Traditional dried-flower arranging is an art that seeks to capture the beauty, form and color of flowers in their peak of bloom and suspend it in time. This practice uses tools such as glycerin, silica gel, flower presses and microwaves to control the drying for realistic preservation. With these tools, flowers and foliage can last […]
Colleen Miko, CPH
A Certified Professional Horticulturist, freelance garden writer and speaker, Colleen Miko has over 20 years of experience in landscape design, having designed award-winning gardens for the Point Defiance and NW Flower & Garden shows. Her television debut as winning designer on the HGTV show “Landscaper’s Challenge” aired in 2007. Colleen is the horticulture educator for Washington State University Kitsap Extension, where she oversees the Master Gardener Program and Rain Garden Mentor Program.
Posted inPeople & Places
Morrison Gravel — 70 Years of Success
In marking 70 years in business in 2016, Morrison Gravel is an example of a company that has evolved adroitly with the needs of Kitsap County. Through the years, it has diversified from a gravel pit to a full-service gardenscape supplier. The Morrison family moved to Port Orchard from Idaho in 1944. When World War […]
Posted inGarden
The Les & Betty Krueger Family Healing Garden at Harrison
When you go out to dig in your garden, take a stroll in the neighborhood park or simply sit on a bench under a shady tree, do you achieve a unique sense of calm? Chances are you do, perhaps without even recognizing the soothing effects of these activities. Twenty-five years of research shows that even […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Piece of Mind — The Mosaic Art of Louise Martin
Louise Martin’s mosaic art integrates many components: stained glass, beads, glass rod, smalti, ceramic tile, mirror, rhinestones, Polish pottery. The most potent part of her work, however, is not the material itself, but the palpable connection of the artist to the world around her. Martin’s work reflects a woman whose creativity is fueled by being […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Save it From a Rainy Day — Rainwater Harvesting
After the severe decline in this year’s snowpack, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought in May. By July, runoff from snowpack had disappeared and 83 percent of the state’s streams and rivers were reported running at below normal or record low flows. For counties like Kitsap, whose dominant source of water is groundwater, not […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
My Garden Journey — From ‘Type A’ to Laissez-Faire Gardener
Gardening. My livelihood, exercise, psychological wellbeing, and yes, my obsession. From learning to garden alongside my parents in Los Angeles to teaching horticulture in Kitsap today, my gardening style and philosophy have taken many forms. My first job in the business was at an independent nursery in San Diego whose owners also had a landscape […]
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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 […]
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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, People & Places
Striking While the Iron is Hot
Walking into any shop is a sensory experience — the smell of dust and oil pervade the nostrils and a bevy of interesting tools and projects in all stages of completion draw the eye. Entering Elijah Burnett’s shop enlivens new senses — the dry heat of the fiery forge warms the air and evenly roars […]