| I am going to start to garden in early June up in Washington State. What could I grow? |
| Washington State is divided by the Cascade Mountain Range. Anything west of the mountains is considered the wet side, anything east of the range is thought of as the desert side. If you're gardening in Western Washington, you can count on a moderate maritime climate, with about 200 days of frost free gardening weather. The summers are short and cool, so it's a struggle to grow heat loving veggies such as tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins and eggplant. There are some cultivars that have been especially bred for good performance, so stick with those. Additionally, all of the cool season crops (lettuce, spinach, cabbage, beans and peas) thrive in the moist, cool climate of the Pacific Northwest. On the warm side of the mountains in Eastern Washington, where summers are long and hot, all manner of plants can be grown. Apple trees thrive, wheat and rye are grown as commercial crops, and backyard gardens flourish. Once you know which side of the Cascades you'll be gardening in, you can find detailed gardening information for that area by visiting a website produced by Washington State University: http://gardening.wsu.edu |
