Washington ranks among the top 10 states for the highest rates of newly diagnosed cancerous melanoma of the skin, according to Washington State Department of Health. Data from the Washington State Cancer Registry (WSCR) shows that the rates have been increasing by about … read more

Have a seat, not just any seat. Be it a throne fit for a king or a lowly stool to plant the body down for a quick rest. A garden seat has many purposes in the garden. It comes in all shapes and … read more

Port Townsend is a small city, with a population around 10,000. Founded in 1851 on the water of Puget Sound in Jefferson County, it has an energy found in very few other cities in the state. The city has always been known for … read more

Yellow birds, or those that are almost all yellow, are rare in the Pacific Northwest but there is more than one species. The American goldfinch, state bird for Washington, is the best known and the easiest to recognize. Small numbers visit feeding stations … read more

Many of my readers prefer red wine, but this column is devoted to white wine for summertime. It’s time to think of summer entertaining and there’s nothing more refreshing than white sangria. White sangria is a dry white wine that has sweet fruit … read more

Once a year, for the past 29 years, the Northwest Flower and Garden Show has awakened visitors’ senses to the sights and sounds of spring, but the magic does not happen overnight. It’s a choreography that begins during the current show, and work … read more

I am not a mason bee expert but I recognize and benefit from their hard work during rainy weather. A few years ago, my strawberries were seedy and not uniformly plump and succulent, so I contacted my local Master Gardener for ideas about … read more

A limited number of birds nest in birdhouses. Most of those attracted to feeders, as well as those that aren’t, choose nest sites other than a man-made birdhouse. Robins are one of these. They do, however, often choose a nest site within close … read more

French painter Claude Monet was an accomplished early proponent. So was his compatriot August Renoir. Because French Impressionist painters were the ones who took the act of painting out of stuffy French drawing rooms and studios and into the great outdoors, the art … read more