“Gardeners, I think, dream bigger than emperors,” said author and journalist Mary Cantwell. But sometimes gardeners need help in realizing their garden dreams. When you do need help, two challenging questions arise: What type of creative professional do you need — a landscape architect or a landscape designer? And how do you find the right […]
plants
Posted inGarden
Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
Bats Eat Insects Galore Bats were a topic in this column in fall of 2008. Since a horribly devastating disease called “white nose syndrome” or WNS is decimating bat populations nationwide, it’s appropriate to revisit information about one of nature’s most awesome weapons in controlling insects. Bats feed on night-flying gnats, moths, mosquitos, beetles and […]
Posted inThe Outdoors
A Walk on the Edge for Birdwatchers
This time of the year provides some of the best birdwatching. A walk on the “edge” will produce the largest variety of bird species. Forests and heavy brush bordering fields, wetlands and other open areas create this edge effect birds are drawn to. At this time of the year, the natural food supply is at […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Native Plants for West Sound Gardens
Native plants are the perfect complements for West Sound gardens. They are easy care, once established, and many of our “domesticated” or “cultivated” plants once had native roots. Also look for native plants that survive well in British Columbia, Oregon and perhaps Northern California. Visit the native plant sections at local nurseries for ideas. And […]
Posted inGarden
The Water-Wise Garden
After an epic drought this year, many West Sound gardeners are thinking about water usage, as the wise use of water is a big concern in the region. Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought last spring, even before the rest of the growing season brought little to zero rainfall coupled with above-average temperatures. There […]
Posted inGarden
Time to Plant Your Fall and Winter Garden
Just when the summer drought begins and the early garden is being harvested, it is time to begin thinking about continuing the planting for harvest into fall and winter. If you wait too late in the year, new seedlings will not germinate but established plantings will continue their slow growth. Many gardeners in West Sound […]
Posted inGarden
Rain Garden Mentors
Rain gardens are not only a practical way to address rainwater runoff on a property but also a beautiful addition to the garden. Luckily for local gardeners, they don’t have to figure out the intricacies of a rain garden on their own — thanks to the Rain Garden Mentors program offered by Washington State University’s […]
Posted inGarden
A Garden for Refuge — and Time with Friends
When a couple lives in the oldest known surviving home in Gig Harbor and has a partnership in the creation of a garden together, great things come from it. When Cindy and Dave Storrar moved into their home on Pioneer Way overlooking the harbor in 1998, they began their garden immediately. Cindy Storrar reminisced about […]
Posted inPeople & Places
An Oasis in the Middle of an Urban Development
When people think of Silverdale, many immediately see it as a large shopping center, massive parking areas and lots and lots of traffic. It’s hard to believe that in 1841, Capt. Wilkes sailed into a bay from Puget Sound and named it Dyes Inlet. Emptying into that bay was a productive salmon stream we now […]