When Sherry and Kirk Kanode moved into their beautiful, brand-new custom home in 2002, little did they know they were embarking on a gardening adventure of a lifetime. A deep, crescent-shaped bioswale separated their front yard from the street, making street parking and a path to the front door nearly impossible. The home was a […]
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 West Sound Magazine each issue — subscribe to the print version today to see all of what we have to offer!
Posted inGarden
Garden of Delights
It’s been said that you can tell a lot about a person by the garden she grows. In the case of Teri Cole of Bainbridge Island, her garden is an adventure of exuberance. A riot of color, quirk and creativity, Cole’s beds and borders have a combined personality almost too big to be contained in […]
Posted inGarden
‘The Complete Book of Ferns’
In the Victorian era of the 1800s, there began a fad called “pteridomania” or “fern fever,” referring to a huge popularity of all things pteridological. “Pterido” is from the ancient Greek word pteris for fern. Back then, the craze involved more than just collecting ferns, but also the incorporation of the fern motif as decoration […]
Posted inGarden
Autumn Glory at Bloedel Reserve
The Kitsap Peninsula is privileged to be home to one of the nation’s most magnificent landscape gardens, just over the Highway 305 bridge on Bainbridge Island. Touted as “one of North America’s 10 best botanical gardens,” Bloedel Reserve is unique in its focus, combining exquisite vistas within a natural setting and featuring stately trees, ponds […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Trend-Setting Daffodils for Gardens and Bouquets
Daffodils are having their day. Floral designers are opening our eyes to a world of gorgeous daffodils that extends far beyond the iconic yellow trumpets. These unexpected varieties include doubles, bi-colors and split cups, in colors such as creamy white, peach, pink, gold and orange. Grow some of these spring beauties in your garden and […]
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Good Plant Hunting
As we moved into our home two years ago, the gardens that were once pristine were covered in cedar tree droppings, debris, pine branches, blackberries and a menagerie of who knows what. After much cleanup, I started to find so many delicate — and not-so-delicate but beautiful — plant species that it raised the question: […]
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A Plantsman’s Garden
In a hidden place in Kingston, there lurks a plantsman’s 5-acre garden. Walk through this special place, and you almost believe you are on a tropical island. Your eyes follow the lines of a trunk up into the canopy of fronds from the windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei). Farther into the garden are tall towers of […]
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Cherish the Charming Chickadees
For years, people have debated the appropriateness of feeding wild birds. Some argue that birds rely on feeders instead of looking for natural food sources. Actually, few birds truly depend on backyard feeders. Many species use feeders with appropriate food choices for a quick snack to supplement their natural diet. Those who feed backyard birds […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Plant Now for a Colorful Spring Display
It’s time to think spring. Fall is the time to plant tulips, daffodils, crocus and other spring flowering bulbs. Use these early bloomers to welcome spring to your landscape. You’ll appreciate the color and cheery blooms after another long winter passes. Extend your enjoyment by including early-blooming bulbs like snowdrops, squills and winter aconites. Add […]