Heronswood Gardens in Kingston is springing back to life like the Phoenix rising from the ashes. In 2012, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe purchased the former 15-acre Heronswood Garden and Nursery site in auction from W. Atlee Burpee. In November 2012 a small band of former Heronistas (the name for the much-loved employees of the […]
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.
Posted inGarden
Ron Gillespie’s Gardener’s Paradise: A Treasure Trove of Garden Rooms Extraordinaire
A Doctor Seuss garden, a swampy garden, a veggie and herb garden, a rain garden, a water garden including a pond with a rocky stream — that’s just the beginning of a peek at the garden retreat and plant treasure trove of Tracyton gardener Ron Gillespie. This gardener’s paradise sits on several acres off Tracyton […]
Posted inGarden
Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
Red Foxes In England, foxes are an integral part of an English garden, except if the garden includes chickens — and then foxes are definitely not wanted. Here in West Sound, we could go for years without glimpsing a fox, or we may see them several times a year. If you live in a region […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Patricia Peat’s Magical Creations — A Miniature Wonderland
The home and garden of creative artist Patricia Peat is a magically enthralling retreat. She is not only known as an artistic gardener but also for her miniatures, her jewelry and her stained glass creations. In addition, she volunteers at the Kitsap County Historical Society, where for more than a decade she’s been creating storefront […]
Posted inGarden
Orchard House — An English Cottage Garden
Journey with us back to sunnier days for a tour of an English cottage garden at the home of Deb and Jim Howard. Their charming English country-style property called Orchard House was named for the old fruit trees inherited with the property. “We’re right near the center of Port Orchard but it’s our little mini […]
Posted inGarden
Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
Would you believe you could have a pink rhodie splendiferously blooming in your gardens in the middle of winter’s chill? “Christmas Cheer” is an answer to those longing for cheerful, soft pink blooms in the heart of winter. This is a fairly compact variety, growing to 4-foot by 4-foot in 10 years, and is usually […]
Posted inGarden
Luscious Plants for Indoor Gardening
As the fall weather becomes chillier and rainier, our thoughts begin to turn to indoor gardening. There’s always room inside our homes for a few well-chosen plants. Studies have even shown that houseplants help reduce stress in humans. Additionally, they are a great source of oxygen. Some plants are even called “air scrubbers.” The outdoor […]
Posted inGarden
Rock On!
Where do we find those great rocks for our gardens? And, once we’ve found them, what do we do with them? “Rock on” will introduce you to five of our local “rock solid” landscape suppliers specializing in every kind of rock imaginable, starting in Gig Harbor and finishing up in the North End. Each business […]