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 […]
flowers
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 […]
The Benefits of Gardening with Children
Slow down. Feel the sun on your face. Feel the softness of the earth between your fingers. Bury your hand in the soil — perhaps you will find a spud, ready for supper tonight. Perhaps you’ll find a tunnel and follow it along to see where the moles make their home. Lift the leafy litter […]
The Paradise Garden of Jim and Sharon Moore
Jim and Sharon Moore of Kingston are only the third owners of a charming historic home built in 1909. The Moores have lived in their home since 1975 and Jim is known to many locals as their favorite veterinarian. The Moore family also hosted foreign exchange students through Rotary for more than 20 years. But […]
Hail to the King — Basil
The Greeks held high regard for basil (Ocimum basilicum), and named the herb Vasilikos (pronounced vah-see-lee-KOHS), which means king. In India, basil is favored as a sacred herb. Throughout the centuries, the plant was considered the herb of love, yet on the other hand, it represented hatred for your enemies. Superstitious assertions had witches using […]
Private Spaces in the Garden
“More than anything else, a garden is a portal, a passage into another world, one of your own thoughts and your making; it is whatever you want it to be and you are what you want to be.” ~ William Longgood Creating your own private space in your garden is something you may not have […]
Poulsbo’s Fish Park — A Study in Community Leadership
In my 25 years of public life, I have come to believe that community leadership is the key to a good community. Leaders create positive change. This was proven true again in 2002, when a very small group of civic leaders decided to work with the city to save a 13-acre site near downtown Poulsbo. […]
Buck Lake Native Plant Garden — A Place to Learn Abundantly
In 2005, Hansville Master Gardeners Roland Malan, Susan Harrington and Sheri Kiley, along with landscape architects Mary Booth and Patrick Leuner, met with county parks staff and presented a plan to steward and beautify a very neglected, weed-infested, abandoned motocross dirt bike track into a native plant garden for all visitors to enjoy. The plan […]
Garden, Home and Art — Creating New Memories Out of Old
The story of Heather and Eric Andersen is an ever-changing tapestry of creating, renewing, sustaining, caring and loving. They’ve known each other since they met in an algebra class in high school. Gardening and plants have always been an underlying theme in their lives. As children, neither liked gardening. But several years later, they made […]
