Editor’s note: Now that we know the benefits of mason bees, here’s what we can do to make West Sound bee-friendly. This is an excerpt from “Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time,” a book by Dave Hunter and Jill LIghtner recently released by Seattle-based […]
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Posted inGardeners Corner
Brighten Up Your Garden with a Set of Plant Markers Made from Rocks
Gardeners know that once a garden begins to mature, it can be hard to tell what is actually growing. The solution is to use plant markers. Whether you have a garden this year or are planning one for next year, this is a good time to decide which plant markers to use and get them […]
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For the Love of Lavender
In the middle of summer, the essence of lavender wafts through the air with such heady fragrance, an address would not be necessary to find the Blue Willow Lavender Farm. Lush, gray-green plants trimmed into neat rounds form the foundation for the thousands of long stems tipped with lavender-blue heads. The farm sits so serenely […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Protecting Your Harvest from Wildlife in Your Backyard
Gardening for wildlife is a satisfying focus for a gardener, knowing that your efforts benefit not only the human caretakers of a landscape, but provide habitat and nourishment for many creatures. What is better than seeing a hummingbird pushing upward on every fuchsia flower while you are hidden beneath a shrub, weeding? Or noticing that […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Why Keep Gentle Bees? Part 2
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from “Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time,” a book by Dave Hunter and Jill LIghtner recently released by Seattle-based Mountaineers Books. Read Part 1 to learn about the types of gentle bees and how mason bees are different. […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Why Keep Gentle Bees? Part 1
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from “Mason Bee Revolution: How the Hardest Working Bee Can Save the World One Backyard at a Time,” a book by Dave Hunter and Jill LIghtner recently released by Seattle-based Mountaineers Books. In Part 2, learn about the benefits of pollen in the garden as well as reduced chemicals […]
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Planting Lilies for Continuous Bloom
Sometimes overlooked when planning the West Sound garden, lilies make great perennial accent points during their season of bloom. This area has a few commercial growing fields and sources for bulbs, but no plant clubs in the immediate area. Lilies are very popular in the Midwest due to their winter hardiness. In West Sound, the […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Edging Plants — The Miracle Workers of the Garden World
Edging plants can work miracles — from fixing messy beds and directing garden traffic to serving as garden railings. Here’s are three ways garden-edging plants can work miracles. Instant Fix for Messy Beds Every garden reaches the stage where it’s full of plants but suddenly looks a mess. Home-gardener or landscaped-designed garden beds all go […]
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Gardens Promote Literacy at the 19th Annual Gig Harbor Garden Tour
“If you’ve got a cause, you can find a way!” This is a motto adopted in 1998 by a group of gardeners dedicated to making sure that everyone has a chance to learn to read. From the start, the Gig Harbor Garden Tour had its roots (no pun intended) in helping the cause of literacy […]