Thanks come in many shades of green

Time for the annual Thanksgiving column so that gardeners in Western Washington will be full of gratitude. Our fabulously famous gray days and abundant rain can make one winter-weary, but this is the week to remember how lucky we are to garden here.

Be thankful we can enjoy green lawns all year.

Droughts have forced communities across the country to ration and charge more for water. Entire neighborhoods in the arid South are landscaped with displays of rocks, gravel and boulders instead of soft green grass. Who do they think they’re fooling? We know how much they crave our emerald green landscapes – without the water bills or environmental guilt.

Be thankful that we don’t have tornados.

A little wind helps get rid of the deadwood and adds some movement to the ornamental grasses – but here in Washington we won’t be heading to the root cellar as our homes blow away.

Be thankful that we don’t have gophers.

Yes, we deal with moles, mice and voles making tunnels in our garden beds and lawns but gophers make even bigger mounds and live in large communities. In the Midwest, gophers make mountains out of our molehills. At least our moles are anti-social.

Be thankful we don’t have tree-toppers.

Thanks to educational organizations such as PlantAmnesty and Master Gardeners, the yard-care professionals in our area know better than to cut the top off of trees. Tree topping can slowly kill healthy specimens and actually makes them more likely to topple after they sport side branching that can act like a sail in the wind. You can find cruel examples of plant butchery in even the finest neighborhoods in the Northeast and around New York. If you visit these regions, forgive their unsightly and ignorant ways as they mutilate trees and shrubs – they know not what they do.

Be thankful we can grow spring bulbs – without a refrigerator visit.

In the warm winter areas of the country you may find refrigerators filled with daffodil and tulip bulbs because they live in a climate that does not get cold enough for these spring bloomers to flower. Then after all the extra work, the spring colors fade quickly in the South as heat arrives in April and May. Our winters and summers are mild and our autumn and springs long and colorful.

Be thankful for the wide variety of plant material that thrives here.

I just gotta say, the rest of the gardening world envies our wide palette of plant material. Not only does our mild climate and abundant rainfall allow us to play with plants from the tropics (windmill palms, hibiscus and jasmine) but we can also grow desert vegetation (yuccas, sedums and cacti) as well as the woodland plants, ferns, clematis, fuchsias and hydrangeas that grow better in our backyards than anyplace else in the world.

Be thankful for our local nurseries and garden shows.

Plant breeders, growers and independent, family-run nurseries are located in our area and this means we never have to send money far away for mail order delivery to try a new, unique or exotic plant. We are within a few hours drive of specialty nurseries, nurseries with show gardens, free seminars and informative lectures. You don’t even have to hunt around for all this wealth of plant material and information this winter. The Tacoma Home and Garden Show and the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle both boast indoor color, show gardens and free gardening seminars before spring even begins.

Yes, winter is here, but there’s no need to whine. Sneak a peak at the mountains, the moss and the evergreens this week and remind yourself we’re all pretty lucky to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Marianne Binetti is the author of “Easy Answers for Great Gardens” and eight other gardening books. She has a degree in horticulture from WSU and will answer questions from her Web site at binettigarden.com.