Erratic weather signals a need to change our gardening ways

THE WEATHER is giving us whiplash. Plants that survived for years in Seattle were killed outright by the cold and snow last winter. Gardeners are still lamenting dead hebes, phormium, viburnum, daphne, lavender, rosemary and . . . . the list goes on.

And yet this summer seesawed back to heat and drought. The six weeks from May 20 through the end of June were the driest in 116 years. Who could have imagined that University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass would have occasion to title a July 2 blog post "How Bad Has the Drought Been?" Usually summer's still a no-show, the tomatoes sulking and basil damping off in early July. But this year Mass was already warning about a significant stretch of drought by the end of June.

Anyone who tends a garden is pretty acclimatized to the vagaries of weather. We have to be realists to pursue our passion. As we've watched the weather extremes around the globe, it's become clear that global warming means more frequent and intense storms, extended droughts, shifts in the timing of seasons and erratic weather patterns. Which are already affecting our gardens.

So why aren't such changes affecting our plant choices and gardening practices more? Despite being nearly a decade into the 21st century, we mostly garden as our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did before us, albeit with noisier devices and an expanded plant palette. Most people get out there with their gas mowers, edgers and blowers, and spend weekends burning diesel fuel and polluting the air. We pour gallons of precious water into the ground to keep flowers blooming and vegetables ripening.

The bottom line is that most gardeners are still stuffing their properties with ornamental plants that require an enormous amount of resources and time to care for, in a world increasingly pressed for both. Or does this apply only to every gardener I know? Including me, who spends a small fortune watering my beloved hydrangeas in Langley's sandy soil. And don't even get me started on lawn grass!

Do you suppose it's possible for plant-besotted gardeners, when faced with water shortages, changes in bird migration and bee health, high utility bills and lilacs flowering two weeks earlier, to control their desires? Are we ready to simplify, cut back and enjoy what we have more? I think we must in the long run.

I sought wisdom from Bob Hornbeck, owner of Muchas Grasses nursery in Sonoma, figuring Californians must be way ahead of us on drought issues. He's speaking on "What's Up With the Climate?" in September at the environmentally-based garden event called The Late Show Gardens (www.thelateshowgardens.org/).

Surprisingly, Hornbeck suggested emulating British gardeners. He points out their long tradition of dedicated plantsmanship, of working the soil and studying where plants come from and what each needs to thrive. "The gulf stream has shifted, and the British are planning ahead for climate change," says Hornbeck, who points out that England's famously rainy climate is moving toward the Mediterranean climate of California. "No one knows how fast it'll change, but the rate of change itself is changing, and that's scary," he says.

Hornbeck suggests "kissing your lawn goodbye" and using more plants like succulents and ornamental grasses that adjust well to a wide variety of conditions. "We really don't know what to expect; it might get wetter, it might get drier," he says.

Hornbeck sees the silver lining in such unpredictability. If we don't know what's going to happen, gardeners may as well make educated guesses and experiment a bit. Because who knows what plants will survive in our future gardens? No one expected plants that had survived for decades to die last December.

What to expect in the short run? Cliff Mass predicts an El Niño winter this year in the Northwest. This typically means somewhat warmer and drier conditions with less snow and freezing temperatures. "An El Niño is generally good for plant folks and bad for skiers." Skiers got theirs last year; now it's gardeners' turn for a good winter.

Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer and author of "A Pattern Garden." Check out her blog at www.valeaston.com.