The Garden

Many interesting and delightful gardens abound in our area — how fun to glimpse into a gardener’s back yard (or even front yard). Enjoy gardens from Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, Bremerton, Central Kitsap, and the North end of Kitsap including Bainbridge Island. These articles are only a sample of what we have in WestSound Magazine each issue — subscribe to the print version today to see all of what we have to offer!

Winter Skin Care with Herbs

Winter Skin Care with Herbs

As winter dampness settles in, the changing season alters the way people take care of their skin. Indoor heat can be drying, as furnaces and heaters take humidity from the air. Indoor air can be stuffy too, and the cold dampness chills to … read more

This fantastic little shrub fits into small spaces, but the flowers are as large as any other mophead hydrangea. (Photo courtesy Debbie Teashon)

New Plants for a New Year

Avid gardeners have a lot to celebrate in the New Year — a fresh garden season and innovative, new plant introductions for the garden. Here are some exciting new varieties to look for at your local garden centers. If you don’t find them … read more

A male bufflehead shows his array of colors on a sunny day.

The Smallest Diving Duck is Big on Spirit

With winter fast approaching, West Sound’s waterways are increasingly teeming with ducks that breed in the Arctic. For them, the ice-free waters of Washington feel like the tropics. Ducks come in various shapes, sizes and colors. They are split into two groups: dabbling … read more

Bearadise

Bearadise — An Enchanting Garden in the Forest

A passion for gardening is often passed down from generation to generation, and for Dorene Fretwell, that is certainly true. Fretwell has been a certified Master Gardener since 2007 and has used her horticulture knowledge, creativity and intuition to create a beautiful woodland … read more

Under the Camellia is a planting of heath (Erica), coral bells (Heuchera), ivy and blood twig dogwood (Cornus 'Midwinter Fire').

Dynamic Containers for Winter

Barely into winter, and the signs of the season are everywhere. The vibrant aspects of warmer times have left for sunnier climates. Anything left in the shadow of a sunless sky is rendered drab by the unending gloom of rain. Now that West … read more

Little Big Garden

The Little Big Garden

Downsizing a garden to a manageable area does not mean you give up on charm. In fact, small plots are often more creative in utilizing space. The garden of Suzanne O’Clair and David Shelley is one of those places. Though the property may … read more

Birdbaths are always popular in a garden. This one adds a bubbling fountain for a bronze girl to gaze in fascination.

Waterfalls in the Garden

Water is life, and in the garden, especially when the water moves in a rhythmic sound, it quenches the soul. More than half of the human body is made out of the liquid. No wonder we gravitate to it. We are water; water … read more

Foxtail lilies (Eremurus) are stunning in front of a smoke bush (Cotinus).

A Garden Sanctuary

For an avid gardener like Jeanne Cronce, the garden is where she spends a good portion of her waking life. For 36 years, the 5 acres that surround Robin and Jeanne Cronce’s log home has been a place for growing food, planting trees … read more

kids on the farm

Raising ‘Em Up on the Farm

A New Generation of Young Farmers grows on...

Five-year-old Kavi Ostrom announced one day to her mother, “These plants aren’t doing well because we haven’t put enough compost on them.” Maia Ostrom said, laughing, “I’m pretty sure that Kavi will be running the farm soon.” Maia Ostrom and her husband, Erik, … read more

Pony Up Rescue for Equines
Wet Apple Media W3C Valid HTML 5 PCS Web Hosting LLC