Do you want to make your garden or container plantings really flowery this year? If so, try adding some easy-to-grow annual seeds to your spring shopping list. Annuals are plants that complete their whole lifecycle in one growing season. You can either plant the seeds directly outside or start them inside in little pots. Over […]
flowers
Posted inGardeners Corner
Dahlia Combinations for Gardens and Bouquets
Dahlias come in various colors, shapes and sizes, making them easy to include in any garden, container and bouquet. Grow them in their own dedicated space, mix them with other flowers or plant a few at the end of the vegetable garden. Consider including different varieties of dahlias for added interest and beauty in the […]
Posted inGarden
A Garden of Pure Joy
The American poet Theodore Roethke stated, “Great Nature has another thing to do / To you and me; so take the lively air / And, Lovely, learn by going where to go.” When you wander into Donna and Tom Torrens’ Gig Harbor garden — with its breathtaking view of the harbor and Mount Rainier, even […]
Posted inGarden
Enjoying Vista Gardens All Year Round
West Sound has three world-class gardens open to the public all year round. The smallest, Vista Gardens, at 4.5 acres, is tucked in against a hillside on 31st Street in East Bremerton. Perhaps 4.5 acres sounds small but this garden is home to myriad amounts of plants, literally thousands. For example, there are over 450 […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Touching People Through Art
Shirley Sakatani is a Kitsap artist who paints flowers based on her inspiration from Washington state’s flora. She lived in Southern California, and seeing the plants and foliage of this area was a new experience for her when she moved here in 1996. “I’ve always loved to do flowers,” she said. “But it is something […]
Posted inAt Home
Best Indoor Plants for Purifying the Air
House plants are a great way to bring the outdoors into the comfort and warmth of your home through all seasons. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, this beautiful range of plants often comes with a number of benefits to our physical and mental health, including reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep quality and even […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Organic Insect Pest Control in Vegetable and Flower Gardens
You can have a beautiful, productive garden while working with nature to manage insect pests. As you incorporate various eco-friendly pest management strategies, you will encourage songbirds, beneficial insects and pollinators to visit your gardens. You will find slight variations of definitions, but most organic gardeners agree the focus is on cultivating a system that […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Tails and Trails on the Kitsap Peninsula
The Kitsap Peninsula is an especially pet-friendly place to visit and explore. With loads of dog parks, pet-friendly accommodations, trails and parks that welcome well-behaved dogs and cats, locals and visitors alike are sure to find an adventure that they and their animal companions will love. From the sandy, driftwood-strewn beach of Point No Point […]
Posted inGarden
An Introduction: Dahlias 101
Many gardeners consider the dahlia to be the iconic flower for the late summer and fall garden. Hardy to USDA Zones 8 and above, dahlias do best in well-drained soil and excel in sunny locations. With over 36 species and more than 57,000 cultivars, this genus has an incredible range of flower size and shape. […]