Get ready for summer by freshening up your entertaining spaces and preparing for good times with others

With the start of summer (and the end of school) this month, June is the perfect time to prep your house and yard for a season of relaxation and fun. And if you’ve fallen behind in your house chores, don’t worry — you can use this month to catch up, too.

Set up your home for easy cleaning and cooking, and get ready for those trips to the beach

Set yourself up for a blissful season of backyard barbecues, beach days, ice cream cones and the hiss of sprinklers by ticking these 10 items off your to-do list in advance. From putting your watering on autopilot to gathering your favorite summery recipes in one place, these tasks will free up some time in the days ahead, so you can focus on fun.

More than just gorgeous and adaptable, these standout plants convey a sense of place

The Pacific Northwest might just have the most accommodating gardening climate in North America. From coastal British Columbia to Northern California, it is possible to grow a wide variety of plants, from tropical-looking, cold-hardy palms and bananas to plants that require a significant chill to perform, including peonies, tulips, lilacs and apples. We are lucky indeed. Why, then, should we grow natives when we have so many exotic options?

Native plants have inestimable value in the landscape. They provide essential habitat and food for birds, pollinators, and all varieties of other creatures. Properly placed, native plants are naturally beautiful and grow lustily, with minimal effort on our part. Given the many microclimates and varied conditions in a typical garden, there’s a good spot in virtually any garden for Northwest native plants.

That said, some Pacific Northwest natives really stand out from the crowd. These are gorgeous plants: adaptable and uniquely able to evoke a distinct sense of the Pacific Northwest in a garden. With beauty, wildlife habitat and versatility in mind, here are 10 of the Pacific Northwest’s best native plants for regional gardens.