Dahlias are synonymous with fall. Lush blooms brighten private gardens and public places like the Silverdale Post Office, Port Gamble Post Office and local farmers markets. Gardeners and appreciators of these blowsy, colorful plants can purchase them in bouquets galore or even in containers to plant outside for a few last blasts of festive hues […]
gardening
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Save it From a Rainy Day — Rainwater Harvesting
After the severe decline in this year’s snowpack, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought in May. By July, runoff from snowpack had disappeared and 83 percent of the state’s streams and rivers were reported running at below normal or record low flows. For counties like Kitsap, whose dominant source of water is groundwater, not […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
The Benefits of Gardening with Children
Slow down. Feel the sun on your face. Feel the softness of the earth between your fingers. Bury your hand in the soil — perhaps you will find a spud, ready for supper tonight. Perhaps you’ll find a tunnel and follow it along to see where the moles make their home. Lift the leafy litter […]
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Hail to the King — Basil
The Greeks held high regard for basil (Ocimum basilicum), and named the herb Vasilikos (pronounced vah-see-lee-KOHS), which means king. In India, basil is favored as a sacred herb. Throughout the centuries, the plant was considered the herb of love, yet on the other hand, it represented hatred for your enemies. Superstitious assertions had witches using […]
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Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
Fall Harvesting September and October are a time for pause and reflection and also new beginnings. It’s a time to celebrate the bounty in our gardens and to harvest and preserve fruits, vegetables and herbs for later enjoyment. If you have extra produce, remember to take it to local food banks for others to enjoy. […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Buck Lake Native Plant Garden — A Place to Learn Abundantly
In 2005, Hansville Master Gardeners Roland Malan, Susan Harrington and Sheri Kiley, along with landscape architects Mary Booth and Patrick Leuner, met with county parks staff and presented a plan to steward and beautify a very neglected, weed-infested, abandoned motocross dirt bike track into a native plant garden for all visitors to enjoy. The plan […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
How to Plant a Perennial Fall Container
Containers packed with plants provide garden pizzazz. Even though this blog and video are about containers for fall to winter enjoyment, they are actually planted up in mid to late summer. Plants often live happily in containers for anywhere from five to seven years. The methods shown in this video can be applied to containers […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Summertime Roses
Midsummer Evaluation By now you have been enjoying your rose blooms and perennials so it’s time to take a critical look at how the garden has progressed. Did you arrange the placement of your plants so the plant heights are pleasing to your eye? Sometimes plant tags give general size dimensions that are not always […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
Mossy Rose Gall — A Fascinating Pest
I love plants with interesting foliage, be it the striking color, shape or fragrance. Rosa glauca, with her lovely bluish foliage, captured me the first time I saw it. Its flowers and hips are a bonus, always appreciated for their color and delicate nature. The flush of bloom is over for the season, so imagine […]