Late fall and winter are often good times to mulch as long as soils are not soggy and saturated. Just think of applying mulch as a way to warm yourself up on a much too chilly day. But what kind of mulch works best? The answer is: It depends. Here are a few mulch examples, […]
plants
Community Education Opportunities
Master Gardener Program Free Children’s Gardening Activities School’s out! Are you looking for something fun and free for the kids? The WSU Kitsap Master Gardeners are offering children’s gardening activities in two of our demonstration gardens this summer — plant, water, harvest and make a garden-related craft to take home. Join us at: Raab Park […]
How to Turn Your Yard Waste into Resources
If you are like me, this time of year brings a bit of (late) spring cleaning, coupled with hours of work getting your yard and garden back into shape. Unfortunately, the price we pay to live in such a lush and beautiful place is the annual cleanup of yard debris from our abundance of trees. […]
Bainbridge In Bloom
The Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Council is celebrating creativity at the 2014 Bainbridge in Bloom garden tour. Open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on July 11 – 12, the event features exquisite gardens and live music throughout the tour. Highlight of this year’s Bloom is the studio and gardens of renowned landscape painter Gayle […]
Exploring Plant Textures
Texture. It’s a word used to describe plants and how they look and feel to the touch. What plants do you think of when you hear the words silky, prickly, smooth, fuzzy, papery? Do you think of bark, leaves, stems or flowers? Nancy Hansen, owner of specialty nursery Glenwood Gardens, knows a thing or two […]
A Dream Come True
Rhonda and Steve Edwards, married 40 years, grew up in Kitsap County. In 1988 they bought acreage in South Kitsap, where they began to create their dream home and garden. They made a point of incorporating areas to accommodate the growing needs of their children and now their grandchildren. They owned the Heritage Fireplace Shop […]
In Defense of Weeds
Weeds (sigh!), the curse of all gardeners, from beginner to professional. No one has immunity from them. Some plants that are considered weeds are valuable to herbalists, like the lowly dandelion or stinging nettle, but let’s talk about the common ones that are a nuisance to the home gardener. Weeds become a problem when they […]
Local Garden Clubs and Societies — 2014 Resource List
We receive lots of questions at WestSound Magazine about local garden clubs and plant societies and how to get involved or just visit one now and then. Here’s the most complete list we have to date (May, 2014). We’ve listed websites, addresses, Facebook pages, and meeting times when they were available. We’re sharing it with […]
Garden Design Dilemmas
Updating, renovating or simply frustrated by boredom — pondering plants and garden spaces is something all gardeners do at some point. Gardens grow and change and need editing now and then. Like with many projects, when looking at gardens too long, it is easy to become jaded by bothersome things like weeds taking over a […]
