Central Oregon Micro Climates

There are many microclimates in the Central Oregon area and even though the Sunset Western Garden Book is a wonderful source of information for zone 1, it cannot really go into the detail of what can grow where in this area. It really depends on where you live, what your elevation is, also how windy it is and what side of a hill you live on or even how close to the river you are. The wind is a constant where we live now, but in the subdivision we lived for the first 14 years of my gardening life, we were in the banana belt of Bend as I have heard it called. On the north side of pilot butte our house was protected from the winds from the south and also received a great deal of sunshine all year round. I was able to grow Rosemary in the front yard for years that I could never grow outside to the southeast where we are now. We had daffodils in February! I am lucky to get daffodils in April now. I grew dahlias in my front yard for years without lifting them! I tried dahlias here and failed miserably.
The very best thing to do when you move to an area in Central Oregon is to see what your neighbors are growing. If they have been in their home at least 10 years, all the failures would have died and the successes would still be alive. If your neighbor is older, and they have a vegetable patch outside that they work every year, then you must be in the banana belt region. If you live in an area where all you see is pine trees and brush, then you know you are truly in a challenging area. It is not impossible to garden here, but you have to learn that just because something looks nice and is sold at Fred Meyer or Home Depot it does not mean that it will grow here.
I see so many people purchasing things at garden centers that I know will not even last one spring cold snap and I wonder how long they have lived here. I see people buying tulip bulbs in the fall and hope they live in town in a fenced yard to keep the deer from eating them. Not only do we have climate issues, but also critters that love to eat what you planted. That topic will be addressed in a later post.
I have found that one of the best places to get plants that will grow here is Solar City Gardens out on the Old Bend Redmond Highway. They over winter many of their plants right there at the nursery and will let you know what can grow in most areas. Landsystems Nursery is also a business that has been in Bend for over 40 years and a huge resource for landscape plants and advice. Landsystems has a compost mulch that is wonderful to put on your perennials and shrubs.

Even though a plant can grow somewhere in Central Oregon does not mean it can grow in your yard. Look around, talk to your neighbors and also talk with the local landscapers before you invest in a landscape of plants that will not survive the unique microclimate you live in. Those near the river can get away with plants that those in Deschutes River Woods can never attempt.
The bottom line when someone asks me what will grow here is, where do you live? What area of your land do you want to plant? Things can be different depending on what side of the house your garden is on! Do you have full sun all year? Or full shade? I have a front yard now that is in full shade most of the time. I can grow shade plants there that would not survive if I put them 10 feet to the north. Every piece of land has a microclimate that is also created by the house and the landscape around the house. Being aware of how much sun or shade or wind you get at different times of the year makes a huge difference in your plant choices. The search can be as rewarding as the results.