The best reason to grow hydrangeas in our region is that they bloom outside the spring season. After the magnificent, large rhododendron shrubs finish, most gardeners want to continue the flower extravaganza into summer and fall. Hydrangeas are one of the most popular shrubs to choose for this reason. When you think about hydrangeas, your […]
flowers
Posted inGardeners Corner
Flower Power in the Pollinator Victory Garden
Editor’s note: This excerpt is reprinted with permission from “The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening” by Kim Eierman, EcoBeneficial, published Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. 2020. Flowers are some of the most important food sources for pollinators, but there’s more to it than planting flowers and waiting for pollinators to […]
Posted inGarden
Artistry and Imagination Create an Explosion of Color
It takes imagination and a lot of time to create an exciting and colorful garden. But Barb Grams was up for the challenge. She began gardening while in ninth grade, planting primroses for her mother. In September 1975, Grams and her husband purchased a (now 108-year-old) home in Manette. The one-third-acre corner lot was a […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Low-Maintenance Lawn Substitutes for Grass
Editor’s note: This post is brought to you by the experts at Angi, who specialize in connecting consumers with vetted pros, verified reviews and fair pricing for home projects and services. A well-kept lawn is one of the marks of successful homeownership; however, for some, grass lawns just aren’t worth the time and resources. Bright-green […]
Posted inGarden
The Garden for All Seasons
Transplanting themselves from the Bay Area to the Pacific Northwest, Barbara McFarren and Stan Noel found their lovely Gig Harbor view home in 2008, completing the move a year later. The couple was attracted in part by the “good bones” of the garden areas surrounding the house — colorful, mature maples and large shrubs filled […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Sedona in Living Color
Magnificent. Majestic. Magical. Sedona wears its rainbow of hues through every season, a painting in living color in Northern Arizona. Come for a day or a week or a lifetime, — Sedona will seduce you. It’s nature’s playground and a whole lot more. About a two-hour drive (115 miles) from Phoenix (unless you hit it […]
Posted inGarden
Growing Culinary Herbs
Growing culinary herbs gives you a little bit of everything you garden for: beauty, scent, a pantry filled with your own fine seasonings and a connection to the history of gardening. Throughout history, people all over the world knew the value of herbs for health and delight. Cooks through the ages also found that herbs […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Nine Noble Purples to Add to Your Garden
Whether you choose perennials or bulbs, annuals or vegetables, there are sure to be many hues and shades of purple you can use to delight the senses. With its origins tied to royalty, purple flowers represent dignity, pride and success. In a bouquet, either alone or mixed with other colors, purple blooms represent accomplishment and […]
Posted inGarden
Keeping the Old, Rustic Fence
Originally, the Palmer cottage served as a little general store on Rolling Bay. In the 1940s, it was moved to its present location on Manitou Beach Drive along the water. It’s situated next door to the Red Wing Blackbird Sanctuary. Lisa Dunham currently leases the cottage from Gary Palmer, who grew up in the green […]