CamanoCommunity

by Mary E. Trimble

There’s nothing like the thrill of picking crunchy carrots or juicy red tomatoes right out of your own garden, or being able to by-pass the grocery store’s produce department because you’ve “grown your own.” But is having a vegetable garden a big hassle? Is it really much of a savings? Can only people with lots of time on their hands manage a successful garden? Do you need a lot of space?

With planning, gardening can be rewarding and yet not consume much time or space. For one thing, you can be selective with the types of vegetables you grow, choosing only low-hassle, high-yield products. Examples of high-yield vegetables that furnish a lot of food per plant are tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, green beans, peas, cucumbers, and zucchini. If you grew no more than these, you would enjoy a good supply of vegetables. Even if you only have space for tomatoes, gardening can be tremendously satisfying.

Health-wise, growing your own veggies ensures that you’re getting all the nutrients possible from your product because they are picked when ripe. Also, you have control over what sprays, insecticides, etc. have been used.

via A Vegetable Garden: Is it Worth the Hassle? | Mary E. Trimble.

Pruning for Views

The most beautiful views in Washington State can be found on or near the Puget Sound shoreline.

Magnificent vistas of water, beaches and mountains are enhanced by stunning sunrises and brilliant sunsets. Maintaining these views is the chief reason cited for cutting, topping and pruning trees on or near the shoreline. Some of these methods, however, may create bigger problems than they solve.

This article will address some of those problems, and alternatives to some of the more drastic measures taken by homeowners in order to maintain their views. It also discusses the danger of dumping tree limbs, other trimmings, and grass over the bluff or onto the beach, and alternative practices. Read More »

Olyvia is a young boisterous Olde English Bulldogge. She loves loves loves people and needs a home where she can be with a person often. She needs to be part of the family and won’t have it any other way. She is an active playful girl and so far seems like she would do best as an ONLY PET. She listens well and sits for a treat like a champ. She has been previously fostered around kids and is said to enjoy them.

Due to her lack of other-animal socialization skills kids in the home need to be older ones. Olyvia came from a large shelter and was very scared there. This adorable girl is now at CASA looking for just the right home.  If you are interested in Olyvia please read more about her needs on our website and visit her in person at the shelter.

See all of our adoptable pets online at camanoanimalshelter.org.

Our animal shelter cares for both dogs and cats on Camano Island. We are an independent organization but do hold a contract with Island County to provide temporary care for impounded dogs on the island. Apart from that, CASA accepts stray dogs from the public and owner surrendered dogs as space allows. Our organization also cares for the island’s cats. We know that cats make up a very large part of Camano Island’s pet population. We care for stray or abandoned cats and accept owner surrendered cats as space allows. Read More »

The Squirrel’s Revenge

by Jon Stevens

It was all that grey squirrel’s fault.  It really was.

It would have been better if he had not found the barrel of cracked corn for the poultry we keep under the eaves of the chicken house.  It would have been better if he had not gnawed through the lid and helped himself.  It would have been a lot better if, after the squirrel was relocated to Eagle Acres a few miles away (good luck, squirrel), the scrap of plywood screwed into place to repair the lid had kept the torrential rain out.  And it would have been much better if the cracked corn, now nicely dampened, had not fermented.

It might have been nice if when we were wheeling Bonnie and Clyde to their old home and went past the chicken house in the evening after everyone was tucked in for the night, if Clyde had not given a wolf whistle.  He was just trying to announce their return  home after a year herding goats, but he should have kept his beak shut.  And it would have been really nice if the Parson had not developed a taste for the fermented corn mash.  A duck with a hangover is not a pretty sight.

It would have been better and it would have been nice, but it wasn’t. Read More »

Note: Here’s a good article from the folks at Grow Northwest:

by Chuck McClung

Butterflies and hummingbirds are one of the most popular and welcome attractions in the backyard garden. Their brilliant colors and characteristic movements dazzle our senses. So how do we attract butterflies and hummingbirds to our gardens?

With all gardening endeavors, I always say, “know your plant.” And to know your plant is to know it in two ways. First, understand its growth habit, or what the plant does over the course of one year. And second, understand its native habitat, or where the plant is found, out there in nature. When we put these two ideas together, we realize that the goal for any type of gardening is to reproduce the native habitat of the plant to get the desired growth habit, while having lots of fun. The same principles apply when attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to our landscape.

Butterflies

Butterflies are famous for their unique lifestyle in which an adult butterfly produces an egg which become a larva, or caterpillar. The caterpillar pupates, or forms a cocoon from which the mature adult butterfly emerges.

To attract butterflies, we must provide plants that serve as (1) nectar (food) sources for adult butterflies, and (2) host plants as food for caterpillars. Some butterflies do not eat nectar sources, while others may eat sap, fruit, or even be attracted to dung…

read the whole thing at  Butterflies and hummingbirds: Attract them to your garden – Grow Northwest.