More people are extending their outdoor time in the winter by adding fire pits, outdoor heaters, and other features. Even in the wintertime, it’s important to take care of your yard. The TurfMutt Foundation, an environmental education and stewardship program that encourages outdoor living and caring for green spaces, offers the following tips to help […]
Featured
Featured Articles from the West Sound. These are the highlighted articles from WestSound Magazine.
Posted inGardeners Corner
Grow Herbs Indoors for Year-round Enjoyment
Add garden fresh flavor to your meals year-round. Grow a few of your favorite herbs indoors, harvest and enjoy. Select a variety of herbs you and your family enjoy and use for cooking, decoration or fragrance. Basil, chives, cilantro, oregano, marjoram, mint, parsley, sage and thyme are some of the easier herbs to grow indoors. […]
Posted inHome
Building the Deck of Your Dreams
Office al fresco or simply a COVID-safe space to relax and commune with family and friends — many Americans are devoting time and financial resources to creating an outdoor living experience in their own backyards. Driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, many homeowners are using the disposable income […]
Posted inAt Home
Celebrate the Holidays with a Special Ham Recipe
Few things bring family and friends together quite like the holidays, and serving up an elegant, seasonal meal centered around a mouthwatering main dish is a recipe for creating lasting memories with the ones you love. Forging a fabulous holiday experience for the special people in your life starts with choosing a flavorful, tender cut […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Art as Quiet Introspection
Every visit to Heidi Jack’s studio in Kingston uncovers new facets to this woman’s many talents. Jack has a garden-maintenance business in Kingston (one of the beautiful gardens she and her crew maintain on Hidden Cove, Bainbridge Island, was featured in the Jan/Feb 2021 issue of WestSound magazine). Jack has a special affinity with the […]
Posted inAt Home
The New Homeowner’s Moving Checklist
If you’ve recently closed on your first house, congratulations on becoming a homeowner. Before you can get comfy in your new place, you need to actually move in. If you’ve never moved into a new house, there are a few things you may not be aware of. As you make plans to move into a […]
Posted inAt Home
Japan’s Answer to Boxed Lunch: The Bento Box
In Japan, the word “bento” is associated with the word for convenience. The bento box is a convenient way to carry a home-packed lunch — or any meal, but especially a single meal eaten during work or school day. The earliest take-along meals date to the 5th century in Japan, when farmworkers, hunters or soldiers […]
Posted inGarden
Conifers — Anchors of the Garden
Everyone who lives in Washington knows the official nickname “The Evergreen State” comes from an abundance of evergreen fir, spruce, cedar and pine trees that grow within its borders. Another nickname, “The Green Tree State,” also comes from a plenitude of shrubs and trees with broad-leaf and coniferous, all-season, green foliage. Our state motto, “Alki,” […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
The Restoration of Bloedel Reserve’s Bird Marsh into Wildlife Haven
Bloedel Reserve, a botanical garden on Bainbridge Island, has been open to the public since 1988. Over its approximately 140 acres are several varied garden types, including a moss garden and a nationally recognized Japanese garden. One featured area visitors encounter soon after starting out on Bloedel Reserve’s nearly 2 miles of trails is the […]