Even before March arrived hummingbird enthusiasts were keeping an eye out for the first returning Rufous hummingbird. March is the month when these tiny bits of feather and bone return to the Pacific Northwest. They have spent the winter in the Southwest United States and Mexico. Rufous hummingbirds are the most adventurous members of this […]
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 inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
Enjoy the Early Spring Color Splash
The forsythia blooming is traditionally the start of spring activities in the garden. Rosarians use that as a clue to begin pruning roses. This year, the forsythia in my garden bloomed a full four weeks ahead of previous years due to the record warm weather in February. That was taken as a cautious beginning to […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Delighting in the Indigenous — Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery
“Gardening makes you feel good,” says Ingrid Wachtler, owner of Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery. She believes that gardening is a wholesome and beneficial pursuit that keeps one young. After two decades of growing and selling plants in Gig Harbor, Wachtler still gets excited about new plants and revels in the way working outdoors makes her […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
Gardening Chores Chores is often such an unpalatable word. It seems it’s something people love to put off if they can. But for gardeners, doing chores outdoors is often delightful because it means well-spent time outside, leading to future enjoyment in the garden during the other seasons, especially during harvest. Tackle all the shotweed, a.k.a. […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
How to Start Veggies and Other Plants from Seeds
There are many reasons why gardeners decide to start plants from seed. It can be vegetable seeds for growing, harvesting and eating produce, or non-edible annuals to merely decorate containers and other areas of the garden or to attract pollinators. The main reason to start seeds is the wider variety of plants not always found […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Thugs and Overachievers in the Garden
It is time to serve out some eviction notices. I’ve been cleaning out the garden, weeding, pruning and mulching as I go along, and making some tough decisions along the way: Who gets to stay, and who’s overstayed their welcome. There was a time when any plant given to me or found as a bargain […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
How to Build a Green Roof Birdhouse
Buildings with a “living roof” are all the rage with the current focus on ecologically minded construction techniques. Originally European and historically planted with turf grasses, green roofs are popular worldwide for reducing pollution and runoff and improving insulation, among other environmental benefits. They are commonly seen in commercial construction but now you, too, can […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Florigraphy — The Language of Flowers
When we send someone flowers, they are usually sent to express a sentiment. Wishes of love, sympathies, regrets, new birth and death all get scribbled on the little card tucked into the arrangement. “Those of our time do use the flowers in sallads to exhilarate and make the mind glad. There be also many things […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Backyard Bird Feeding Makes A Difference
Bird feeding provides many benefits for winter birds in the Puget Sound area yards. The key to the conservation of bird populations is in providing the habitats needed for their natural reproduction and sustained survival. Interaction and education are the ultimate keys, because we must know something before we can love it — and we […]