Tag: garden

Hamamelis x intermedia, witch hazel Small trees, choice in the Pacific Northwest. Shredded-cheese blossoms in yellows and bronzes appear at the end of winter and last for several weeks. Most varieties are fragrant. They take full sun or partial shade.

The Voodoo Garden — Good Help is Hard to Find

Welcome to my garden. Open the gate and step in, but mind the brambles and thorns. Careful to not crush the bleeding heart. Don’t bump the spiny eccentricity of the Solanum pyracanthum unless you like a good blood-letting. And watch the vines; they … read more

Rhododendrons

Washington’s State Flower — Rhodies

There’s a reason why Rhododendron macrophyllum is the Washington state flower. These beauties grow really well here. In May these plants are festooned with pink blossoms brightening the forested edges of highways and roadsides. Their many attributes make them great plants to consider … read more

BLOG POST

Container Gardens

Fall Fashion for Container Gardens

The days are getting shorter and the mornings have a misty coolness to them. Now that fall is officially here, it’s time to change out summer color plantings and potted color gardens. It is much like changing your wardrobe for the season; the … read more

Tips for Creating an Ageless Garden

Tips for Creating an Ageless Garden

How can we create an “ageless” garden to stand the test of time through our entire gardening lifetime? Here are a few quick ideas to consider incorporating into your garden’s overall design. Choose wide paths (4-6 feet wide). Choose smooth or compact permeable … read more

Tulipa 'Ballade Dream'

Too Many Bulbs — Not Enough Time

No project ever seems to be without a glitch, and for me fall bulb-planting season is filled with a series of glitches and hurdles in a race against time. Yet at the end of summer, I am ready to face the season of … read more

The author's bat house was graciously built by neighbor John McGhee for about $65 in materials. The house was constructed of 1 inch, by 8 inch, by 8 foot cedar boards cut to size with a total height from ground level of 13 feet. The area below the house provides plenty of horizontal and vertical space for bats to fly safely — free from obstruction and predators.

Build a Better Bat House

You may have heard that bats are wonderful for insect control. They certainly are — a bat can eat as many as 1,000 insects an hour. By devouring mosquitoes, crane flies and other pests, they protect crops and human health. In many parts … read more

Barbara and Dave Shoaf — Garden Paradise

Barbara and Dave Shoaf — Garden Paradise

The hillside gardens of Barbara and Dave Shoaf offer a glimpse of paradise to every visitor. When the North Kitsap couple retired from spending their lives and careers in Phoenix, Ariz., they knew exactly where they wanted to move. In fact, they had … read more

Terrariums
Smooth as Glass

Create Your Own Glass Garden Terrarium

Terrariums are back! Introduced in 1831 for Victorian parlors and popular again in the 1970s, covered glass containers are an attractive way to display plants while providing the humidity that is difficult otherwise to maintain indoors. While a terrarium normally refers to a … read more

BLOG POST
& VIDEO

Jim Valley
The Rest of the Story

Behind the Scenes with Musician Jim Valley

“Have you seen Jim Valley’s garden? You really need to see his garden.” This wasn’t the first time I’d heard Jim Valley’s name. I was standing at a party in Seattle, in a gathering of people who’d just seen “Her Aim is True,” … read more

Pony Up Rescue for Equines
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