WSU Kitsap County Extension will offer its popular Ag Entrepreneurship Course on starting and sustaining a profitable small farm or agricultural enterprise beginning Jan. 28. Community members are invited to sign up for this intensive, hands-on learning opportunity. The course features a full lineup of local guest speakers: bankers, accountants, attorneys and successful farm owners. […]
outdoors
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
Landscaping for Birds in Your Garden
The gardening magazines and catalogs that arrive in January are reminders that spring in the Northwest isn’t far off. Thinking about spring gardening chores is the perfect time to consider the birds we hope to attract to our yards in the coming months. There are four factors to keep in mind when making a yard […]
Posted inAround West Sound, Blog, The Outdoors
Winter’s the Perfect Time for the Beach
Winter is not your typical time to go to the beach. One, it’s cold. Two, it’s probably raining. Lastly, the tide is too high — that is, unless you plan your beach venture in the dark of the night. That’s right, around here low tides happen in the evening this time of year. Which is […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
A Steep Slope Is Turned Into a Garden Paradise
When Rudell and Jay Hegnes moved into their Gig Harbor home in 2004, they faced a steep bank across their backyard and soggy clay soil that wouldn’t drain. Most homeowners would have considered the hill an obstacle in their landscaping plans. “We knew the steep bank could be an asset by adding top soil and […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
A Boost of Winter Color and Fragrance
After taking down the Christmas lights and all the bling is gone, January looks cold, dark and gray. Depressing. Does it have to be this way? Not if you plant a garden that looks good even during the coldest days of the year. Winter is a time to celebrate a quiet place, when the garden […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
Time to Plan and Learn When gardens are dormant, it’s the perfect time to take a class — or two or more. Check with your favorite local nursery and the WSU Kitsap County Extension Office for upcoming opportunities. Here are just a few ideas. Organic vegetable gardening: If you want to find really good information […]
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
Decorating a Bird’s Christmas Tree
If decorating a Christmas tree for the birds sounds like fun, there are a few important things to remember. The most important element as far as the birds are concerned is that it be decorated with food. Variety isn’t important but quality is. Use the best birdseed mix you can find. This cuts down on […]
Posted inAround West Sound, Blog, The Outdoors
Viewing Orca Whales Never Gets Old
It’s not rare to spot the iconic orca whale (Orcinus orca) here in the South Sound; you just have to know where to look. Whether you view them from a boat or from shore, it is always a delight. Orcas belong to the Delphinidae family, making them the largest dolphin. However, orcas are considered a […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Fallen Leaves, a Gift from Above
Fall brings a bounty not everyone is excited about: piles of fallen leaves. In my garden, this abundance feels like early Christmas. All that organic material is at my disposal, and the only cost is a bit of exercise! I hope you will share my enthusiasm after I talk about some of the ways you […]