With fall just around the corner, the annual tradition of football season is here once again. I realize that many are perhaps not huge sports fans per say, but then again plenty of folks are, following their favorite team with an almost religious devotion. Personally, I am trying my hardest to forget about the Mariner’s most disappointing season, but then again, perhaps they will win 20 of their last 25 games and make a final run in 2026… Who knows? At this point I think not, so onto to football this gardening sports fan goes.
Now, I am not a sports columnist by any means, but I thought it might be fun to incorporate some fun plants this week that strut some local team’s colors. Perhaps it is an NFL team like our defending Super Bowl Champions the Seahawks that catches your fancy, sporting the colors of lime green, blue and silver. Maybe it is a local college or your alma mater that encompasses your sports passion. There are many great schools in the PNW to support, without question, and even across the country for that matter. I prefer the Huskies, someone else follows the Cougs, another mistakenly loves the Ducks and yet another is a true Beaver believer. I think you see where I am going with this… In all honesty, are there really any “college” sports or “student athletes” anymore? I would offer a resounding “No!” as this old curmudgeon cringes at the amount of money our current “student athletes” earn in modern times. Apologies, I am digressing into a rant on college sports, back to some plants…
Get Your Hawk On! I chuckle sometimes when I see colors listed for our beloved Hawks. Blue, lime green and grey become a much more chic “college navy, action green and wolf grey,” which of course sounds far more interesting, right? I have had fun over the years with these colors in fall, sometimes with plants and others with static items. Gardeners can find pots in all of those colors for sure, and adding in contrasting plants can create a lovely autumn container that screams Seahawk. Always remember when creating a pot that it is all about the thriller, the filler and the spiller, so choose appropriate foliage and flowers for a striking team color container. Maybe even a little flag or team prop tucked in can add even more Hawkness!
All Hail the Huskies! This is one where I definitely show my allegiance, as do many UW supporters. The colors of royalty, purple and gold, can be used for fall for sure. For me, I go with alternating purple and golden-yellow Pansies in my window boxes and if I keep them pinched and watered, they will grow and bloom throughout the winter into spring before I swap them out for summer annuals. I remember years ago helping Jim Lambright, retired Husky coach (and a great guy!) get his purple and yellow Pansies each and every fall to plant a ginormous “W” at the end of his driveway. Purple Cabbage and Kale can also work nicely, as do golden Mums and purple Asters.
Coug It Up In Style! Now I love the Cougs as well, as should we all, and really only root against them when they play the Huskies. Others perhaps are the opposite, which is perfectly acceptable. Displaying the lovely colors of crimson and grey, Cougars are some of the most passionate fans in our area. One die-hard Coug I worked with for years cultivated Dusty Miller (grey) with crimson red Mums every fall to show her spirit. Go Cougs indeed!
Support the Compass Direction Schools! It seems that every state has these and Washington is no different. We have the Eastern Washington Eagles (red/white) hailing from cheerful Cheney. In beautiful Bellingham resides the Western Washington University Vikings (blue/silver/white). Just over the mountains, windy Ellensburg holds the Central Washington University Wildcats (crimson/black), the Golfing Gardener’s college back in the day. There are so many other good schools in our state, each sporting school colors on everything from coffee cups to bumper stickers to hats and jerseys. So why not do this in the garden?
Fall brings us football and it also brings us excellent planting weather (and hopefully some rain!). Local garden centers are stocking up with fresh plants for autumn, and as a bonus many run useful sales and promotions this time of year too. Visit your favorite and speak with a Certified Professional Horticulturist about your needs, allowing them to help you find exactly what you seek. Gaze upon the fall foliage and flower selection, find those perfect team colors and then display them prominently in your landscape. Whether you are decking out a pot by the front door or adding some pop to a garden bed, the colors of fall are both varied and striking.
I hope this was a fun change to talk about matching your team spirit and colors with some festive fun plants and accessories in your outdoor spaces. Perhaps even take this down to the High School level – the colors of local institutions like the Lake Stevens Vikiings, Everett Seagulls (my spot many moons ago), Cascade Bruins, Snohomish Panthers, Glacier Peak Grizzly Bears, Marysville-Pilchuck Tomahawks, Getchell Chargers, Arlington Eagles, Monroe Bears, Kamiak Knights, Jackson Timberwolves, Archbishop Murphy Wildcats and lots more. Many of us host game day parties, while others may simply invite just a fellow fans over, decked out in team gear to watch the game and share the passion of football. And that is my point in this space – sport the Steve Largent jersey, or the Warren Moon, or even the Ryan Leaf, but don’t forget to match that spirit in the garden. It is super easy to add some seasonal color and accents that exude your team’s spirit, so use that imagination and wow your guests at your next game day party. Anything less would be uncivilized.
