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 […]
outdoors
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 […]
Posted inGarden
A Sparrow That Stands Out While Blending In
Abbreviations abound in the world of birds. Species names are simplified with four-letter alpha codes for taking faster field notes and long names have shorter nicknames. The lingo causes confusion among even experienced birders, let alone beginners. Then there are the hard-to-discern birds with similarities in appearance and behavior. Some of these invariably land in […]
Posted inGarden
Dream Big — with New Plant Introductions
With the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival canceled for 2021, and with a few months left of rainy, cold winter to face, what’s a passionate gardener to do? Get out your paper and sharpen your pencils because it’s time to dream big. This year’s new plant introductions will paint your garden in exciting flowers and […]
Posted inGarden
A Classic Garden Passes On to the Future
Sometimes a garden that has been “installed” while a house is being built has an impersonal, landscaped look. Not so with this beautiful property on the banks of Bainbridge Island’s Hidden Cove. This garden reflects the aesthetics of the original owners, as they were able to live on the property while the house and garden […]
Posted inAround West Sound
Heronswood Garden Turns the Reins to New Garden Director
Patrick McMillan took over garden management at Heronswood Garden, owned by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, from founder and renowned plantsman Dan Hinkley. McMillan takes on the role of garden director after two decades as a professor at Clemson University, 10 years as the director of the South Carolina Botanical Garden, the publication of several […]
Posted inHome
The Ol’ Garage Door — From Functional to Smart and Classy
National Curb Appeal Month (apparently, it’s a thing) was in August, and this year the focus was on garage doors. And for good reason. Once the sole domain of the family car, today’s garage serves a multitude of purposes. People play in them, work in them, store belongings in them, keep supplies in them. The […]
Posted inAuto Talk
Four Tire Tips for Safe Winter Driving
Even the most experienced drivers can encounter challenges when driving on slick roads caused by rain, ice and snow or dealing with the impact of colder temperatures during the winter months. Inclement weather and sloppy road conditions are a factor in nearly half a million crashes each winter, according to research by the AAA Foundation […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Three Cottages to Get Away, Less than Three Hours Away
Cancelled vacations. Postponed honeymoons. Delayed holidays. This is how we will remember 2020. Travel plans all for naught. As this most-memorable year draws closer to an end, it might be the right time to plan a close-to-home getaway. A weekend or longer that feels like a vacation but is less than three hours from home. […]