Most people these days seem to accept that Climate Change/Global Warming is, in fact, a real thing. Even concerned citizens, unless they live on a tiny island in the South Pacific or in the shadow of a glacier, have a hard time picturing the actual effects of Climate Change.
For me the results are right out in the backyard. The last two years have been hard ones here in the Pacific Northwest. There have been stretches of extremely hot and extremely cold weather and the rain the last few years has lasted forever. Although this could just be a natural flux in the weather patterns plants in the garden are starting to show signs of this new weather trend.
Many reliable, even hard to kill plants are dying or just struggling along. Some examples are: Phormium (New Zealand Flax,) yes, only marginally hardy any time, but for the most part most of the grand Phormiums in the Seattle area are now gone. In my own yard I have lost both my Evergreen Clematis (Clematis armandii,) these were large plants that covered the entire backside of my deck. Also, the hedge of Wax Myrtle (Myrica californica,) are really showing signs of stress, with lots of brown leaves and dying branches.
As a gardener it is always disappointing to lose plants, but it is especially difficult losing tried and true, common plants, to the harsh weather. Does this mean we will need to start re-thinking our garden plans? Will our native plants have to be ousted to make way for new, hardier "native" plants?
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