WestSound Magazine readers have asked us to publish information about attracting hummingbirds and butterflies to their gardens. The following information has been gathered from past WSH&G articles and consolidated into the following pages. Please enjoy and have fun attracting these flying jewels to your own gardens. Keep in mind that the Anna’s Hummingbirds actually stay […]
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 inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Garden Thugs: Four Pesky Plants to Avoid in Your Garden
Most gardeners have plants they wish they never had planted. I have three in my own garden. These nefarious plants are yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata), bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria) and Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria). All three plants are deciduous perennials. I regret the day they ever came into my garden. I inherited the Alstroemeria 21 years […]
Posted inFeatured, Home
Tillandsias
Tillandsias are pretty much a no-fail plant. They thrive on neglect, with a little shower of water now and then. You’ll find more than 500 species of air plants (their common name). They are members of the Bromeliaceae family of plants. In their natural habitat, tillandsias are found in deserts, forests and mountains of Central […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
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, […]
Posted inAround West Sound, Blog, Gardeners Corner
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 […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
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, […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
A Dream Come True
Rhonda and Steve Edwards, married 40 years, grew up in Kitsap County. In 1988 they bought acreage in South Kitsap, where they began to create their dream home and garden. They made a point of incorporating areas to accommodate the growing needs of their children and now their grandchildren. They owned the Heritage Fireplace Shop […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Local Garden Clubs and Societies — 2014 Resource List
We receive lots of questions at WestSound Magazine about local garden clubs and plant societies and how to get involved or just visit one now and then. Here’s the most complete list we have to date (May, 2014). We’ve listed websites, addresses, Facebook pages, and meeting times when they were available. We’re sharing it with […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
All About Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas are a no-fail shrub for Northwest gardens. Flower colors include white, pink, blue and lilac. A few are actually called “red” but the color is more an intense pink segueing into claret. Flowers can begin in shades of green, turning to deep blue, and finishing up in a shade of maroon. Leaves can be […]