flower garden
Outdoor Activities

Container Gardens for Every Occasion

By Melinda Myers Make every occasion special by designing and growing containers for summer holidays, weddings, anniversary parties or other special celebrations. Pick a color scheme appropriate for the occasion or a variety of colors and shapes sure to add a festive touch. Look for opportunities to include edible and flower filled planters. Set containers […]

beach water
Outdoor Activities

Paddle Sand Lake on the Oregon coast

  With the highest tides at certain times of the year novice kayakers can circle Whalen Island in a stunning coastal estuary. The clear ocean water allows visitors to peer clear to the bottom and view sea creature like Dungeness Crab, Harbor Seals and Flounder flowing in with coastal tides. Varieties of Raptors and sea […]

flowers in field
Outdoor Activities

Give Perennial Gardens a Boost in Two Easy Steps

By Melinda Myers Give your perennials a boost this fall with a topdressing of organic matter. It’s a great way to revive tired gardens, improve a garden’s overall health, and keep vibrant perennials healthy and blooming at their best. Research found topdressing your garden with compost every year or two provides most, if not all […]

orchid
Outdoor Activities

Keep Orchids Beautiful and Blooming

By Melinda Myers Lift your spirits, enliven your indoor décor or give the gift of beautiful blooming orchids.  You’ll enjoy these exotic blossoms for months with just minimal care – once you know what to do. Start with a healthy flowering plant.  The phalaenopsis or moth orchid is the most widely available and easiest to […]

wedding decorations
Outdoor Activities

Keeping it fresh

By Melinda Myers You spent the summer weeding, watering and tending to your vegetable garden. Now all your effort has paid off with a bountiful harvest.  Maximize the flavor and nutritional value of your homegrown vegetables with proper harvesting and storage. For the freshest flavor, always prepare and serve vegetables immediately after harvest. But let’s […]

wild flowers
Attractions Outdoor Activities

Mt. Rainier is ‘best wildflower spot’

The Mount Rainier area was voted “Best Wildflower Spot in The United States.” “Visitors travel from around the world to explore the mountain during wildflower season” said Dee Peterson, President of the Board of Directors of Visit Rainier. “The alpine flowers bloom at different elevations around the region at different times. Visitors can make several […]

white fence
Outdoor Activities

Enjoy an attractive, convenient composting station

Decorative fences are an effective way to hide composting stations conveniently tucked behind gardens in the landscape. Photo credit – Melinda Myers, LLC By Melinda Myers Make recycling green debris into compost convenient and attractive. Create a space you and your neighbors will appreciate. And locate composting in a convenient area that is easy to […]

bird on branch
Outdoor Activities

Catch free-roaming NW wildlife on your camera

Grab your camera and make tracks for the Northwest Trek photo tours. Photo Tours are a whole new way to experience the Free-Roaming Area. Participants provide optimal conditions for you to take action shots of the animals in the Free-Roaming Area. From the tram you may see moose, mountain goats, bison, bighorn sheep and more […]

home garden
Outdoor Activities

Creating garden art

The Kaleidoscope Tomato Cage provides a sturdy support for tomato plants while adding color to the landscape. Photo credit: Gardener’s Supply Company By Melinda Myers Adding excitement to your garden is easy.  You can create instant, year-round color, structure, motion and fun to your landscape with a bit of garden art. Just like shopping for […]

sunflower
Outdoor Activities

One simple step improves lawn vigor

By Melinda Myers Do just one thing this fall and you can improve the health and vigor of your lawn.  Fall fertilization helps lawns recover from the stresses of summer and provides needed nutrients to grow deeper roots and a denser stand of grass. And that means fewer weeds and a healthier lawn that’s more […]