Maple leaves and tree needles are starting to pile up. Do you have a plan for what to do with the excess leaves? Now is a great time to sign up for compost service. Curbside compost service is available to many homes in … read more

Gardening is not only a means for beautifying outdoor spaces and growing delicious foods. According to those who spend significant time in the yard, getting outside can also support your wellbeing. “Gardening is good for the mind, good for the soul and good … read more

Imagine walking a West Sound trail through an open, wooded area on a crisp day in late fall or winter. A charming black, white and gray bird, slightly smaller than a robin, is perched in a bare tree. Its endearing black-eye mask gives … read more

Is there anything more entertaining than watching the aerobatic antics of hummingbirds? Whether they’re visiting for a sip of sugar water at the feeder, zooming through the garden (where you’ll often hear their whirring wings before you see them) or engaging in an … read more

The pandemic thrust us into a new reality, and the backyard has a starring role. Yards and other managed landscapes became a safe haven. Backyarding became a way of life as lawns, gardens, patios and decks evolved into outdoor offices, classrooms, family gathering … read more

Over the last couple of years, we’ve had a lot of practice backyarding. This is the act of doing indoor things — think dining, working, entertaining, exercising and even vacationing — outdoors, like in our own backyards. According to the TurfMutt Foundation, which … read more

For Stan and Jane Rein, the joining of their lives five years ago led to a second momentous union: that of the duplex Jane had called home for the previous seven years. The two-unit building at Bainbridge Island’s Yeomalt Point sat at the … read more

When Carolyn Thompson worked in an office nearly a decade ago, doing data entry day after day was tedious. She yearned for something different — and found inspiration in a magazine article about two women who grew flowers in England. This inspired Thompson. … read more

Barbara and Graham Wilson of Poulsbo took their dismal, barren property and transformed it into a garden paradise. After moving to their current home eight years ago, the Wilsons came to a realization. Their property “was in bad shape,” Graham Wilson asserts. Barbara … read more