Sustainability is not a word generally used to describe pruning practices. Wikipedia has a more accepted use of the word: “Sustainable development is the organizing principle for sustaining finite resources necessary to provide for the needs of future generations of life on the planet. It is a process that envisions a desirable future state for […]
Featured
Featured Articles from the West Sound. These are the highlighted articles from WestSound Magazine.
Posted inGardeners Corner
Fall Care for a Healthier, Better Looking Lawn
Fall is the time to help lawns recover from summer stress and prepare for the winter ahead. Continue to mow your lawn as long as it continues to grow. Grow cool season grasses like bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches tall. Warm season grasses like bermudagrass, carpetgrass, centipedegrass and zoysia should be grown […]
Posted inGarden
Fall Migration Fuels Feeder Activity
September and October are the two busiest months for fall migration. Millions of birds that nested in the north are moving southward for the winter. Little by little, this mass movement of wings visits our yards, parks, wildlife refuges and West Sound birding hotspots. The fall bird population is not only at peak numbers but […]
Posted inAt Home
Builder/Remodeler or Architect… Which Comes First?
If you are planning to build a new home or do a major remodel, there is a natural question that should come up. Whom do I call first? A builder/remodeler or an architect (or designer)? In 28 years of building and remodeling, I have seen many, many sad faces of clients who had a plan […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Unsung Hero — Hazel Bellinger (and Jackson)
Hazel Bellinger started volunteering with the Humane Society of Mason County in August 2012 after retiring from a 35-year career with the Kitsap County 911 Center. Prior to that, she was a volunteer and then a board member at Kitsap Humane Society for 16 years. At KHS, her main responsibility as a volunteer was to […]
Posted inHome
A Home for the Best of Life
An unassuming house perched on a hillside turns out to be anything but unassuming. Behind a cobbled entrance and craftsman door lies a leafy view that sweeps to the shimmering Puget Sound and snowy Cascade peaks. Throw in the ever-changing sky and cityscape on the far shore, and the view marks this a home worth […]
Posted inAt Home
Abundance of ‘Healthy’ Labels Gives Food for Thought
It is a strange age when it seems like one requires a trip to the library, a day of research and an existential crisis just to understand the labels on a carton of eggs at the supermarket. There has been a push in recent times to increase the amount of labeling on our food products […]
Posted inHome
Selecting a Landscape Designer or Landscape Architect
“Gardeners, I think, dream bigger than emperors,” said author and journalist Mary Cantwell. But sometimes gardeners need help in realizing their garden dreams. When you do need help, two challenging questions arise: What type of creative professional do you need — a landscape architect or a landscape designer? And how do you find the right […]
Posted inAt Home
Pears
Of all the delicious fruits grown in the Northwest, pears may be the most versatile, succulent and satisfying of all. Pears transcend summer into fall, ripening late summer to early autumn, depending on variety and weather conditions. This beautiful fruit lends itself to freezing and long-term storage, and is available nearly year-round. But it is […]