How To Get To The Garden State Parkway

Updated date:

Mar 3, 2021

Easy-to-Grow Garden Plants for the Columbia Basin of Washington State

Nancy has experience training her cats to talk and has learned their various vocal cues.

These purple bearded irises are loved for their beauty and indestructible nature. They are tolerant of drought as well as cold.

Photo by Nancy Owens

Garden Staples in the Columbia Basin

There are many perennial plants that do well in this area. Gardeners sometimes refer to these plants as staples of the garden. These hardy plants are able to withstand the hot summers and cold winters and come back year after year.

If you are new to the area or are new to gardening, the plants featured in this article will get you off to a good start with your landscaping and garden project.

Plants That Grow Well in the Columbia Basin


Common Plant Name	Plant Characteristics	Behavior and Growing/Growing Preferences
Calendula	Annual in cold climates, Prolific Reseeder, tolerates cold and blooms late into the fall.	Thrives in Sun or Part Sun, Contains Herbal Healing Properties. Daisy-like blooms in yellow and orange colors. Leafy foliage in vibrant spring green. Calendulas bloom from spring to fall.
Gladiolas	Bulb. Annual in cold winters, However, bulbs can be grown as a perennial under the right circumstances. Bold, beautiful flower spikes in a variety of colors. semi-cold tolerant.	In the Columbia Basin, plant gladiola bulbs six to eight inches deep for mid-summer blooms. In the winter, cover the bed with bags full of mulch to avoid having to dig them up in the fall. These bulbs do well along fence lines and function as a tall, colorful border.
Iris	Perennial Propagates by making new roots / tubers. Easy to grow, Vivid color and large blooms	Iris plants add dramatic impact to early and mid-spring gardens. To start new plants, just break off, or separate the tuber-like roots and plant in a new location. Somewhat drought tolerant.
Lambs' Ear	Perennial, Reseeds naturally. Very soft to the touch, Dries well for lasting floral decor.	Part Shade, Filtered Shade, or Full Sun. This hardy plant can tolerate heat and sun but does best with a little shade.
Bachelors' Buttons	Perennial. Both root and Seed Propagation. Bachelors' Buttons can be perennial or annual. They come up early in the spring and will keep blooming and growing all summer provided they get enough water.	Full to Part Sun. Bright, vivid blue blooms. Often they will lay down after hard wind, but continue to grow and bloom. This can create a very dramatic display.
Fall Aster	Perennial Clumping habit. Tall, Around 3 ft, in height at maturity.	Full to Part Sun. Blooms in fall. Vivid lavender color blooms last until frost. To make more plants, divide large root bundles early in spring.

A late spring storm passes over cropland.leaving a double rainbow in its wake near Othello, Washington

Photo by Nancy Owens

Growing Conditions in the Columbia Basin

The Columbia Basin of Washington State is a place of lush gardens, indigenous vegetation, and crops grown to feed our country and other countries as well. The climate in this area is generally considered high desert, but the ground is fertile and with the help of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, miles and miles of desert plains were converted to irrigated cropland, and thus, it became a significant contributor to the American Food Industry.

Climate: The climate in this area is one of four seasons. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Temperatures can range from the occasional 20-degree-below mark in the winter, to temperatures upwards of 100 degrees in the summer. In addition, wind speed plays a factor in gardening as well. While the wind is fairly mild during the summer months, high winds in late spring, and fall can pose complications in successful growth of garden and landscape plants.
Soil: Typically, the soil is quite fertile, however, depending on where you are in Grant County, the soil could be sandy, rocky, or contain a clay-like element.
Growing Season: The growing season is long, but winter conditions are not conducive to gardening. Generally speaking, the growing season begins in late February for plants like lettuce, onions, garlic, and other cold-loving plants. At times, there may still be snow on the ground in early March. The growing season typically ends with the first heavy frost, which can come in mid to late October to mid to late November, depending on weather conditions.

Landscaping with natural river bed rock. Plants shown are: Iris, Marigold, Petunia, Lobelia, and Geranium. This natural riverbed rock was taken from the ground on the property. The Moses Lake area was once under the Columbia river.

Image Source Nancy Owens

Bulbs, Tubers, and Rhyzomes That Grow Well in the Columbia Basin

Daffodils: Tall daffodils grow to a height of around 2 feet. Dwarf varieties grow to around eight to ten inches and have smaller blooms. Both come in a variety of colors.
Snow Crocus: Blooms in early spring. Around, four inches high, these bright blooms open as the snow melts. Tiny bulbs can be planted in an established lawn for a unique and colorful texture element.
Iris: Bearded irises are a true garden staple in Grant County and the rest of the basin. They are prolific in nature, meaning they will grow more of themselves quickly. The iris is a rhizome as opposed to a tuber (like a potato) or a bulb (like a daffodil, tulip, or gladiola). See more information in the table above.
Gladiolas: Striking sun-loving bloom spikes for mid-summer color. They come in a variety of colors, but may need bags of mulch in the winter to keep them from getting too cold. Check the table above for planting and growing information.
Lilies: There is a wide variety of lily strains that will do well in the hot summers in and around Grant County and the rest of the basin. They can be planted in the spring or early fall. Larger varieties of the lily, when the plant is mature, can grow to a height of three feet and to a width of around four feet. Plant the tuber-like roots two to three inches deep in early spring. Keep soil damp.
Star Flowers: Small purple to blue flowers with a light, bright, star-like center Blooms early to mid spring. Early spring planting. Remember to plant tiny bulbs only an inch or so down into the ground. Follow package instructions if you purchase them from a store.
Grecian Wind Flowers: Delicate blooms on finely leaved branches. Blooms in mid-spring. Very small bulbs, so don't plant them too deep. Great for naturalizing.