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!

Bainbridge in Bloom 2018

The Joy of Exploring the Hidden Gardens of Bainbridge Island

When I first visited the home we ended up buying on Bainbridge Island, the owners excitedly told me that their garden had been on the 2016 Bainbridge in Bloom garden tour. This clearly was the attribute they wanted to pitch more than the … read more

Front garden water feature

The Garden of Peggy and Bill Fox

The power of a well-designed landscape is magical. But the long, narrow piece of grassy land sloping quickly toward the waterfront offered little magic to the imagination of Peggy and Bill Fox when they first laid eyes on the property in 1987. The … read more

Elfin thyme (Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin’)

A Few Herbs — A Little Spice — A Little Lore

Imagine life without spice — boring! Truly, those little bottles of dried herbs that you line up in the kitchen and reach for when you cook add flavor to your life. Try cooking without a pinch of this or a dash of that. … read more

Fuchsia baskets getting ready for Mother’s Day
Spotlight on Independent Nurseries

The Brothers Greenhouses

The canaries know it’s spring at the Brothers Greenhouses, located on SW Victory Drive in Port Orchard. For more than 15 years, birds have resided in this retail nursery attached to working greenhouses. Oscar was one of the original birds, earning that name … read more

Brant Goose

Brant Geese Numbers Swell in the Spring

Depending on their numbers, the popularity of geese can wax and wane. It’s the Canada geese that produce these mixed feelings. Brant geese, their much smaller cousin, is looked at in an entirely different way. Some even think of this goose as “cute.” … read more

The delicate maiden hair fern, Adiantum tracyi

Ferns

Dave and Lori Gibson's Fern Garden

Many gardeners dream of sunshine, of borders overflowing with flowering perennials and sun-loving shrubs. This especially holds true for people who are moving to the Puget Sound area from the sunny states of California, Arizona and others. Faced with the gorgeous and tall … read more

Bloedel Reserve

The Caretaker

Simply defined, a garden is a collaboration between nature and people. Plants cannot be willed to do what you want. They must be treated as partners and given what they need for water, light, soil, climate and so on. In return, gardens will … read more

This rusty metal piece found at a vintage market inspires the use of ornate plant hangers or similar objects. Line it with moss to create a cozy space for the birds to find and build their nests.

Art is for the Birds

At the end of March, birds hunt for suitable nesting sites to raise their brood. It is the time of year to clean out the birdhouses and make them livable, or erect new ones for the next bird couple. Until humans decided to … read more

Valley Nursery
Spotlight on Independent Nurseries

Poulsbo’s Valley Nursery

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 … read more

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