One of the first sights you will see as you arrive at Valley Nursery in Poulsbo is a statue that a local wood carver made in the late 1980s. This mascot was named as the result of a contest and has been known ever since as Valnur. The name sounds foreign but it actually came […]
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!
Beat the Winter Blues, Plan a Dream Garden
Today the wind is blowing the rain sideways. West Sound has not seen the temperature rise much above the low 40s for over a month. After the winter solstice, many people turn their thoughts to their garden. Every day there are more minutes of light added to the day. The garden season is almost here […]
Bainbridge Gardens Celebrates 60 Years of Family Business
In 1908, Zenhichi Harui came to Bainbridge Island from Japan and started growing plants and flowers, selling them at a small farm stand. The business grew to include a general store, gas station and gardens that attracted visitors from far and wide. The gardens fell to ruin during World War II, when the Haruis and […]
Garden Standouts for Extraordinary Landscapes
Every once in a while, a garden captures our hearts. Visitors want to linger, spirits are lifted, imaginations awaken. The smallest of gardens can make an enormous impact. What is that extra ingredient that transforms an ordinary landscape into an extraordinary one? Gardens are very personal spaces, and when created to reflect and concentrate the […]
Enchanting, Colorful Garden Comes from Creative Evolution
A walk through Lisa and Glenn Eastep’s garden makes it clear that creative minds are at work here — from the clipped gables and rolled-edge roof of the cottage-style home they designed to the inviting, arched entry gate and the foliage colors that grace the curving walkways; from the tiny village nestled under the shelter […]
Ephemeral Flowers for Seasonal Color
Editor’s note: This excerpt was adapted from “The Colorful Dry Garden,” used by permission of Sasquatch Books. The word ephemeral defines anything that lives for just a short time. It’s often used to define annual flowering plants, which grow from seed, mature, flower and set new seed within a single growing season. Annual wildflowers are […]
Toxic Garden Plants
Dip a toe into the world of herbalism, and a whole new world will open up. Just like Alice falling through the rabbit hole and discovering an unexpected Wonderland, the quest to learn about the powerful properties of plants can open such a portal. Although a magazine article can only scratch the surface, perhaps a […]
Succulents — Coming in from the Cold
The fat, fleshy leaves of succulents evoke dry summer heat. Sometimes blushed with rosy hues that hint of a California sunset, their closely held forms murmur memories of desert light. During the sodden, short days of Pacific Northwest winters, a tabletop planter of these sculptural, compact gems brought in from the cold can be a […]
Time to Count Birds
Counting birds in the middle of winter may not make sense but this is a tradition that goes back over a hundred years. It is a tradition that replaced another one known as the Christmas “Side Hunt.” Before the turn of the century, hunters on the East Coast took part in a competitive hunt as […]

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