In the West Sound growing climate, gardeners can often plant seeds and starts in July through September for late fall, winter and sometimes even early spring harvest. The most important thing to remember is soil temperatures and how much water is needed. Many gardeners extend the season even farther by using hoop houses and floating […]
video
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Jim Valley — A Life Lived in Color
Much by his own design, Jim Valley inhabits a color-filled world. During summers on his property in the Cromwell area of Gig Harbor, for instance, he has only to look out the windows of his house to behold the rich, evolving tapestry of his gardens, including the multihued zinnias that were his first foray into […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Behind the Scenes with Musician Jim Valley
“Have you seen Jim Valley’s garden? You really need to see his garden.” This wasn’t the first time I’d heard Jim Valley’s name. I was standing at a party in Seattle, in a gathering of people who’d just seen “Her Aim is True,” an independent film about former Gig Harbor resident and renowned rock photographer […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Garden Thugs: Four Pesky Plants to Avoid in Your Garden
Most gardeners have plants they wish they never had planted. I have three in my own garden. These nefarious plants are yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata), bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria) and Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria). All three plants are deciduous perennials. I regret the day they ever came into my garden. I inherited the Alstroemeria 21 years […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Rebuilding to Suit Lifestyle on Hood Canal
When Kathy and Bill Cole bought their Seabeck home more than a decade ago, they knew they would need to remodel sooner rather than later. Built in the 1980s, the home still sported the signature look of the era — shag carpeting, lots of gold and brown colors and the like. “We bought the house […]