Just before summer warms soil temperatures to an intolerable level for cool weather legumes, fava beans are at their largest, sweetest stage. The long, bright-green pods hide a delicious ancient delicacy nestled inside their silken, white lining. Favas are known throughout the Middle … read more

Organizing Culprit No. 1: The Filing Cabinet The No. 1 organizing fail is the one you’d least expect: the filing cabinet. That’s right. For anyone except the most organized people, filing cabinets are where papers go to die. This unorthodox view comes from … read more

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 … read more

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 … read more

Summer vacation is almost here — which means kids are going to be looking for new ways to fill their time with entertainments. Mobile devices and computers are no doubt at the top of their lists. But before you let your kids loose … read more

If the surge in barbecue and smoking competitions across the country is any indication, grilling has become an art form. This Father’s Day, grab dad and gather around the grill to try a technique that’s rising in popularity — smoking — and create … read more

It is time to get out there and enjoy the wildlife in your own backyard — or take your new binoculars and spotting scopes to an area park and view the wonders of birds and other critters in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. When … read more

Spring is a great time of the year to spruce up your gardening habits. From cutting down on the trash generated by gardening, to gardening in a way that reduces the amount of household items you need to buy, there are ideas for … read more

Thanks to our mild climate, more and more gardeners are realizing that they are able to grow nutritious produce in their own backyards all year long. With a little preparation, you too can expand beyond the warm-season crops that are more commonly grown. … read more