Commonly known as scented geraniums, these are not your ordinary geraniums and definitely not that vibrant summer annual flower that tumbles out of window boxes and container gardens. Scented geraniums belong to the genus Pelargonium, like the other geraniums, and all are the family Geraniaceae. They really should be called scented pelargoniums. Wild scented pelargoniums […]
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!
Best Native Plants for Protecting Your Hillside from Erosion
After the terrible Oso landslide tragedy, we received several calls at Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery from people wanting advice on what to plant on their hillsides. Plants help protect against erosion in several ways. They remove water from the soil and carry it up into their tissues and release it as water vapor into the […]
Make Your Very Own Unique Stepping Stones
Looking for a fabulous garden project to spur your creativity and add personality to your yard? Making stepping stones is an easy way to accomplish both. The following instructions will walk you through everything you need to know and all the materials needed to complete this fun project at home. Louise Martin of Port Orchard […]
The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Showcases Six North Kitsap Gardens
Six private gardens in Indianola, Kingston and on Bainbridge Island will be open to the general public on June 29 as part of Garden Conservancy’s Open Days. The mission of the Garden Conservancy is to preserve “America’s exceptional gardens” as well as educate people about the roles of gardens in our country’s heritage and culture. […]
Kids’ Gardening
What can you do with kids to maintain their interest in gardening during the monsoon months of spring? Try planting some indoor and outdoor small gardens in containers. Then spend some cozy time inside reading a few good gardening books for families and children. Grow an Indoor Containerized Garden Materials: plastic or terra-cotta planting containers, […]
Hansville Ladies Aid Society Hosts Garden Tour
The Hansville Ladies Aid Society Garden Tour on Saturday, July 26, will feature six gardens in the Hansville area. Each garden has a theme title and signs will be posted at the entrance to the gardens. The theme titles this year are Plant Collector’s Garden, Stylized Japanese Pole House Garden, Beach Garden, Garden with Sculpture […]
Mulches — Ideas for choosing the best for your garden
Late fall and winter are often good times to mulch as long as soils are not soggy and saturated. Just think of applying mulch as a way to warm yourself up on a much too chilly day. But what kind of mulch works best? The answer is: It depends. Here are a few mulch examples, […]
Community Education Opportunities
Master Gardener Program Free Children’s Gardening Activities School’s out! Are you looking for something fun and free for the kids? The WSU Kitsap Master Gardeners are offering children’s gardening activities in two of our demonstration gardens this summer — plant, water, harvest and make a garden-related craft to take home. Join us at: Raab Park […]
How to Turn Your Yard Waste into Resources
If you are like me, this time of year brings a bit of (late) spring cleaning, coupled with hours of work getting your yard and garden back into shape. Unfortunately, the price we pay to live in such a lush and beautiful place is the annual cleanup of yard debris from our abundance of trees. […]
