Pacific Northwest Gardening Calendar (Zone 8a–8b)
How to Use the Garden Calendar
Gardening in the Pacific Northwest follows a rhythm shaped by cool springs, long stretches of rain, and soil that warms slowly in early season. What works in other parts of the country often runs weeks ahead of us here.
This calendar is designed specifically for Pacific Northwest gardens — especially Zone 8a and 8b — where timing matters more than dates on a seed packet. Instead of rigid planting charts, you’ll find seasonal cues, soil temperature awareness, and practical monthly guidance based on real regional conditions.
Use it as a reference point throughout the year. Conditions shift, but the rhythm stays consistent.
November
Tucking-in month. The garden slows. Your job is protection, drainage, and patience.
Guides for November
Plant
- Bare-root trees and shrubs
Prime season, as long as the soil isn't frozen or soupy. Stake anything in a windy spot.
- Cover crops, last call
Only if you still have a mild stretch and the bed isn't waterlogged. A mulch of leaves is a fine substitute.
- Winter containers
Heathers, hardy cyclamen, hellebores, and small conifers. They hold up through the gray months if the pot can drain.
- The spring bulbs you forgot
Still better now than waiting until spring, as long as you can get a trowel in the ground.
Do
- Drain hoses and protect outdoor faucets
A frozen hose full of water splits. Shut off and drain irrigation lines if you have them.
- Mulch beds, especially anything planted this year
Keep mulch off crowns and trunks so rodents and rot don't move in.
- Clean and oil tools, then store them dry
An hour now makes January pruning less miserable.
- Protect containers from freeze and thaw
Group pots against the house, or wrap them. The damage is usually the pot, not the plant.
- Clear gutters and drains
A weekend of leaves in the gutter becomes a January flood against the foundation.
- Move tender pots under cover
Fuchsias, pelargoniums, and citrus want a bright, cool, frost-free spot — not a dark garage.
Watch
- Standing water
Note the spots. You won't remember them in April, and you can't fix drainage in the mud.
- Wind on new trees
Check stakes and ties after every storm. Ties should let the trunk move a little.
- Rodents under mulch
Pull mulch back from crowns and trunks. Voles like a cozy blanket against bark.
- Planting holes that fill like buckets
Clay holds water around new roots. If it sits for a day, that plant needs a better-drained spot.
Indoors / Protected
- Pot paperwhites and amaryllis
For blooms around the holidays. Paperwhites don't need a chill. Amaryllis wants warmth once it's potted.
- Sow microgreens or sprouts
The easiest fresh food of the month. A tray on the counter beats forcing the outdoor garden.
- Check stored tubers
One rotten dahlia in a crate takes the rest with it.
Related reads
A few more posts that pair well with this one.
PNW Frost Dates (A Gentle Guide)
→Confused by frost dates in the Pacific Northwest? This gentle guide explains PNW first and last frost, microclimates, and what to plant when.
Cover Crops for Pacific Northwest Gardens: Protect and Improve Your Soil Over Winter
→Discover the best fall cover crops for Pacific Northwest vegetable gardens, when to plant them, and how to improve your soil naturally over winter.
What to Plant in June in Washington State (PNW Guide)
→A simple guide to what to plant in June in Washington State. Vegetables, flowers, herbs, and succession planting tips for Pacific Northwest gardens.
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