When it comes to gardening, it’s no secret that Kingston is fertile ground – after all, one of the world’s foremost nurseries, Heronswood, began right here. So it makes sense that the Northwest’s premier gardening Web site has also grown up right in our own backyard.

Rainy Side Gardeners, online at www.rainyside.com, is a comprehensive gardeners’ resource devoted to the Northwest, specifically the maritime regions of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Kingston resident Debra Teachout-Teashon, Rainy Side editor and Webmaster, is an avid gardener and former Master Gardener who saw a need for solid gardening information based in a region she terms a “horticultural wonderland.”

“We pull in people from all over the world, but the cultural advice is all Pacific Northwest,” said Teachout-Teashon. “Many gardening sites and lots of books are geared toward other parts of the country, but our climate is unique. For one thing, here in the Northwest you can add about 30 percent to the height and width estimates printed on the plant tags.”

In addition to volumes of information on subjects ranging from slugs to garden design and first-rate plant choices, the site is noteworthy for its hundreds of magazine-quality photographs. In the Plant Gallery alone, each of the more than 600 offerings is accompanied by cultural information, personal observations and a high-resolution photo. The pictures are shot by Teachout-Teashon herself, who is an award-winning photographer with an impressive client list of horticultural magazines and nurseries.

In 10 years, Rainy Side has grown to a whopping 859 pages. Features include a Guess the Flower contest with the prize of a $50 gift certificate to an online nursery in Oregon; a forum in which gardening questions are answered by Teachout-Teashon and other visiting gardeners; and a resource section with links to nurseries, plant and garden societies of the Northwest. There’s also a Book Shelf that lists dozens of good reads for those who wish to add to their horticultural libraries. The Calendar of Gardening Events is a popular reference for activities across the region.

New articles appear monthly, written by Teachout-Teashon and a staple of seasoned Northwest writers including Phil Wood, Kim Pokorny and Darcy Barnes. Guest writers such as local North Kitsap favorite Peg Tillery weigh in regularly. The writers’ Top Ten is an ongoing feature that gives a quick look at what the plant-obsessed grow in their own gardens. In February, Rainy Side Gardener continues its tradition of giving a sneak-peek into the display gardens of the Yard, Garden and Patio Show of Portland, and the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle. An online newsletter, available by free subscription, delivers the latest Rainy Side articles via e-mail each month.

“About the only thing we don’t do is sell plants, though I’m often asked to send a copy of our catalog,” laughed the editor, pointing out that the Web site does have links to plant purveyors.

“It’s a lot of work to run an active, growing Web site,” she explained. “I work on it almost every day – writing, photographing, listing events, answering questions on the forum, or adding to the plant gallery.”

Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Teachout-Teashon rediscovered the joys of this pluvial paradise upon moving back after seven years in Hawaii. In fact, one of the important functions she sees Rainy Side fulfilling is as a primer for newcomers to the region.

“We attract a lot of people who’ve moved here from other parts of the country. If you’ve just relocated from the Midwest, you’re not prepared for cold springs and hot season plants like tomatoes that don’t get moving until well into summer,” said Teachout-Teashon. “They may not be able to grow tomatoes and zinnias as well as where they came from, but our overall plant palette is so much broader here.”

“The Pacific Northwest is a garden Mecca,” she adds. “I’ve rediscovered what a wonderful place this is to live and garden.”

Local nursery

Web sites:

BOONEBRIER FARM PEONIES

www.boonebrierfarm.com

DRAGONFLY FARMS NURSERY

www.dragonflyfarmsnursery.com

FAR REACHES FARM

www.farreachesfarm.squarespace.com

LABYRINTH HILL FARM

www.labyrinthhill.com

THE POTTING SISTERS

www.pottingsisters.com

SAVAGE PLANTS & LANDSCAPE

www.savageplants.com

SUNDQUIST NURSERY

www.sqnursery.com

VALLEY NURSERY INC.

www.valleynurseryinc.com