We have to be grateful for this amazing winter weather we have been experiencing. For many of us, this sunshine makes us want to jump ahead to spring! As the weather continues to get warmer, it will be time for people to head back to our local beaches to explore. I would like to highlight […]
outdoors
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Margie and Jerry Breunig — Dedicated Gardeners
Margie and Jerry Breunig have shared a lifetime love of plants. She was originally from Seattle but moved to California in her 20s. He was from Southern California but fell in love with this area during visits. They met in their 30s, married and lived in a house 6,000 feet up a mountain near San […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, The Outdoors
Enjoy Puget Sound by Kayak
There is nothing more refreshing then slowly paddling through the beautiful estuary we call home. Puget Sound is the second largest estuary in the United States. Fresh water enters Puget Sound through more than 10,000 rivers and streams all across Washington, and salt water is brought in from the powerful tides of the Pacific Ocean. […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Thugs and Overachievers in the Garden
It is time to serve out some eviction notices. I’ve been cleaning out the garden, weeding, pruning and mulching as I go along, and making some tough decisions along the way: Who gets to stay, and who’s overstayed their welcome. There was a time when any plant given to me or found as a bargain […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
How to Build a Green Roof Birdhouse
Buildings with a “living roof” are all the rage with the current focus on ecologically minded construction techniques. Originally European and historically planted with turf grasses, green roofs are popular worldwide for reducing pollution and runoff and improving insulation, among other environmental benefits. They are commonly seen in commercial construction but now you, too, can […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Backyard Bird Feeding Makes A Difference
Bird feeding provides many benefits for winter birds in the Puget Sound area yards. The key to the conservation of bird populations is in providing the habitats needed for their natural reproduction and sustained survival. Interaction and education are the ultimate keys, because we must know something before we can love it — and we […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
The Beauty and Effect of Gravel in the Garden
Gravel patios or “terraces” are an outdoor element used in home landscapes in Europe for many centuries. Elegant and natural, they are typically made of crushed indigenous stone, widely used for many years because it was a readily available and inexpensive material. The look is an easy surface tamped to flatten and harden the terrace […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Winter Bloomers Give Offseason Interest to Your Garden
Are you looking for some color to liven up the gray winter landscape? By choosing winter-blooming plants, you will get the satisfaction of a few flowers when much of the country is under ice and snow. Some of your choices are available in specialty nurseries now and other choices, like the winter-blooming snow drops, are […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Historical Plants of West Sound
West Sound, known as the Kitsap Peninsula and the Great Peninsula, has a rich agricultural and horticultural history. The glaciers left rich earthen deposits behind; the forest duff provided rich tilth and the two combined to make wonderful soils. Just the right amount of rainfall and mild summers added even more positives to what could […]