As a gardener and homeowner, I consider myself a steward of the environment, and with that comes the responsibility of choosing plants for my home landscape that are not invasive or noxious. Noxious weeds are non-native plants that were introduced in the State of Washington by individuals who planted them as ornamentals, and they now […]
diy tips
Posted inGardeners Corner
Why Does the Northwest Need Rain Gardens?
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we all love looking at the mountains and ocean, lakes and creeks, our huge evergreen trees and silvery sagebrush, and the vast fields and endless horizons stretching out both east and west of the mountains. That is why we live here, why we call the Northwest region home. Out here, […]
Posted inAt Home
Bathroom Upgrades for Improving Style and Function
It seems bathrooms are often the most neglected rooms in the house when it comes to sprucing things up. Naturally, the main bath or powder room gets the most attention, since it is the “company bathroom.” When the time comes to remodel or improve your baths, here are few ideas to help you improve style […]
Posted inGarden
Winter Kitchen Gardens
“Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself?” ~ Henry David Thoreau Ever since people stopped wandering and put down roots, there has been a special place set aside from which they cultivated herbs, flowers, vegetables and fruit for the stuff of daily life. As our […]
Posted inGarden
Sustainable Rose Growing
Sustainable growing means different things to different people. In organic gardening and farming, a sustainable growing system minimizes what enters and leaves the system, using only what is sustainable to the environment. Beyond that, sustainability is a local concept. For example, collecting water in rain barrels is considered sustainable in Western Washington but not in […]
Posted inHome
Table Runners
Table runners — what an unexpected journey. In our wildest dreams of dreams, there are things we never think of, not in a million years. The most commonly overlooked items are often those we see every day yet never really notice, or those we keep even though they are obsolete — like well-warn oven mitts […]
Posted inAt Home
How to Downsize with Valuable Household Artifacts
An estimated 4.2 million retirees downsized and moved to a smaller home in 2016. But for most of us, when it comes time to clean out the closets, downsize, move away or move on, the reality of making decisions about what to do with a lifetime of accumulated artifacts can seem overwhelming. Here are some […]
Posted inHome
Color of the Year for 2017 — Shadow
Benjamin Moore announced its Color of the Year — Shadow 2117-30, a rich, royal amethyst. The company also unveiled Color Trends 2017, a palette of 23 sophisticated hues ranging from muted pales to saturated deeps. In curating the palette, the Color Studio lent significant consideration to the pairing of colors and relationships between color families, […]
Posted inAt Home
Give Your Shower a Makeover with Natural Stone
When it comes to beauty, few building materials can compete with natural stone. One-of-a-kind markings, dramatic colors and rich finishes make it a popular choice, especially in bathrooms where it can transform a utilitarian space into a spa-like retreat. Long considered a great choice for countertops, natural stone is now popular with homeowners for use […]