When people think of fierce, predatory birds, the species that come to mind are bald eagles, peregrine falcons and great horned owls. These birds are not picky and will take anything they can grab. When you see a small owl, the initial reaction may be to say that it’s cute, based on its diminutive size […]
northwest
Posted inGardeners Corner
Garden Centers Are Open to Help You Grow Food at Home
Your local independent garden center is an essential community source providing you access to healthy, affordable food to grow at home. As an essential part of your community, garden centers are taking the required steps to serve you safely and protect their staff. With warmer weather in the forecast, here’s what you should know about […]
Posted inGarden
Historic Homestead Becomes Home to Gardens
Imagine being a young woman in Germany in the 1890s and coming alone over the Atlantic Ocean, and across the entire continental United States, to a remote peninsula in the Pacific Northwest. That is what young Dora Gummert did when she came to Gig Harbor to marry Henry Sehmel (pronounced Zay-mul), who planned to farm […]
Posted inGarden
Day Trip — The Region’s Finest Self-Guided Garden Tours
There is no such thing as a new idea, Mark Twain said. “We simply take a lot of old ideas, give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations.” Kitsap County is the home of several botanical wonders — among them Albers Vista in Bremerton, Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island and Heronswood in […]
Posted inPeople & Places
The Waterfront Village of Manchester
Located just a 10-minute drive from downtown Port Orchard on Puget Sound is Manchester, an unincorporated community in southeast Kitsap County. Established in the 1860s, the town was named after Manchester city in England. More than 7,000 people currently live in Manchester, which has excellent views of Seattle, Mount Rainier and Blake Island. At one […]
Posted inGarden
Leave No Stone Unturned when Searching for this Shorebird
As winter gives way to spring, migratory marine birds are journeying north to Arctic breeding grounds, including numerous species of ducks, alcids, loons, gulls and shorebirds. The latter consists of birds that live on sandy or rocky beaches and mudflats. Some shorebirds are solitary, while others travel together. Multiple shorebird species often congregate on feeding […]
Posted inGarden
A Living Fossil — Ginkgo Biloba
Once upon a prehistoric time, the deciduous Ginkgo biloba grew around the globe. When we look at this tree, we witness a living link to a primeval time, long before mammals became prolific on the planet. Under the tree’s tall canopy, the dinosaurs roamed. It is not hard to imagine these majestic beings rubbing their […]
Posted inGarden
Never Say Done!
A gravel lane heads arrow-straight through a dull flood plain west toward Dyes Inlet. But turn left off the lane into the driveway of Ron Gillespie and Joyce Merkel, and you find a profoundly different world. Strolling under a broad arbor dripping with masses of white and purple wisteria, ferns feathering your path, you enter […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Make 2020 Your ‘Year of the Lavender’
The “lavender lifestyle” is real. Everywhere you look, people are incorporating this multifaceted plant into their daily lives: It’s seen in gardens, as well as in kitchens and décor. It’s even a special part of health and wellness routines. The texture, scent, attractiveness and overall usability of lavender make it one of the most versatile […]