There is a small bit of paradise in Indianola. The garden of Dalreen and Alan Quyn is planted abundantly with flowering plants from one border of the property to the other. Not a square inch of bare ground can be seen from February through October each year. Eighty-eight rose bushes and myriad forms of every […]
Peg Tillery
Peg Tillery is a retired WSU Extension horticulture and water quality educator. Her columns appeared in the Kitsap Sun and Kitsap News Group. She wrote articles for WestSound Magazine for a decade and also served as garden editor. She has also produced and appeared in several gardening shows on BKAT (Bremerton Kitsap Access Television). She volunteers as a WSU Master Gardener.
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The Profusely Abundant, Plant-Filled Garden of Jill and Michael Betts
Jill Betts and her husband, Michael, have created a profusely planted, abundant garden on their 2.5-acre property off the Seabeck Highway. In April 2020 (at the beginning of the gardening season), she began a five-year labor of love and perhaps “obsession.” Michael Betts, who’s retired from the Navy, is a consummate builder of anything his […]
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The Fairy Tale Garden of Wyn and Steve Abbott
Wyn and Steve Abbott live on a piece of land in Hansville that was described as “The Fairy Tale Garden” on the 2024 Hansville Helping Hands tour. Its name is perhaps appropriate in more than one way. Both Abbotts create magic, not only with their gardening efforts, but with their own artistic and creative talents. […]
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Enjoying Vista Gardens All Year Round
West Sound has three world-class gardens open to the public all year round. The smallest, Vista Gardens, at 4.5 acres, is tucked in against a hillside on 31st Street in East Bremerton. Perhaps 4.5 acres sounds small but this garden is home to myriad amounts of plants, literally thousands. For example, there are over 450 […]
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Sprawling Gardens for Year-Round Enjoyment
At the end of a short road in Indianola there is an extremely charming and inviting garden created by Jeanne Simmons and Tony Bartling. They have even encouraged and worked with their neighbors to turn their small neighborhood into a little piece of heaven and sharing. Simmons and Bartling met in a ballroom dancing class. […]
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Three Indoor Plant Choices to Cheer You
November and December are the perfect months to find three types of indoor plants to brighten up any dull day. These plants are great for all the holidays ahead, from Thanksgiving through perhaps even Valentine’s Day. Read on for some ideas on how to select just the right plant for your own specific wishes. Poinsettias […]
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Autumn Charms for Those Dark Days Ahead
Fall officially begins on Sept. 22, weaving its way toward winter’s arrival in December. In West Sound, September often provides lots of delightful days to spend out among the plants in our gardens. October is often quite lovely, too, but as we move into November and sometimes slide down slippery hills and travel on frosty […]
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The Luscious Gardens of Therry Frey and Michael Harrison
Therry Frey and Michael Harrison love to travel to new and old favorite places each year. But the rest of the time, they spend hours out in their gardens, which are best described as luscious. Seven years ago, this well-traveled couple moved to their Keyport home, located on a steep 2.5 acres that slope down […]
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The Delightful Gardens of Karol and Don Stevens
Karol and Don Stevens have a magical and delightful garden in Keyport. These lifelong community volunteers and supporters of all things Keyport bought their first small, cozy home near the Keyport Mercantile in August 1975. After their fifth attempt at placing earnest money on a larger forever home, they ended up with the home on […]