Lana and Bob Decker live on a secluded hilltop above Wildcat Lake. They’ve created their “forever” home and garden on an idyllic 5-acre piece of land. Bob Decker was a lifelong Alaskan and Lana moved to Alaska in 1981. They married in 1989, bought a fixer-upper and further honed their gardening skills since both were […]
flowers
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Spring-Flowering Bulbs and Corms
Spring-flowering bulbs provide lots of color with very little effort. From mid-February until late April, the longer and warmer days signal the earth to awaken. First to bloom are snowdrops then crocus, daffodils, grape hyacinths, hyacinths and dwarf iris. Tulips that bloom during the entire season are available. Other bulbs are also available in catalogs, […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
Homegrown Flavor from an Indoor Garden
Add some homegrown flavor to your winter meals. From microgreens to tomatoes, it is possible to grow produce indoors. Microgreens are a quick and easy way to add some flavor and crunch to your plate. Just plant seeds labeled for sprouting or microgreens in a shallow container filled with a sterile potting or seed-starting mix. Within two weeks, […]
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Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
The holidays are a time for resting a bit from gardening tasks and especially a time for friends and family. Since gardening and birds often go together, if you’re lucky, you may see a snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) passing through this region. It’s also a good time to select and peruse gardening books for yourself […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Celebrating the Season with Tom and Donna Torrens
Any time of the year, the home of Tom and Donna Torrens is an eye-catching affair. Sitting on 7 1/2 wooded acres in the Artondale area of Gig Harbor, the house and grounds are liberally sprinkled with Tom’s metal and wood sculptures, including several of the bells and gongs he is perhaps best known for […]
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Garden Chrysanthemums — Colorful Hardy Flowers
Fall is the time of year when chrysanthemums appear in nurseries and garden centers. Gardeners may see them through the winter months too. Chrysanthemums originated in China and have been the national flower of Japan since 910 A.D. but have only been cultivated relatively recently in Western countries. Known as potted mums, they’re more commonly […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
Water Gardening in Containers
Jan Bahr from Roadhouse Nursery on Central Valley Road recently showed us how to create water gardens in containers. You don’t need a huge piece of land or large construction equipment to enjoy a water garden feature. Smaller water gardens can be created in a bathtub, a waterproof and weatherproof container and even in containers […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Albers’ Vista Garden — A Legacy for the Past, Present, Future
Nestled into a southwest-facing slope overlooking Port Washington Narrows and Phinney Bay in East Bremerton is a 4-acre garden paradise. It’s a destination for many garden lovers. But the garden wasn’t always like this. From humble beginnings, it was transformed with the hard work of its dedicated homeowners, John and Santica Albers. In 1998, the […]
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Dahlias
Dahlias are synonymous with fall. Lush blooms brighten private gardens and public places like the Silverdale Post Office, Port Gamble Post Office and local farmers markets. Gardeners and appreciators of these blowsy, colorful plants can purchase them in bouquets galore or even in containers to plant outside for a few last blasts of festive hues […]