Keeping your garden looking its best throughout the growing season and into fall is possible with the help of low-maintenance, spring-planted bulbs. Plant them in spring among other annuals or perennials and watch as these bulbs brighten the garden, adding new life to your late-season gardens. Whether your gardens and containers are in full sun […]
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 inGarden
Tales From the Coop
This is not Chickenology 101 nor a “how-to” but a “why to” article. All the technical and educational information about raising chickens can be found anywhere. However, the sources seem to lack the back story about the experience of raising chickens. I have always loved birds and held a secret desire to someday raise chickens. […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
How to Select Plants for Purchase
From fall into spring is a great time to purchase and add plants to our landscapes. It’s also a great time to plant up some containers. But how do you choose good, strong, healthy plants? Plant Selection The first step is deciding what you’d want to plant and if you have time to take care […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
A ‘Forever’ Home and Garden
Lana and Bob Decker live on a secluded hilltop above Wildcat Lake. They’ve created their “forever” home and garden on an idyllic 5-acre piece of land. Bob Decker was a lifelong Alaskan and Lana moved to Alaska in 1981. They married in 1989, bought a fixer-upper and further honed their gardening skills since both were […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
The Mystery of ‘Potato Hollow Heart’
I love a good mystery, and the garden provides many puzzles. Sometimes I am stumped, but it sure is satisfying when the solution presents itself! Last spring, I decided to make use of some rotting pallets we had set aside. The wood was pretty far-gone, and I thought I could bury it under some compost […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
The Many Faces of Bark
Now that winter is in high gear and the barren deciduous trees lost their leaves months ago, what’s left is their proverbial bones reaching to the sky. When deciduous trees are barren, single specimens can have a stark, architectural look to them. Yet that is not all they give us in the winter months. Take […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Spring-Flowering Bulbs and Corms
Spring-flowering bulbs provide lots of color with very little effort. From mid-February until late April, the longer and warmer days signal the earth to awaken. First to bloom are snowdrops then crocus, daffodils, grape hyacinths, hyacinths and dwarf iris. Tulips that bloom during the entire season are available. Other bulbs are also available in catalogs, […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
Ease into Gardening with a Raised Bed
Raise your garden to new heights for easier access and greater productivity. Raised beds allow you to overcome poor soil by creating the ideal growing mix, plus make gardening time more comfortable thanks to less bending and kneeling. Whether you purchase a kit or build your own, there are a few things to consider when […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
A Winter Bird Walk
The middle of winter can be the perfect time for a stroll along the many waterfront areas found throughout West Sound country. Choose a day when the weather offers clear, blue skies and crisp, cool temperatures. Birds sheltering in inland waters react to such a day as if spring were just around the corner. Lengthening […]