Now, more than ever, outdoor living is in. While homeowners have increasingly invested time and money into their yards in recent years, 2020 saw interest in outdoor living spike to unprecedented levels, as homeowners everywhere adjusted to a new normal by reimagining how to use and enjoy their exterior spaces. As a result, the outdoor […]
outdoors
Posted inAt Home
How to Fight Climate Change from your Backyard
Your backyard or local park is home to ballgames and barbecues with family and friends. But did you know that it’s so much more? The trees, grass, plants and flowers in your yard, local parks and ballfields play an important role in fighting climate change. The planet is growing warmer because there is too much […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Top 10 Reasons to Garden
Mobile phones, tablets and apps have become the tools of modern lives. But it wasn’t that long ago that a shovel, a patch of soil and a bag of seeds were the only tools needed to provide sustenance and satisfaction. With the 2020 COVID pandemic, more and more people abandoned technology, at least for a […]
Posted inGarden
A Garden Sanctuary
Tucked into a leafy Gig Harbor glen among native plants such as salal and huckleberry is a singing creek that drops into a pool surrounded by purposefully planted perennials. The sunlight catches a flash of gold or orange as a goldfish darts between the rocks of the pond. Two Adirondack chairs sit at the side […]
Posted inGarden
Roses for Every Garden
Roses are perennial shrubs and the modern varieties bloom continuously from late May until October, while many other perennial plants bloom only once each season. The past 20 years of rose hybridizing has produced many disease-resistant roses that will be in the regional market soon. Valley Nursery in Poulsbo and Raft Island Roses in Gig […]
Posted inThe Outdoors
Will ‘Backyarding’ Become a Permanent Trend?
Under pandemic conditions, yards and other managed landscapes became a safe haven for gathering socially, celebrating milestones and holidays, working, studying, playing, exercising and = relaxing. Called “backyarding,” this trend moves indoor activities — from working in an office or classroom to dining and recreation — to the great outdoors. And it’s growing. “Your own […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
6 Tips for Engaging Your Children with Gardening
Growing your garden is a rewarding experience, and it’s even more rewarding when you can include your children in the gardening process. While your children might not be too keen on weeding, there are a number of ways to engage them with gardening. Simple actions like decorating the garden with artwork and learning about gardening […]
Posted inGarden
Beyond the Bearded Iris
Thou are the iris, fair among the fairest Who, armed with golden rod And winged with the celestial azure, bearest The message of some god… ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfelllow When mentioning an iris, the most common image conjured up in mind is the pass-along plant commonly called the bearded iris. Many of its cultivars came […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Want to Plant a Climate Victory Garden?
U.S. gardeners have planted more than 8,000 “climate victory gardens,” according to Green America, which promotes these climate-friendly garden. The nonprofit maintains an interactive map that allows members of the public to register their own gardens. COVID-19 triggered a surge in new climate victory gardens, which nearly quadrupled in under a year, from 2,400 last […]