Give your unflocked tree a new life by recycling it after the holiday season. Trees are chipped into mulch or compost, which can be returned to the earth as a soil amendment. Santa says, “Treecycle your Christmas tree! It’s cheaper and better for the environment!” Santa’s Nice List of Tree Disposal Take your tree to […]
trees
Posted inHome
Christmas at the Deckers
Lana Decker’s love of Christmas began when she was in high school. Over the years, she’s amassed quite a large collection of ornaments, santas, trees… so much so, that the collections have taken over the Deckers’ three-car garage. At last count, she had over 200 banker boxes full of Christmas decór. A few years ago, […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Glorious Fall Foliage
Every season has its golden child. Its pride and joy, the thing we celebrate above all else. Spring has her cheerful bulbs poking their heads out of the ground after a long sleep, and bright, succulent greens. Summer has the warm breezes, serious flowers that know what it’s all about, and berries to fill our […]
Posted inGarden
His, Hers, and Theirs — Divide and Garden
“It’s very purple,” one visitor commented about Glee Palmer-Davis and Dennis Johnson’s Hansville A-frame cottage and garden. The color of the body of the house is an intense purple that leans toward violent red-violet. Called “Fabulous Grape,” the color suggests a grape candy so aggressively saturated with color that only a child would eat it. […]
Posted inGarden
Plants on the Dark Side
Garden fashion leans toward fickleness when it comes to color. Do you remember gardens before the turn of the century? Pastel flowers filled the borders, while mauve, pink and gray ruled the color palette of both interior and exterior spaces. If you vowed you would never plant orange, it might be an attitude left over […]
Posted inGarden
The Cutest Potting Shed Ever
A few years after Ruth and Brian* built their home on Haven Lake, Ruth decided she really needed a potting shed to house her books, seeds and vintage family garden tools. She drew up a concept picture and turned to her every-handy husband. Brian isn’t in the construction business, but he grew up and spent […]
Posted inGarden
Moss and Lichens
Verdant moss carpeting the ground and draping the trees enchants us and adds a depth of beauty to woods and gardens. A world with moss pleases the eye, but for those who take the time, there is a second world to enjoy. The Lilliputian world of mosses and lichens is as vibrant and alluring as […]
Posted inPeople & Places
The Yoga Salmon Trail
Not heaven, not quite — the Pacific Northwest is a bevy of sparkling amenities, things to do and see that capture the soul. One of those things is my “Yoga Salmon Trail” morning adventure in Belfair. It started at the new, multimillion-dollar Faith in Action building, known as the HUB. Faith in Action is a […]
Posted inGarden
Maintaining Ponds and Water Features
Jan Bahr, who is a pond-plants expert at Roadhouse Nursery, says that outdoor pond maintenance is somewhat similar to keeping an aquarium. In maintaining an aquarium that houses fish and plants, the key element is the pump and filtering system. Fish and plants are also key elements in outdoor ponds. It’s a complete ecosystem, and […]