Do you have mulch down? These wilting plants, are they newly planted? You may need to dig them up and plunge the roots in a tub of clean water until they stop bubbling. Especially if these are dense, intact field soil or potting soil root balls or blocks.

lots of mulch, and the wilting conifers got planted three years ago. I was watering once a week during summer after planting, even though nothing showed signs of distress. Last year, I didn't water the conifers much at all, maybe a spritz a couple of times for the whole year. The spireas are wilting, too. We've had summer weather here since January, with just a couple of light frosts in February. I thought it was great at first, I ordered seeds and started planting. I changed my mind, I want my rainy spring back.

Even my Teasel is wilting with water captured by the leaves in a pool next to the stem. Dipsacus sylvestris.
My vernal ponds are quite a bit lower than normal for this time of year.
mike

"We've had summer weather here since January, with just a couple of light frosts in February."

Where the heck are you? :-)) I thought I lived in a balmy area (certainly extra mild in winter due to water proximity) but there most certainly hasn't been summer weather here since January - it was in the 20's several times in January, frost several times in both February and March and a recording of 29F on the 14th of May. Granted, it did hit in the 70's several times in April and numerous times this month, including a reading of 82F yesterday but I'm not sure I'd consider that summer when it's still mostly in the 40's at night.

Yesterday was the first day I watered anything other than my containers (and I started that In April) as nothing has required any supplemental irrigation. Precipitation has been pretty much normal for the season as well, with the exception of this month........we are down about 2". Otherwise, we are at or slightly above normal rainfall totals.

I've recently put a sprinkler under selected shrubs because of sparse May rain, but nothing is wilting here. 80-84-85 not a heat wave in Portland.

there most certainly hasn't been summer weather here since January

Yep: we are already sliding into the long term (rest of our lives and beyond) pattern of predominantly cold, dark springs and hot summer periods that was forecast by local weather scientists awhile back. Perhaps the small number of summer-like afternoons we have had now and then this spring is a foretaste of something to come later this summer.

Hi Gardengal. I'm about 20 minutes east of Seattle. I think that you are north of me (?). I remember watching Cisco back in January tell the reporter that he thought winter was over and he had already pruned his roses. I actually planted three dozen rhodies back in January and monitored them extra closely. Like I said, a couple of light frosts, but certainly not in the 20s here. Late winter was warm and dry. We were talking about that in a dog training class that I was going to: hooray, no muddy paws! We normally have rain in the spring here, but not this year.

I wouldn't call our winter, summer, but I spent a lot of days in January and February working outside without a coat or long sleeved shirt.
mike

Mike, I think that you are close by, but we do have microclimates. In February, I was wearing shorts, and I'm one of those women who is always cold. Seriously.

Last night there was an item about the current local climate on TV. A big patch of warm water has been off the coast for months, abnormal conditions started really being seen in April. Eastern WA farmer who brings sweet cherries to Pike Place has them two weeks early this year. Entire State is now in a drought, snow pack is way down. Next winter may be dry making water shortages even worse next summer.

Otherwise, a week or more of mild weather in February in western WA is normal. Cliff Mass says that spring here runs February to July, with the overall drying of the weather finally overcoming the rain and showers the second week of July - hence the joking about it "always" raining on the 4th of July.

About 60 years ago John and Carol Grant wrote in the original edition of Trees and Shrubs for Pacific Northwest Gardens that you needed to start watering (non drought adapted) plantings in this region in February, as by then the rainfall was becoming deficient at least part of the time (there's that annual February mild spell again). Kinds of plants expecting a moist summer (most equally heavily forested parts of the world get way more summer rain than we do) and not situated in retentive (clay-like) soils may need watering anytime it has not rained one inch per week.

Yes, a week or more of mild weather in February in western WA is normal. But here, it's been months...since January...thru February...then March...then April...and now May...

I'm not sure it makes sense to enter into generalities about this season's weather. The PNW covers a lot of territory with some radically different climate areas. If you look at 2015 monthly weather data for the Seattle area, the temperatures have only been slightly above normal with the odd very warm day or two thrown in here and there. And we have been above average with rainfall amounts every month this year with the exception of May.

So I would be disinclined to consider this as a 'heat wave' or experiencing summer-like weather since January......just slightly warmer than typical but with nearly normal rainfall totals (16.84" compared to average of 17.44" through May).

Today Northwest Cable News said Seattle and Spokane are getting by because they have large reservoirs but many other places here are in for it.

I just found a 1943 edition of the Grant book at Half Price Books and it says to start watering in April so I apparently didn't remember it right.

Hey gardengal. I agree with you that it doesn't make sense to enter into generalities. My particular microclimate (until just recently) has been hot and dry since January compared to previous years. Typically we enjoy (or suffer from) the orographic effect and get more rainfall than neighbouring cities. In fact, I have a neighbor who sarcastically refers to the next city over as "desert".

Here is a news article about our warm winter:

http://www.komonews.com/weather/blogs/scott/Seattle-easily-on-pace-for-warmest-winter-on-record-292040961.html

Last night they were talking on TV about possible 86 F. this week.

I won't argue about it being a very mild winter - it was. But a few degrees above 'normal' temps does not make it summer-like weather :-) We hit 86F on June 2nd, 2009, so not out of the realm of possibilities to hit upper 80's in June.....just not exactly typical.

According to the meterologists, it was the warmest winter on record.

http://www.komonews.com/weather/blogs/scott/Got-shorts-Seattle-crushes-record-for-warmest-December-day-285406231.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/record-warm-temperatures-deliver-early-spring-in-pacific-northwest/

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/16/seattle-on-pace-for-warmest-winter-on-record/

http://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/do-a-dance-to-the-snow-god-bring-back-winter/

http://www.weather.com/forecast/national/news/west-warm-february-winter-escape

http://www.seattleweatherblog.com/category/warm-weather/

Still didn't make it a summer heat wave. But that may be coming.

It's all relative. It sure seems warm to me.
It's going to be an interesting summer.

Lily, I live near Maple Valley.
Mike