Think you've missed your chance to plant a summer garden? Not even close.

The big picture: June is actually the prime planting season for many vegetables, flowers and shrubs in Seattle — and the city's warming climate is giving gardeners more options than they had a decade ago.

State of play: Seattle recently moved from USDA hardiness zone 8b to 9a, reflecting warmer average winter temperatures.

• The shift means local gardeners can increasingly experiment with plants traditionally associated with Oregon and Northern California.

Yes, but: Experts caution Seattle's wet winters still create challenges for some drought-loving plants.

• Plus, "everything planted now will need consistent watering, perhaps daily during heat waves," Seattle Times garden columnist Erica Browne Grivas told Axios.

What to plant now: For edible gardens, Grivas says the timing is ideal for warm-weather favorites including basil, tomatoes, beans and squash.

• Looking for flowers? Zinnias, cosmos and dahlias planted now should thrive through the summer. She also recommends unusual Salvias such as "Wendy's Wish," "Black and Blue" and Salvia patens.
• At Rosso's Nursery and Gardens in Tukwila, owner Geno Rosso told Axios he's seeing shoppers snap up annuals, vegetables, herbs and roses.

Among his perennial picks:

• Tropicana canna lilies, which offer dramatic foliage and bright orange blooms this summer.
• Fatsia, also known as Japanese aralia, a drought-tolerant evergreen grown for its dramatic foliage. Rosso is especially fond of the variegated varieties, whose cream-and-green leaves brighten gardens year-round.
• Pittosporum "Wheeler's Dwarf," a compact evergreen with fragrant flowers.
• Star jasmine and Tuscan jasmine, fragrant flowering vines that have become increasingly common in Seattle gardens, Rosso said.
• They can be planted together, and intertwined, for an extended bloom season.

Between the lines: Seattle's new hardiness zone doesn't mean gardeners should rip out plants that already perform well here.

• Instead, Grivas recommends gradually adding drought-tolerant perennials and shrubs that can handle hotter, drier summers. Her suggestions include yarrow, Erigeron, Cistus, Phlomis and American native Baptisia and Geranium "Rozanne."

Tell a gardener

Nearly half of King County residents are sweating it out without air conditioning — a far higher share than the national rate.

The big picture: Seattle no longer ranks as the least air-conditioned major city in the U.S. — that title goes to San Francisco — but the Puget Sound region still has some of the lowest rates of air conditioning in the country.

By the numbers: Four Washington counties — King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish — rank among the 10 least air conditioned in the U.S., according to recent census estimates.

• That's among U.S. counties with at least 100,000 households.
• Across the four local counties, between 44.5% and 47.8% of households didn't have air conditioning in 2023, the latest year of data available.
• Nationally, just 6.9% of households didn't have air conditioning that year.

Context: Until recently, most Seattle-area households didn't have AC.

• That's changed as Pacific Northwest summers have grown warmer, with scientists linking an increase in heat waves to climate change.
• The 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave killed hundreds of people, in part because so many homes lacked air conditioning.

What's next: Today could be the hottest day of the year so far in the Puget Sound region, with local temperatures expected to reach the mid- to upper 80s.

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🏈 Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has accepted an offer to join CBS Sports' Sunday pregame show, trading football for on-air analysis. (NFL Network)

🏠 Seattle ranks near the bottom among big U.S. metros for homeowners who own their homes free and clear, highlighting how debt-heavy housing is in the region. (Seattle Times)

🏒 Melinda French Gates is set to join the Seattle Kraken ownership team as a minority investor. (KING 5)

Seattle Humane is cutting adoption fees — and hoping some long-waiting pets finally get their shot at a home.

The big picture: The Bellevue-based shelter is offering discounted adoption fees through July 3 — including adult dogs for $250 and adult cats for $125 — as it faces slower adoption demand and more requests to take in animals from shelters at capacity.

• Some longer-stay pets also have name-your-own adoption fees.

State of play: Large dogs can be especially difficult to place because they're more expensive and often face size or breed restrictions in housing, Ali Waszmer, Seattle Humane's shelter programs and operations director, told Axios.

• "People are facing more housing and financial insecurity, so we're working to reduce barriers by discounting our adoption fees for puppies, adult dogs and adult cats," Waszmer said.

Case in Point: Nori, an Australian Cattle Dog mix, has been waiting 488 days for a home, making him Seattle Humane's longest-tenured resident.

• He's a little shy at first, but belly rubs bring out his wiggly side, per the shelter. Add a hiking trail and some fresh fruit, and you've pretty much won him over.

Nori isn't the only pet looking for a match.

• Sabrina, a 3-year-old dog who thrives in quieter settings, and Portia, a 16-year-old cat who enjoys bird-watching and affection, are also available for adoption.