It could be argued that in the Pacific Northwest, gardening-mania far surpasses baseball as the favorite sport. With the help of April showers, June gardens are primped, pruned and ready for ohs! and ahs! as garden tour season begins. Knowledgeable gardeners anticipate The Garden Conservancy Open Days, which grants unprecedented access to private gardens. Open […]
Garden
Many interesting and delightful gardens abound in our area — how fun to glimpse into a gardener’s back yard (or even front yard). Enjoy gardens from Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, Bremerton, Central Kitsap, and the North end of Kitsap including Bainbridge Island. These articles are only a sample of what we have in West Sound Magazine each issue — subscribe to the print version today to see all of what we have to offer!
Posted inGardeners Corner
The Ultimate Guide to Water-Wise Gardening
The importance of making water-wise choices has become very apparent with the spread of climate change. It’s becoming more difficult to grow certain crops, maintain landscapes and enjoy various recreational activities as water availability wavers and heat threatens popular crop growing. Across the country, people continue to make garden choices that can help conserve water. […]
Posted inGarden
Small and Beautiful Gardens
I prefer smaller gardens because they can take your breath away as you walk through them. Victorian, shabby chic, perennial beds full of flowers, vignettes, pathways, a rose garden, concrete birdbaths, arbors covered with blooming vines and climbers and a charming porch for entertaining. Containers overflowing with trailing blossoms. Fragrance! Don’t forget the long-blooming mammoth […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
How to Build a Wooden Trellis for Your Garden
Are you dreaming about beautifying the backyard? Is your garden in need of some color and dimension? If you have the tools, a free weekend and the initiative, you can add charm and beauty to your outdoor space by building a garden trellis. Here’s everything you need and everything you need to know to complete […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Can You Identify Who’s Dining in Your Garden?
You take a walk through the garden and find branches trimmed, flowers missing or bark damaged. Of course, the culprit is nowhere to be seen. You may have suspects in mind but a close look at the damage and surroundings can help you identify who is dining on your plants. Knowing this can help you […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
How to Maximize Your Backyard in a Small Space
Backyarding is the practice of taking everyday activities — think entertaining, eating, working and working out, to name a few — into the green space around us. Even those living in an urban setting with a smaller yard or no yard at all can enjoy the benefits of backyarding, according to the TurfMutt Foundation, which […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
10 Tips for Successful Pollinator Plantings
The colorful posters with a collection of common herbs are a popular social media share. Save the bees, they say; plant these. I’ve been known to peek at those lists and note to myself — I could use a few more hyssop plants in my apiary — but that well-meaning call to action widely misses […]
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An Extraordinary, Ordinary Bird
Ordinary people can do extraordinary things. One person becomes an unexpected hero. An overlooked individual suddenly has an incredible idea. A seemingly insignificant person has unknowingly touched countless lives. The possibilities are endless. It is the same with birds. Migratory shorebirds fly thousands of miles every year to breed in the Arctic. Likewise, many songbirds […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
How to Create a Therapeutic Garden at Home
Therapeutic gardens, typically seen at healthcare facilities, are “designed for use as a component of a treatment, rehabilitation or vocational program… to meet the needs of a specific user or population…to accommodate participant’s goals and to facilitate people-plant interactions, according to the American Horticultural Therapy Association.1 Also defined as enabling gardens, they are used by […]