No matter where we live, the conservation and wise use of water in our gardens and landscapes is important. Sustainable water use helps grow beautiful gardens while conserving water and helping reduce water pollution and stormwater overflows. Amend the soil with compost or other organic matter to increase the soil’s ability to absorb and retain […]
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Posted inGarden
There Were ‘Signs’
How do you recognize a truly inspired garden, one with humor and style and a joy that reflects the personality of its creators? Sometimes, there are signs. In the garden of Brian and Karen Rasmussen of Poulsbo, an extensive and carefully cultivated collection of vintage Americana overflows into the beds and borders. Among an old-fashioned […]
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Glorious Sweet Peas
The sweet pea, Lanthyrus odoratus, is a flowering plant in the genus lathuyrus in the family fabaceae, native to Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean Islands. It’s an annual climbing plant growing to a height of 1 to 2 meters, where suitable support is available. The leaves are pinnate, with two leaflets and a terminal […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Albers Marcovina Vista Gardens Hosts Fundraising Plant Sale
Albers Marcovina Vista Gardens will host its first annual plant sale and raffle event on April 23 and 24, in honor of Earth Day. The garden will be open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Preregistration online for the plant sale is highly recommended. Plants for […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Easy Ways to Create Edibles and Flowers Combinations
Peanut butter and jelly… Mac and cheese… Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds… Perfect combinations make life a little happier. Just like favorite flavors and power couples, your garden can benefit from great combinations, too. Who says veggies need to be relegated to the backyard? Beautifully blending veggies, fruit, herbs and flowers means you can show […]
Posted inHome
Biophilia: Incorporating Healthy, Natural Concepts Into Your Design
From neighborhood grocery stores to local nurseries and your own backyard, plants bring comfort and health. They bring sensory gifts that you may miss or take for granted in your spinning days’ activities. The physical and spiritual value of plants is part of human DNA — home spaces, workplaces and anywhere else, the nature of […]
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Swooping Swallows Signal Springtime
Nothing signals the advent of spring like the arrival of swallows. Among the first migrants to return from a warm winter in the south, swallows are endearing songbirds, many of which live in proximity to humans and nest on man-made structures. Swallows live virtually anywhere in the world that isn’t covered in ice. Built for […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
How to Grow Your Own Greens
The National Garden Bureau has declared 2022 the Year of the Greens. Here’s what you need to get started to grow your own. Overview and History Curiously, salad got its start not as a dietary staple but as an aphrodisiac. We know this because leafy relations to modern romaine are depicted in ancient paintings as […]
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The Wonderful World of Garden Books
The Hidden Life of Trees: The Illustrated Edition Author Peter Wohlleben “As a rule, friendships that extend to looking after stumps can be established only in undisturbed forests.” Trees equipped with warning systems? Forests with a vast communication network underground? Is there a couple-centuries-old stump being kept alive with the help from surrounding trees? If […]