Dry Slope Gardening in Seattle

A view of the entire dry hillside at the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden

Though mostly known for its woodland garden of choice woody and herbaceous plants, the Elisabeth C Miller Botanical Garden also offers a sunny, dry slope that is filled with equally exciting treasures suitable for the water-conserving Pacific Northwest garden.

The careful use of water in the garden is not a new concept for West Coast gardeners. The increasing interest in drought-tolerant landscapes, native plants, and rain-water capture shows the commitment of the gardening community to future generations. Every year advances in techniques and technologies allow us to do a better job of using just enough moisture to allow our gardens to thrive. When Elisabeth C Miller began creating her garden in the early 1950s, she quickly learned the lesson of growing the right plant in the right place. She spent more than forty years experimenting with plants that would adapt and thrive in her north Seattle garden. When the Miller estate was dedicated as a botanical garden in 1994, its mission incorporated an extraordinary blend of plant colle...