Welcome to my garden. Open the gate and step in, but mind the brambles and thorns. Careful to not crush the bleeding heart. Don’t bump the spiny eccentricity of the Solanum pyracanthum unless you like a good blood-letting. And watch the vines; they sneak up on you in this murky light. I suppose I should […]
Featured
Featured Articles from the West Sound. These are the highlighted articles from WestSound Magazine.
Posted inFeatured, Food & Entertainment
The Tea Room At Port Gamble
When Janis Kelley and her husband, Scott, were looking for a home to buy about six months into their marriage, they found a charming one in downtown Port Gamble. But there was a catch — the historic home came complete with a business on the first floor, a tea room. Never mind that Kelley had […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Tips for Planting Out of Season
Normally, the best time of the year to plant any plant, including our native plants, is during the dormant season. In Western Washington, that time is generally late October through early February. Fall planted plants have a longer time to take advantage of cool temperatures and moist soils to establish new roots before putting out […]
Posted inFeatured, Home
Achieving Zen
When Marc and Judy Williamson opened the door to the dated Bill Point rambler, they entered a house with a persistent identification crisis. Although the subtle Asian overtones of the architecture were good, the home’s previous owners had interpreted the interior with wall-to-wall carpet, crystal doorknobs and other Euro-centric details that denied the Eastern influence […]
Posted inFeatured, Home
All About Showers
From basic hygiene to a spa-like escape, showers fulfill different needs for different people. Most don’t give a second thought about what goes into creating one of the most used features of the home nor how the design and maintenance of this simple enclosure can create either joy or misery. Use these ideas to assist […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Too Many Bulbs — Not Enough Time
No project ever seems to be without a glitch, and for me fall bulb-planting season is filled with a series of glitches and hurdles in a race against time. Yet at the end of summer, I am ready to face the season of the falling leaves with plenty of garden projects. I can’t wait to […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Country Charm
Sue Spencer still recalls the day she received a call at 2 a.m. from her husband, Bill, announcing he found their dream home. It was summer of 1973, and Bill had moved to Washington with a job from Nalley Foods while Sue, who was teaching tennis, temporarily remained in Cincinnati with their young child. “I […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Build a Better Bat House
You may have heard that bats are wonderful for insect control. They certainly are — a bat can eat as many as 1,000 insects an hour. By devouring mosquitoes, crane flies and other pests, they protect crops and human health. In many parts of the world, they are crucial pollinators and can help regenerate rain […]
Posted inFeatured, Home
Use Your Second Home as Second Income
Someone once said that wealth is built on real estate because they’re not making more of it. Doesn’t feel like sound advice for those who bought during the real estate bubble, when housing prices were reaching record highs and anyone with a pulse could qualify for a hefty mortgage. A lot of people and financial […]