Gala Garden section, 2013

15TH ANNUAL SOROP TIMIST

Gala Garden Show

5

$

Admission supports numerous Soroptimist projects

Sat., March 16 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sun., March 17 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB 400 W. Fir St. • Sequim

2013 Community Partners KSQM Sequim Gazette Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula Master Gardeners of Clallam County

Speakers’ Topics Annual Garden Walk

Gardening for some may be merely a pleasant pastime but for Master Gardeners it’s a passion. Along with that passion comes a desire to teach, share and demonstrate the knowledge they have accumulated through course work and hands-on gardening. For the 2013 Garden Walk, the Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County has created a scene showcasing the beauty, diversity and educational opportunities found at their Woodcock Demonstration Garden. In addition to plant clinics, brown bag gardening talks, working with youth and a variety of other educational activities, Master Gardeners contribute close to 2,000 hours annually at their 3-acre demonstration garden at 2711 Woodcock Road, Sequim.

Stroll through the beautiful Garden Walk and get a taste of what you also can find at the Demonstration Garden. There are raised beds for growing vegetables, herb gardens, flower, color and rose gardens, an orchard and many lovely spots to sit and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. By creating this entry way to the Garden Show, the Master Gardeners are inviting you to come visit the “real thing” when the Woodcock Demonstration Garden opens again for the season in April.

So, come, take a stroll; experience and enjoy the inviting entrance to the 15th Annual Gala Garden Show.

The Master Gardeners of Clallam County have been a community partner with the Soroptimists for many years and are pleased to have been able to design and assemble the Garden Walk for the 15th Annual Soroptimist Garden Show.

Saturday

Muriel Nesbitt, Ph.D. “The Sex Life of Potatoes”

Rita Dinger “Lemon-Scented Flowers and Herbs”

Do you like the smell and taste of lemon? If so, please join Master Gardener Rita Dinger as she presents a program on lemon-scented herbs. There are many herbs that have a lemony, citrusy scent and taste. They are perfect for the scented garden as they release a lovely smell as you brush your hand over them. Many are wonderful additions to recipes. The presentation will include growing information and herb samples for you to smell. There also will be some herb lore and recipes for sweet and savory dishes, liqueurs, potpourri and a few other uses for those lemony herbs.

This is Dinger’s 10th year as a certified WSU Master Gardener. She has taught numerous classes and written newspaper articles on garlic, herbs, crop rotation and sustainable vegetable garden planning over the past several years. She was recognized as the 2010 Clallam County Master Gardener of the Year and has given more than 2,000 hours of volunteer service at the local demonstration gardens, plant clinics and in public education.

Selinda Barkhuis “Gardening for the Hummingbirds”

Join Selinda Barkhuis for an engaging and informative discussion on how to attract hummingbirds to your garden – all yearlong! She will talk about meeting their needs for nectar, small insects, nesting areas, cover and water.

Barkhuis’ presentation will cover the local native plants that are closely intertwined with the life cycle of Rufous hummingbirds, as well as the best perennials for helping Anna’s hummingbirds survive year-round on the Olympic Peninsula. She also will talk about growing scarlet runner beans, a beautiful pole bean that is a favorite food source for hummingbirds and humans alike. She will demonstrate how to winterize a hummingbird feeder so that it stays defrosted through the worst of winter. Barkhuis lives and gardens on an urban-sized lot in central Port Angeles. Her garden was featured in the 2012 Garden Tour and was a favorite among both the tour participants and the hummingbirds.

Jeanette Stehr-Green “Strawberry Fields Forever”

The North Olympic Peninsula is a fantastic place to grow strawberries! They are easy to cultivate, produce an abundance of juicy berries after the first year and are susceptible to only a few diseases and pests. Every Clallam County gardener should grow strawberries! In this introduction to growing strawberries, Master Gardener Jeanette Stehr-Green will talk with great enthusiasm about selecting, planting and caring for strawberries. She will help local gardeners make sense of the general types of strawberries, identify varieties recommended for Western Washington and discuss how varieties can be selected so as to extend the fresh berry season. She will describe the ideal planting site (e.g., sun exposure and soil), proper spacing and planting technique. She will even show you how you can grow strawberries on your back porch or patio. With this information, local gardeners will be able to grow and enjoy fresh strawberries from their own berry patch throughout the summer. Stehr-Green has enjoyed growing strawberries and other berries on the Olympic Peninsula for many years. She has been a Clallam County Master Gardener since 2003 and was selected Master Gardener of the Year for 2012.

Yes, even potatoes have one! Come find out why one of your favorite kitchen vegetables is so easy to grow. Join Nesbitt as she discusses the anatomy, reproduction and cultural conditions of our favorite tuber. She will cover the history of the potato and its genetic diversity, and talk about the importance of the Peruvian Potato Park. She will recommend some of the best varieties for this climate, including which varieties are waxy or starchy, and identify which are most disease-resistant. Ever wonder what to do with those potato seed balls? Nesbitt will share with you what to expect if you plant them. She is an informative and entertaining speaker who has been a Clallam County Master Gardener since 2009. She is a retired genetics professor and recently retired, again, as the program coordinator for the Clallam County Master Gardener Program.

Sunday

Larry Lang “Lasagna Gardening”

Larry Lang is back by popular demand. Last year, he attracted more than 100 participants for his talk on Lasagna Gardening – so be sure to arrive early!

Do you want garden soil that is rich, crumbly and easy to work? How about soil that retains moisture and requires no digging? Too good to be true? Come listen as Lang shares his experience with Lasagna Gardening (also known as sheet mulching). He will show you, step by step, how to create a garden that is less work-intensive than traditional gardening methods, results in nutrient-rich soil and uses materials that already may be at hand or obtainable at little cost. Lang’s first lasagna garden “was completed in little more than a morning’s work and the results, after one growing season, were beyond my wildest imagination.” Lang is a long-time Master Gardener eager to share his experience in building, planting and maintaining lasagna beds for both vegetables and flowers.

Linda Gilkeson, Ph.D. - Featured Speaker “Harvest Great Tasting Food Year-round”

Our mild winters here on the North Olympic Peninsula make it possible to grow and harvest vegetables all year around. When should you start planning for next winter’s harvest?

Right now! Come hear how to fit all those winter crops into your summer garden with Linda Gilkeson. The benefits of growing your own food are many, and no matter how large or how small your garden is, with Gilkeson, you will learn how to make the most of it.

She lives on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and is a popular speaker throughout the Northwest. She has authored several books on organic gardening and gardening year-round, including: “Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest”; “Year-Around Harvest: Winter Gardening on the Coast”; and, “West Coast Gardening: Natural Insect, Weed and Disease Control.”

She is a regular instructor in the Master Gardener programs in British Columbia and teaches many courses on gardening. Her talks are both full of wisdom and entertaining. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to interact with one of the most knowledgeable gardeners in the Northwest. Gilkeson’s books are available online for ordering and information will be available on how to obtain them.

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Soroptimist International of Sequim is on a mission – to bring together products and professional services of horticultural and garden-related businesses in an inviting venue for all of you. The medium is its Annual Gala Garden Show.

Soroptimist International of Sequim is on this mission because its overall mission is to improve the lives of women and girls locally and throughout the world. Soroptimist means “best for women” and that’s what Soroptimists aim to be: women at their best, helping other women be their best.

Soroptimist International of Sequim, chartered in May 1947, is part of an international volunteer organization comprised of business and professional women – with more than 1,400 clubs in 19 countries and territories. The majority of Soroptimist work is done at the local club level. Clubs assess the needs of their communities and then undertake projects that will best fill those needs.

Plants need nourishment to grow, and in the big picture, money is the nourishment that allows Soroptimist International of Sequim to do its work. It is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization and the annual Gala Garden Show is its main fundraiser of the year. The first show, in 1999, was a one-day event held at Guy Cole Convention Center. In 2001, it moved to the Boys & Girls Club in Sequim and the following year became a two-day experience, which it remains. Over its 15 years, it has grown to be the biggest garden show on the Olympic Peninsula.

Soroptimist International of Sequim is committed to education and funds seven scholarships to local high school graduating seniors. The money members raise also goes back into the community as local awards such as the Women’s Opportunity Award and the Violet Richardson Award. They also provide donations to First Teacher, Healthy Families of Clallam County – including Rose House (shelter for victims of domestic violence), Sequim Community Aid and Boys & Girls Club – just to name a few. The club also contributes to the Mujeres de Maiz Opportunity Foundation, an organization helping women in Chiapas, Mexico, which was started by several Sequim women. Most recently Soroptimist International of Sequim has partnered with the two Soroptimist clubs in Port Angeles to sponsor Girls Circle (gender-specific programs for adolescent girls to promote resiliency and self-esteem) in Clallam County. They are busy women, living their mission.

Make it your mission to visit the show and share in the growing experience.

Experts Panel: Getting to the Root of Your Plant Problems Bring your questions on landscaping and gardening to our Experts Panel! A highlight of this year’s speaker seminars is a panel of four North Olympic Peninsula gardening and plant experts. This is a unique opportunity for you to have your burning questions answered and problems solved by individuals knowledgeable of local environmental conditions and plants suited to this area. Bring your thoughts, ideas, photos and sketches to the panel, but do not bring samples of plants, bugs or diseases from your garden as they pose a contamination risk to the displays of plants at the show. Our four distinguished panelists are: Matthew Berberich, Matthew Berberich Professional Gardening, Port Townsend; Neil Burkhardt, McComb Gardens, Sequim; Gordon Clark, Clark Horticultural, Inc., Port Angeles; and Judy English, Clallam County Master Gardener, Experts Panel moderator.

For inspiration, the panelists will begin with a brief presentation and discussion of “Getting to the Root of Your Plant Problems,” which examines the proper handling of roots to positively impact the growth and development of all plants.

Matthew Berberich, Matthew Berberich Professional Gardening

Matthew Berberich is owner of Matthew Berberich Professional Gardening of Port Townsend. He has a degree in horticulture, Longwood Gardens, Kennet Square, Pa., and is a certified professional horticulturalist, Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association (WSNLA). He holds a low impact development certificate from Washington State University and has taken Rain Garden/Bioswale training from WSU. Berberich specializes in working with clients who want to create a new landscape or refine an existing garden.

Gordon Clark, Clark Horticultural, Inc.

Gordon Clark is the owner of Clark Horticultural of Port Angeles, a company that provides year-round organic landscape management and specializes in aesthetic pruning for residential properties. Clark has a certificate in environmental horticulture from Lake Washington

Technical College, is a Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association certified horticulturist and International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist. He is a member of The Maple Society, the Olympic Orchard Society, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, Plant Amnesty and Northwest Horticultural Society.

Neil Burkhardt, McComb Gardens

Neil Burkhardt is co-owner of McComb Gardens, a Sequim nursery, and a resident expert horticulturist.

He has a certificate in environmental horticulture from Lake Washington Technical College. Additional qualifications are certified professional horticulturist, holder of a pesticide applicator’s license, certified arborist and certified integrated pest management professional. He was the 2009 recipient of Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association’s Environmental Excellence Award. Burkhardt’s specialties are dwarf conifers and other hard-to-find species.

Judy English, Clallam County Master Gardener

Judy English has been a Master Gardener since 2005.

She is a speaker, writer and educator on a variety of gardening topics. English spent 30 years in financial management. Prior to leaving home for college, she helped her father on their central Illinois soybean farm and has had her hands in dirt ever since. Her driving passion has been to produce heritage tomatoes in her hillside garden in Sequim, regardless of the fickle weather. English has been a regular contributing writer and editor of gardening columns in Sequim newspapers and this year will be the Master Gardener’s lead editor for the “Get It Growing” column in the Sequim Gazette. She appears monthly on “Garden Talk,” a live, hour-long monthly gardening show with Todd Ortloff on KONP Radio.

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Speakers’ Schedule Saturday, March 16

10 a.m. – “Lemon-Scented Flowers and Herbs” with Rita Dinger 11 a.m. – “Gardening for the Hummingbirds” with Selinda Barkhuis 12:30 p.m. – EXPERTS PANEL – “Getting to the Root of Your Plant Problems” Judy English, moderator, with Gordon Clark, Neil Burkhardt and Matthew Berberich

2 p.m. – “Strawberry Fields Forever” with Jeanette Stehr-Green 3 p.m. – “The Sex Life of Potatoes” with Muriel Nesbitt, Ph.D.

Sunday, March 17

12:30 p.m. – “Lasagna Gardening” with Larry Lang (Back by popular demand!)

1:30 p.m. – FEATURED SPEAKER – LINDA GILKESON – “Harvest Great-Tasting Food Year-round”

Garden “Green”at Work in Sequim

Soroptimists are women at their best helping other women be their best and they do it through improving the lives of women and girls in our local community and throughout the world. The proceeds from the 15th annual Soroptimist Gala Garden Show primarily fund our award and scholarship programs, recognizing women in our local Sequim community. Information on all of these programs can be found on our club website at www. sisequim.org.

WOMEN’S OPPORTUNIT Y AWARD — $1,500 awarded locally. Each year, within Soroptimist International of the Americas, more than $1.5 million is awarded to more than 1,000 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence and/or drug and alcohol abuse. Our club participates in this award program, choosing a woman who is providing the primary financial support for her family, who is enrolled in, or has been accepted to, a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program, and demonstrates financial need. The award is advertised in October and applications are due Dec. 15 of each year.

VIOLET RICHARDSON AWARD — $1,000 total awarded to two recipients and a charity of the firstplace recipient’s choice. The Violet Richardson Award was established to recognize outstanding volunteer contributions by young women between the ages of 14-17.

These girls demonstrate service-mindedness with a desire to contribute to their community. Sequim is fortunate to have many young people volunteering at the food bank, at the Boys & Girls Club, at nursing homes, in their churches, and many other places in our community. This award is advertised in September and applications are due Dec. 1 of each year.

VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL AWARD — $1,000 awarded to a local woman of any age enrolled in a non-degree program leading to a certificate or license.

SI Sequim has continued this award for many years, and increased its value, recognizing that many people

pursue technical vocations and that training programs can be costly in terms of tuition and/or supplies. This award is advertised in May and applications are due July 15.

HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS — $7,000 is awarded locally ($1,000 per recipient) to graduating high school seniors.

Recipients are chosen based on criteria consisting of academic achievement, community involvement, goals that align with the Soroptimist mission and financial need, as set forth in their scholarship notebooks. The scholarship monies are sent directly to the student account at the post-secondary institution they’ve chosen, to be used for tuition and fees. There is no separate application process, aside from the scholarship notebooks all local groups review, for these scholarships.

CONTINUING EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS — $3,000 is awarded locally ($1,000 per recipient) to second-year or higher post-secondary education students who are registered to continue their graduate or post-graduate degree studies. These scholarships are judged on academic achievement, exhibited success in the college environment, goals and financial need. They are solicited primarily through newspapers, Peninsula College and SI Sequim’s website. Advertisement begins in June and applications are due July 15.

GIRLS OF THE MONTH – This is a non-monetary award to recognize and honor high school seniors who excel in academics, service to their community, citizenship and/or athletics. Throughout the club year, girls and their parents are guests of the club at one of our breakfast meetings, so that we can meet and get to know them a bit, recognize them publicly and honor their achievements. The girls are given a certificate that they can insert in their scholarship notebook, hopefully helping them to secure scholarships to continue their education and reach their goals.

Gala Garden Show exhibitors Airport Garden Center Angel Crest Gardens Bear Creek Creations Beyond the Beach Blackwaters Metal Design Classic Balsamics Creative Design Dog House Powder Coating Done by Hassan Dungeness Gold Eclectic Crow Fresh Hats — Love on Your Head Gifts of Mother Earth Pottery Heather Creek

Ila’s Foods Julie Peterson Oil Paintings Little Blue House Nursery & Gifts Lowell’s Tools Manny’s Works Master Gardeners of Clallam County McComb Gardens Mike’s Cedar Works Nash’s Organic Produce Opal Art Glass Over the Fence Pacific Northwest Naturals Peninsula Nurseries

SOROPTIMIST GALA GARDEN SHOW

Peony Farm Phocas Farms Port Angeles Rotary Club Rainshadow Connections Sequim Prairie Star Simply Edible Gardens Shasta Image Sun Baked Greenhouse The Cedar Box The Desert Northwest The Family Farm The Picket Fence Vision Landscape Nursery Whimsical Woods

BE SAFE THIS SPRING - CALL BEFORE YOU DIG! Practice safety this Spring!

If you have landscaping or other outdoor projects in mind, remember to Call Before You Dig to have underground power or other utilities located and marked for safety.

It’s easy! Simply dial “811” a few days prior to digging and tell the operator about your plans and in a few days they’ll send a locator out!

Whitson Design Wild Birds Unlimited Wilma’s Creations Informational Exhibitors (nonprofit) in the cafe: Master Composters of Clallam County Sequim Prairie Garden Club

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Community Partners

Featured artist

We also wish to acknowledge our generous donors for supporting the 15th Annual Soroptimist Gala Garden Show.

ORCHID Sponsor ($1,000 & above) Patsy and Dave Mattingley

LILY Sponsors ($300-$599) Amanda and John Beitzel Creative Framing Prints ETC Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Olympic Ambulance Sound Community Bank Anonymous

DAISY Sponsors ($50-$299)

Andrea Alstrup Cathy Angel, Angel Farm Bill Bailey, Allstate Insurance Castell Insurance Cole’s Jewelers Cracked Bean Coffee Crumb Grabbers Bakery First Federal Jan and Gary Chapman Jeanne Martin, CPA PS Joan Haynes Leonard Lewicki, Ameriprise Financial Linda and Larry Klinefelter Tom and Jan Kummet Jess McNeil Miller Signs Olympic Lavender Farm Pacific Mist Books Shelle and Bill Paulbitski Sandy Reed Stylin’ on the Ave Sunland Golf & Country Club Susan Smith, Silpada Designs Representative The Red Rooster Grocery The Sequim Stow Places Washington Federal Savings & Loan

This rocking chair will be handpainted with a garden scene by Jennifer Weir as a raffle prize.

By Patricia Morrison Coate At the corner of Sequim’s busiest intersection — Washington Street and Sequim Avenue — Over the Fence is hard to miss. It’s the place with the gigantic ceramic pots. The store is known for its colorful glazed pottery, from tabletop planters to waist-high focal point pieces for the garden. However, a plethora of pots doesn’t begin to describe the shop’s inventory.

“We’re all about gardening,” said Jeri Sanford, who’s owned Over the Fence with her husband, Fran, for 17 years in downtown Sequim. “I’ve always loved gardening and I knew I could get better tools for our own garden,” she said. From initially selling high-quality gardening tools by international suppliers, the business expanded over the years to include garden and patio accessories, furniture, bath and utility products, kitchen goods and home decor accents.

“Our niche is whatever is not mass produced,” Jeri Sanford said. Part of her business philosophy is to buy recycled and U.S.-made items whenever she can and to sell products featuring long-lasting natural materials. Small bamboo water fountains and wind chimes, outdoor rugs woven from recycled plastic bottles and plant waterers repurposing wine bottles are just a few of the examples of eco-friendly garden products Over the Fence carries. There also are colorful and durable canvas bird feeders and all matter of yard art, including fun kinetic pieces and hanging baskets. But for dramatic pieces to enliven a garden or patio,

Over the Fence

The Soroptimists thank our Community Partners who, with their donation of expertise, time and resources, have made this event possible: KSQM Kitsap Bank Sequim Gazette Master Gardeners of Clallam County Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula

Sanford’s ceramics truly make a statement.

“I’m really particular about our pottery and I handpick pieces from our great suppliers in Asia, looking for interesting shapes and glazings. I love pottery as art pieces — to show off what’s planted in them and to enhance their surrounding environment.”

Sanford stressed that she only orders high-fired ceramics that will stand up to the peninsula’s weather and guarantees they will last for years.

Just last year, Sanford opened a small patio behind the store to the public and put Dawna Emerson-Hinton in charge of purchasing a variety of unique plants. Customers can buy them ready to plant at home, choose from the store’s potted selections or have Emerson-Hinton design a living arrangement.

“We are a boutique nursery and from early March into the fall, we will have unique annuals, perennials, grasses and small shrubs, plus container plants and hanging baskets,” Emerson-Hinton said.

“We’re about quality and we want everybody to go home happy and inspired,” Sanford added.

The women offer classes in exterior and interior design and welcome customers to bring in their design ideas to discuss.

After a long absence, Over the Fence is returning to the Gala Garden Show and Sanford is excited to be back.

“We’ll have a double-space booth and it’s going to be amazing,” she said. “We’ll bring our good garden tools, outdoor canvas products, our planted pigs and planted containers from small to large. We’ll also have fountains, yard art, furniture and outdoor mats. I’m excited to be back at the show. I’ve attended and seen how it’s really grown — and it goes to such a great cause.”

Fresh Starts at the Garden Café Gala Garden Show visitors looking for a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of the show will find new and exciting features in our Garden Café this year! We’ve have updated the menu a bit and streamlined our processes. Guests will be served quickly with tasty breakfast and/or lunch menus and shorter lines. Join us for breakfast where we’ll be featuring a Garden Quiche with fresh fruit or a delicious fresh baked Sour Cream

Raffle!

Submitted photo

6 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013

Whimsy in the Woods

LYNN BARITELLE

Artists over the past 14 years have been a feature of the Soroptimist International of Sequim Gala Garden Show and this year is no exception. Lynn Baritelle, whose beautiful painting on silk titled “Nasturtiums,” a flower that grows with ease on the Olympic Peninsula, will be the theme of the show. Her artwork will be featured in fliers and posters, plus the Sequim Gazette special insert edition, and will be up for auction during the event.

Baritelle is an avid artist and works in several mediums: watercolors, weaving, spinning and she dyes many of her materials. Her career in watercolors began in the 1990s when she and her husband owned a small winery in California and she began designing silk wine-themed scarves to be sold at their winery.

Prior to following the path of a full-time artist, Baritelle worked as a social worker and a high school counselor.

In 2004, she and her husband began building their present residence in Sequim and two years later made a permanent transition to the beautiful Dungeness Valley. She is inspired by the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula and is passing some of her talents on to her 6-year-old grandson in the art of dying and spinning. Baritelle will have a booth at the 15th annual Gala Garden Show exhibiting the products of her artistic talents.

Apple Coffee Cake with Maple Icing. All will be hot out of the ovens each morning and can be served with a perfect steaming cup of our fresh coffee!

Our lunch offerings this year include a Hot Roast Beef Sandwich Au Jus with Coleslaw or a Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Wrap Sandwich served with fresh fruit. Pair your sandwich with a cup of our

by Patricia Morrison Coate Whimsical Woods’ wares are a familiar site at the Gala Garden Show — Soroptimist Jan Chapman encouraged owners Val and Nancy Jackson to be a vendor in 2007 and they’ve returned every year.

For the uninitiated, Val Jackson takes his whimsical imagination to fashion unique handcrafted garden creations. His hobby began with building and selling log birdhouses a dozen years ago and since moving to Sequim six years ago, it has expanded to more than a half dozen product categories with strong Internet sales.

The Jacksons’ 14 acres of woodlands gives Val a wonderland of natural materials from which to build bird feeders, suet feeders, log birdhouses, gnome homes, illuminated fairy houses, standalone gnome home windows and doors, and toad homes. Val loves that he can be as creative as he wants to be and said that each piece has its own personality.

“A large majority of the materials comes right out of our woods, including logs, sticks, moss, pine cones and lichen. I also use old fence and barn wood,” Val said. “We call it recycling Mother Nature. The birdhouses are fully functional and made of all natural materials.” Even dried flowers from their garden adorn pieces.

Of all its products, Whimsical Woods is best known for its gnome homes. Gnome fever swept the country in 2004 when Travelocity introduced its roaming gnome and Val reasoned, “Why not a place for a gnome to come home to?”

“I started out with toad homes and then built fairy and hobbit houses. Due to the popularity of the Travelocity gnome, we conceived the idea of a home for gnomes,” Val said. “It’s surprising the number of people across the country who enjoy stories of gnomes, so there is a following. It’s amazing the different stories we hear when we go to shows about collecting gnomes — there’s just a lot of imagination and fun.” continued next page

freshly made Italian Pasta and Bean or Chicken Noodle soup. All of this can be found under our new “Soup and Sandwich Special.” If you’re looking for something on the lighter side, try our featured Chicken Pasta Salad with Lemon-Sesame Dressing on a bed of greens. Finally, finish your meal with a cup of tea and one of our delicious desserts; choose from our selection of Soroptimist-baked cookies or a Luscious Lemon Square. We are delighted to announce our fantastic menu has been designed by our own Dr. Monica

This year’s raffle at the 15th annual Soroptimist Gala Garden Show will feature a beautiful outdoor rocking chair and the everpopular garden wagon. Tickets are available at the show for $3 each or two for $5 and you need not be present to win.

The rocking chair will be hand-painted with a garden scene by Jennifer Weir. She grew up in Quilcene and lives in Blyn. She is coowner of Good Earth Plantings, a garden maintenance and construction business. She will combine her love of gardening and her artistic talents to create a beautiful and unique chair for the Soroptimist raffle.

This year’s garden wagon again will be filled with a bounty of items donated by the many vendors participating in the Gala Garden Show. In past years the wagon has contained well over $200 worth of gardening items and garden décor.

Be sure to stop by the raffle booth while at the show and purchase your tickets for a chance to win one, or both, of these wonderful items. And remember, the proceeds from the Soroptimist Gala Garden Show stay in our community and help women and girls.

Dixon, Ph.D., R.D. Not only does she bring her experience as a professional credentialed certified nutritionist, but also provides her culinary experience through the presentation of the Garden Café menu.

The Garden Café again will be host to some of the wonderful local nonprofit organizations in our community. They will be there to share with you their expertise, resources and information on a range of garden-related projects. It all only happens one weekend a year, so be sure to join us in the Garden Café this year!

One raffle ticket holder will win this garden wagon filled with a bounty of items.

Submitted photo

SOROPTIMIST GALA GARDEN SHOW

Some gnome homes sit on the ground, others can be mounted to a tree and they come in different sizes and degrees of decoration, from plain to fanciful. While Val is out in his shop, Nancy manages the company’s thriving Internet site at www.whimsicalwoods.net. Thanks to it and an article and photo in The Costco Connection in March 2012, they’re as busy as can be, building and shipping gnome homes and birdhouses all over the country.

The Jacksons relish coming up with new product ideas and at this year’s Gala Garden Show they’ll introduce three new items: bluebird nesting boxes, nesting

materials niches and collectors choice gnome homes.

The niches, for lack of a better word, are mountable with a birdhouse-type roof and hold dryer lint or yarn that birds can gather to line their nests.

Also at the show will be Whimsical Woods’ log birdhouses, suet feeders, large and small gnome homes, and stand-alone gnome home doors and windows.

“We really look forward to this spring show because it’s the first of the season,” Val said.

Nancy added, “The Soroptimist group puts on the best show — they are the most helpful and accommodating group of ladies. We go to a lot of shows and nobody does it like they do.”

Whimsical Woods also is a longtime fi xture at the Sequim Open Aire Market from May-October. To visit their studio, call 452-7308.

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Master craftsman, creates landscape experiences that ultimately reflect the place, the client and the inspiration of Nature.

Allan provides the design and installation of luxury landscapes, epic water gardens, inspiring patios and magnificent rock structures. He looks forward to working WITH you to make your landscape dreams come true. Call him directly at: 360.460.8474.

We are taking orders for hanging flowering baskets and custom container gardens. Come by and say hello – we look forward to serving you!

131 Kitchen-Dick Rd. Sequim, WA 98382 Between Sequim and Port Angeles

360.683.2855

visionnursery@olympus.net

visit our website for upcoming events and web-only savings:

SOROPTIMIST GALA GARDEN SHOW

www.visionlandscapenursery.com

Stop By and See Us at the Soroptimist Gala Garden Show March 16th-17th!

Sequim 1320 W. Washington St. Sequim, WA 98382 360-683-5599

www.kitsapbank.com • 800-283-5537

*Variable rate based upon the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate as of 11/9/12. Rate to float monthly with a floor of 3.25% APR; maximum of 18.00% APR. Loan to Value less than 80% of current appraisal. Some limitations may apply.

Borrower pays all closing costs to include flood determinations, title policy, credit report, recording fees, appraisal.

Prepayment penalty of $500.00 if the line is closed within first 12 months. Rates subject to change depending on market conditions. Without a Kitsap Bank checking account and automatic payments, the rate will increase by 5.00%.

Property insurance will be required. Limited time offer.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2013 • 7

Read labels carefully. Look for key words including CAUTION, WARNING and DANGER Labels won’t tell you if a chemical is

dangerous to fish or animals or harmful to water supplies or environment. Chemicals can concentrate up the food chain to a toxic level in larger animals and can have long-term harmful effects with low exposure over long periods. Always buy and use the least toxic cleaners & pesticide you can.

Use less toxic alternatives. For household cleaning, use baking soda, vinegar, salt and Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean windows, sinks, floors, ovens, drains, and bowls. Call (360) 417-2258 or go to www.clallam.net/EnvHealth for a Clean Green Recipe Card. Pesticides can contain chemicals that are hazardous in large quantities.

Pesticides usually contain deadly, toxic poisons-

HANDLE WITH CARE or better yet, use natural, non-toxic alternatives.

More fertilizer does not mean green grass!

Fertilizer runoff also feeds stream & lake algae blooms that die off, decompose and suffocate fish.

Create your own compost. Kitchen scraps (no

meats, fats, or grease) and yard clippings decompose to form a nutrient rich mixture that: feeds the soil, retains moisture, prevents erosion, improves plant growth, reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides.

Moderate Risk Waste Facility Hours of Operation

Wed & Sat 11am - 4pm

8 • Wednesday, MARCH 6, 2013

Don’t pour used oil, anti-freeze or paint down a street grate, on roads or on the ground: It will end up in our water supply!

Free to all residents

The MRW facility does not accept: latex paint leaking or empty containers household batteries asbestos explosives compressed gas containers business waste

“Household Hazardous Wastes” include...

• Pesticides & weed killer • Oil based paints and stains, thinners and solvents • Household batteries • Hobby chemicals • Cleaning supplies • Old gasoline & used motor oil • Anti-freeze & car batteries

For more information about recycling, garbage collection and waste reduction, go to Transfer Station Recycling Clallam County HHS (360)417-4875 (360)417-4874 Environmental Health transferstation@cityofpa.us recycling@cityofpa.us (360)417-2258 www.clallam.net

Do not apply pesticides when flowers are in bloom. Bees can pick up the pesticides and carry it back to the hive killing off the entire colony. No bees: No honey, No pollination, No flowers, No fruit.

Old paint is very toxic- likely containing lead and mercury. DO NOT USE OLD PAINT! Take to the Moderate Risk Waste Facility Region Transfer Station

MRW

Safely dispose of Household Hazardous Waste at the

Moderate Risk Waste Facility Regional Transfer Station in Port Angeles • 3501 West 18th Street (NW of Fairchild Airport)

Visit our Re-Use area to check out free items in good conditions left by other people.

SOROPTIMIST GALA GARDEN SHOW