do well in the shade have smaller blooms and larger leaves, and usually they like soil that is richer with nutrients and moisture.

They are subtle and charming.

	In an area that has some shade, and therefore keeps more moisture, Lady's Mantle makes a wonderful understatement in a mass planting. During a summer rain, the fluted leaves catch the drops which form eye- and light-catching prisms. Since it's blooms compose a light and airy yellow-green froth, it serves as a background or foundation to set off stronger specimen plants such as peonies.
	Coral Bells and Lady's Mantle.
	Columbine

Vagabonds

A vagabond is one who does not have a permanent home and moves from place to place, a wanderer, is irregular in habit or is unpredictable.

I tend to shy away from human vagabonds, but plant vagabonds are terribly interesting and fun. It's like the bees and the wind plan a party for the next year, and you are the special invited guest for the surprise.

	Pink Catchfly is an annual wildflower that prefers full sun but can withstand lean soil and dry conditions. Blooming profusely in June through July it is a favorite of monarch and swallowtail butterflies. Here the bright pink acts as a strong contrasting point against the yellow button flowers and grey foliage of Santolina and Artemesia.
	Poppies.
	A bird feeding on the Amaranth.
	Vagabonds - You never know what's going to drift on through.

Wildflowers

There are many wildflowers that grow well in the Kittitas Valley. Some natives are well suited to a domesticated site, and wildflowers from other regions live long and prosper.

	A well chosen wildflower mix, a prepared site and adequate water for establishment will lead to seasons of color. It is a relatively simple way to reduce lawn area or recover construction zones. Use caution when purchasing wildflower mixes, they may contain seeds of attractive plants which are actually noxious weeds in Kittitas County, such as Ox-Eye Daisy. In this mix, you can see yarrow (white and yellow and gold), bachelor buttons, corepsis and blue fescue grass. Later you would see purple cone flower, blue flax, shatsa daisy, and dandelions. But we don't pay attention to them.
	Bachelor Buttons and Snow in Summer.
	Yarrow.

Wild Yard

Unplanted, unwatered, barely maintained.

Relaxing, lush, diverse, and chock-a-block full of wildlife. Pleasant gardens for people can evolve from a natural area of growth.

For my purposes, a "garden" is defined as any outdoor place that includes space for people to pass through and/or stop and pass time, like pathways, patios, lawns, sidewalks, stepping stones, etc. Any natural place is a wilderness until it's somehow designated as somewhere that it's okay for people to be. Then it's a garden.

Larger lots with room for habitat corridors have potential for rich ecological sustainability. Natural areas can be part of a yard that is easy to maintain, provides wind and sun protection as well as homes for wildlife. Dense plantings which depend on native plants thrive in our valley if proper care is given through the establishment phase of landscaping.

	The yellow iris you see in the area growing along ditches and streams are actually Louisiana Iris that have escaped cultivation. They are considered a noxious weed in this county and I discourage planting them. If you already have them, then enjoy them and don't worry too much, unless they are so prolific that they choke off a natural stream (which can happen).

Native plants in Kittitas County.

Mariposa Lily		Mariposa Lily
Wild Gaillardia (Blanket Flower).		Wild Gaillardia (Blanket Flower).
Arrow-Leaf Balsam Root.		Golden Rod.
Yarrow.		Mix.
Mock Orange and Rose.
Grasses
Fall Colors
Every wild yard needs Musicians.