Backyard ideas for Pacific Northwest that survive the climate
Mild, wet and grey from October to May, then dry and gentle all summer. Shade, moss and acidic soil are the defaults; drought stress in August surprises newcomers.
The styles that fit Pacific Northwest
The forest style is simply what the region wants to be — ferns, maples, moss and cedar. Japanese zen shares the same plants and the same appreciation of rain on stone. English cottage thrives in the cool summers: roses, foxgloves and delphiniums grow here better than almost anywhere in the country.
Plants that thrive in Pacific Northwest
- Sword fern, salal, evergreen huckleberry, Oregon grape
- Vine maple, Japanese maple, dogwood
- Hostas, heuchera, bleeding heart in shade
- Roses, foxglove, delphinium, lavender in sun
- Rhododendron and azalea (they are native here)
The moves that matter here
- Give up on the lawn under the conifers; plant ferns and a woodchip path.
- Let moss take the north side and the stone path.
- Plant a vine maple where you see it from inside — fall colour is the payoff.
- Add a covered outdoor space; the yard is used more in the rain than you think.
What locals learn the hard way
Drought-lovers in the winter wet, palms that die in the once-a-decade freeze, and skipping irrigation in August.
See a Pacific NW Forest yard on your property
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