Pansies in pot
Featured Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities

Enjoy pansies this Northwest fall

Caption: Scoop out the inside of a pumpkin, add some drainage holes, and plant some pansies for a festive fall planter. Photo credit:  photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com by Melinda Myers Pansies have long been a fall and winter garden favorite. These cheery flowers are sure to brighten landscapes and containers and add a smile to […]

Pounding flowers
Featured Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities

Create your flower work of art

Caption: Create art and preserve a bit of the garden with flower pounding. Photo credit: photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com by Melinda MyersPreserve a few memories of this summer’s garden or create gifts to share with family and friends. Pounding flowers onto fabric or paper is a fun and easy way to preserve the beauty of […]

bird nest in tree
Featured Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities

Create a bird-friendly Northwest garden

Photo cutline:  Evergreens, like this yew, provide year-round appeal and shelter for birds. Photo credit: photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com by Melinda Myers Temperature extremes, drought and storms take a toll on our landscapes. Sometimes a bit of pruning, proper care and patience is all that is needed to help plants recover. Other times, plants need […]

sea to sky map
Featured Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities

RV road trip on BC’s Sea to Sky Highway

By Dave Helgeson Editor’s note: The following article is reprinted with permission from the Northwest RVing Blog hosted by MHRV (Manufactured Housing and Recreational Vehicle) Show Association. For information, go to https://northwestrving.com/. Are you one of many of the readers located in the Puget Sound Region? Are you longing for an RV road trip somewhere […]

Riding bikes in park
Featured Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities Washington

Tacoma Power’s spacious campgrounds

By Dave Helgeson Editor’s note: The following article is reprinted with permission from the Northwest RVing Blog hosted by MHRV (Manufactured Housing and Recreational Vehicle) Show Association. For information, go to https://northwestrving.com/ Did you know that Tacoma Power operates multiple campgrounds on the lakes behind its hydroelectric dams southwest of Mt. Rainier? The campgrounds are […]

Cilantro
Featured Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities

Versatile Cilantro is Northwest favorite

Caption: Cilantro ready to be harvested. Photo credit:  photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com by Melinda Myers Cilantro is a Northwest favorite ingredient in guacamole, tacos, rice dishes and of course salsa. But as summer temperatures climb, the cilantro quickly goes to seed.  This can be frustrating but using all parts of the plant or growing a […]

San Juan Islands
Northwest Lifestyles Washington

San Juan Island hopping

Type/classic With temperatures around 70 degrees in summer and 40 degrees in winger, the San Juan Islands offer a pleasant, year-round vacation retreat. There are 172 named islands and reefs in San Juan County. Three ferry served Islands, San Juan Island (with the county seat Friday Harbor), Orcas Island, and Lopez Island are the most […]

purple iris
Featured Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities

Add perennial power to your garden

Type/classic Caption:Perennial plants like Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica) tolerates full sun to part shade and provides year-round interest.  Photo credit:photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com by Melinda Myers Create long lasting beauty and pollinator appeal in your landscape with the help of perennials. With a little bit of planning, you can have flowers, foliage and seed heads […]

Sunflowers from seed
Featured Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities

Save gardening money with seeds

Caption: Sunflowers, like Suntastic Jaune Coeur Noir, are commonly started from seeds in the garden. Photo credit:photo courtesy of All-America Selections by Melinda Myers Don’t worry if you have already spent most of your plant budget for the year.  Fill voids in your gardens and containers with heat tolerant annuals planted from seeds directly in the […]

Raised bed with drip irrigation
Northwest Lifestyles Outdoor Activities

How to conserve gardening water

Classic Caption:  Raised Bed Drip Line Irrigation Kits with closer drippers are more effective at watering small areas like raised beds. Photo credit:  Photo courtesy of Gardener’s Supply Company/gardeners.com by Melinda Myers No matter where you live, the conservation and wise use of water in our gardens and landscapes is important. Sustainable water use helps […]