I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils; Beside the lake beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. ~ William Wordsworth In the last … read more

On a quiet street in the middle of Bainbridge Island, Darren and Kari Murphy have sprouted a garden filled with fruit trees, grapes and vegetables of all sorts. While not a rare sight, theirs exudes an underlying passion for heirloom and unusual varieties … read more

As a gardener and homeowner, I consider myself a steward of the environment, and with that comes the responsibility of choosing plants for my home landscape that are not invasive or noxious. Noxious weeds are non-native plants that were introduced in the State … read more

“Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself?” ~ Henry David Thoreau Ever since people stopped wandering and put down roots, there has been a special place set aside from which they cultivated herbs, … read more

Sustainable growing means different things to different people. In organic gardening and farming, a sustainable growing system minimizes what enters and leaves the system, using only what is sustainable to the environment. Beyond that, sustainability is a local concept. For example, collecting water … read more

“If our sense of smell is sluggish … we shall have missed more than half the ecstasy. We shall have missed, for instance, that winter day in January or February when we step out of the door and suddenly smell the spring.” ~ … read more

Washington state is an amazing place, and not simply because of its immeasurable beauty. The Master Gardener program saw its birth here, training volunteers who are passionate about gardening to offer science-based answers to community members’ gardening questions. This program has spread throughout … read more

Today, home gardeners are taking a second look at the way they garden, aiming to upgrade to more sustainable practices and bring their passion for gardening in line with their environmental principles. Leaving peat moss out of our gardens is one meaningful step … read more

All of our garden plants are winding down for the year, yet the joy of each season’s garden still plays out in gardeners’ minds as winter sets in. Ask yourself what plants had an outstanding performance in the garden this year. What gave … read more