Editor’s note: This is an excerpt adapted from Byron Smith’s book, “Slow Down and Grow Something: The Urban Grower’s Recipe for Good Life,” recently published by Murdoch Books. Plants have naturally adapted to the climate in which they have evolved — that’s why … read more

Have you recently renovated your kitchen walls or tiled your shower or your bathroom floor? If you did, then you must have a lot of leftover tiles. Don’t throw them in the trash — you can put them to good use. Here are … read more

When Don and Lenore Lynch moved to Kitsap County from Pasco, Eastern Washington, about 10 years ago, they each began a gardening love affair. Lenore, with a strong design background, was swept away by the wondrously greater plant palette of foliage and flower, … read more

Passing through Ellensburg in pear season, one is compelled to stop at a fruit stand and be enraptured by the presence of firm, ripe, voluptuous pears. Pears can be red, green and yellow in color, and they grow in sizes from prune-sized seckels … read more

For local gardeners, fall is the time to clean out garden beds and get bulbs in the ground. The mild climate of West Sound makes it ideal for growing a wide range of spring-blooming bulbs, with crocuses, hellebores, cyclamen, daffodils, tulips and grape … read more

For a shrub that looks like it belongs in the tropics, Fatsias are surprisingly hardy in our region. The plant provides spectacular foliar effects to the West Sound garden, whether it is a plain green-leaf species or one of the variegated cultivars. It’s … read more

In the middle of Bainbridge Island, there is an unusual garden gem. “This started out as a permaculture project, but mostly I just have a lot of fun with trees,” says Mark Shaffer. In 1978, Shaffer and his wife, Susan, purchased 1908 farmhouse … read more

West Sound residents seldom forget how fortunate they are to be surrounded by water. Thousands of miles of shoreline influence everyday activities, especially for those lucky enough to be the stewards of waterfront property. The thought of a seaside garden conjures up romance, … read more

Editor’s note: Albers Vista Gardens is a West Sound treasure that demonstrates how to garden sustainably and preserve flora and fauna. This excerpt was adapted from Albers Vista Gardens’ founder John J. Albers’ book, “The Northwest Garden Manifesto: Create, Restore, and Maintain a … read more