Seattle's Magnolia Neighborhood: A Subtropical Gardening Paradise

Pushing the Envelope with Subtropicals

Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood, rising like an island from Elliott Bay, enjoys a mild microclimate allowing gardeners to experiment with subtropical ornamentals. At Magnolia Garden Center, owners Chuck and Margaret Flaherty offer subtropicals alongside hardier stock. As Margaret notes, their location lets them "push the envelope with plants that might not make it a few miles away."

Favorite Subtropical Selections

• Australian mint bush (Prostanthera rotundifolia): Large shrub with fragrant leaves and purple flowers.
• Phormium 'Evening Glow': New Zealand flax with the reddest leaves Margaret has seen.
• 'Purple Picture' hebe: Evergreen mound with purple leaves and flowers blooming July through Christmas.
• 'Wilma Goldcrest' Monterey cypress: Spire-shaped conifer with chartreuse foliage, excellent in containers.