It’s time to get outside and enjoy summer barbecues, gardening, hikes and much more. Don’t let mosquitoes keep you inside. Instead, enlist chemical-free strategies to manage these pests in your landscape. Start by eliminating the mosquitoes’ breeding grounds. Drain the water out of buckets, old tires and clogged gutters and downspouts that hold water needed for mosquitoes […]
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Posted inGardeners Corner
Free Webinar to Cover Weather Stations, Water and Drought Tracking
WSU Extension’s Regional Small Farms Program is hosting a free online webinar for farmers on the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas titled, “Weather Stations Webinar: A Tool for Farmers.” Gardeners and citizens interested in local weather patterns are also encouraged to register. The webinar takes place Tuesday, June 4, from noon to 1 p.m. It will […]
Posted inGarden
How to Identify Common Rhodie Problems
Rhododendrons are beginning to bloom their hearts out. They thrive in this region but are not without their share of hungry pests and sneaky diseases. A little understanding of common rhododendron problems is useful for maintaining healthy specimens. Trying to identify plant problems can be tricky. Often, different issues cause similar symptoms, or multiple problems […]
Posted inGarden
Roadhouse Nursery — Where the Lilies Grow
The Roadhouse Nursery in Central Kitsap plays a distinctive role in the local gardening community. Owners Jan and George Bahr opened the retail nursery in 1985 and have operated it without employees for more than 30 years. Their idea for a nursery began in the early 1980s, when their second child started kindergarten. At the […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Crabtree Kitchen + Bar is Poulsbo’s Newest Evolution
What do locally raised beef, liquor, coffee, chocolate and Kitsap County’s coolest, newest restaurant all have in common? Passion and love of community. This is the thread running between these and the focus of the Crabtree family, who are doing big things in Poulsbo. Peter Crabtree discovered his love of chocolate during his freshman year […]
Posted inGarden
Extreme Leaf Drama
Pull on your digging boots and grab your shovel. After reading this, you are going to need more garden space. Bigger is better, right? Maybe — yet for foliage, it depends on where the plant grows. For whatever reason plants grow humongous vegetation, they are flamboyant additions to the Northwest garden. Oversize leaves create drama […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Naval Undersea Museum an Undiscovered Gem
It’s one of Kitsap County’s best-kept secrets — a treasure hidden in plain view. The Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport is a trove of artifacts, history and hands-on experiences that tell the stories of the U. S. Navy’s undersea operations. And it’s all free. According to operations director Olivia Wilson, the museum is one of […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Harbor Square Wine Shop & Tasting Room — a Unique Island Destination
Bigger definitely means better at the Harbor Square Wine Shop & Tasting Room on Bainbridge Island. This wine shop carries the biggest selection of large-format wines in Washington state. The large-format wines focus on some of the local Bainbridge Island wineries, as well as wines from around the state and a great selection of sparkling […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Know Your Soil Before You Garden
Editor’s note: These tips were adapted with permission from the brochure “Tips for Water and Rural Management for Puget Sound Rural Living” by the Puget Sound Conservation Districts, adapted from “Tips on Land and Water Management for Small Farms and Ranches in Montana,” Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. If you want to have […]