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 […]
water
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Community Education Opportunities
Organic Vegetable Gardening Class: Gardens You Can Eat A hands-on class taught by Master Gardeners to help you create your own organic backyard vegetable garden. This course is open to any community member who wishes to learn about growing food crops organically and will focus on soils, composting, locally appropriate techniques and integrated pest management […]
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 inFeatured, People & Places
A Graceful Rebirth of a Historic Town
A sleepy fishing village until the 1980s, the scenic town of Gig Harbor occupies the southernmost tip of the Kitsap Peninsula and commands a majestic view of Mount Rainier. Nearly 150 years after the first settlers arrived and 68 years after incorporation, the historic waterfront downtown of Gig Harbor continues to be the heart of […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
A Garden for Tea
Tea time will stop business in some cultures; it can also conjure up images of romantic and floriferous parties or bring warm relaxation to a cold winter day. Tea… Is it a ritual, an herb or a beverage? Technically, tea is the plant Camellia sinensis. Varieties of true tea plants are not cultivated in many […]
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
Salmon in November? You Bet
Leaves falling. Crisp days and often stiff nights with much cooler air temps. It’s raining again. Moving air is no longer just a breeze but an outright wind. The sun seems to spend a few hours paralleling the horizon then dips out of sight again. We are fully into fall and transitioning into winter. For […]
Posted inAround West Sound, Blog
The Magic of Christmas Comes to Kingston on Dec. 6
In December, night comes earlier, temperatures are colder and lights cast halos in the mist. Sounds are muffled as people file off the Kingston ferry, mesmerized by the iridescent world of exotic sea creatures and spellbinding aquatic gardens, all made out of tiny lights. The display fills the huge, beautifully landscaped area between the docks […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Renovating a Collector’s Garden
This isn’t about the design of a new garden; this is all about an existing one. As the garden ever changes, much can be said about how it grows and develops character. Then there are the spaces that do not age gracefully; the overhaul of a garden is a different approach than the construction approach […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Conservatories, Greenhouses, Cold Frames and Sunrooms
In the 1980s I worked for the Tacoma Park District at the W.W. Seymour Conservatory and at the Point Defiance Greenhouses. We had a little gift shop at the conservatory with plants for sale. Occasionally we would get a customer who wanted advice on selecting a houseplant. The person wanted a plant but would admit […]