No Yard Necessary, Pacific Northwest Style

As spring turns to summer, the thoughts of many Pacific Northwesterners turn to the garden.  With the favorable climate zones here, the Pacific Northwest can be a gardener’s paradise for annuals, perennials and vegetables of all sorts.

Except, what do you do when you don’t have a yard?  

The answer is: more than you might think!!

There are a host of plants, products and garden ideas for Pacific Northwesterners who want to garden but don’t have a yard.  Many of these have a Pacific Northwest flair that reflect the unique design style of the region.

For those with no outdoor space at all, there are a variety of garden options that don’t require a yard.  Window herbs, succulents and indoor plants specifically for the Pacific Northwest such as from Urban Earth Nursery (which also has a stunning array of plants for urban gardens of all types) and orchids, aroids and exotic tropicals from Emerald City Orchids are some choices.  But there are some unusual ones too – all with a Pacific Northwest flair.  Mini terrariums (including terrariums in a chemistry bottle) from Verdant Vivariums, one of the newest exhibitors at the recent Northwest Flower & Garden Festival.  Air plants that require no soil from locally-based Owens Gardens or KC Exotic Air Plants, another exhibitor at the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival.  Even carnivorous plants from locally-owned Predatory Perennials.  Indoor vertical gardening (including vegetables) from companies such as Let’s Grow Vertical, whose products include a variety of aeroponics vertical growing towers that let you grow your own produce indoors (as well as outdoors) using portable towers that occupy less than five square feet.

If you’re lucky enough to have a balcony or patio, there are even more choices.  Gardening on the vertical and container gardening, such as shown in these designs by Breathe Easy Gardening and Seattle Sustainable Landscapes.  You can even do raised vegetable beds, using configurable (and decorative) raised beds such as these from Olle.

In short, just because you don’t have a yard doesn’t mean you can’t garden.  You can and with a unique Pacific Northwest style!

Image Source (Above): Pete Rowen