Now in season: elephant garlic · raspberries · green figs See the August planting guide →

Meet the growers behind Garden & Pantry

Growing food, solving problems and learning from the land.

We are Elle and Mike, a husband-and-wife team growing food and preserving the harvest from our waterfront Zone 8b garden on Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula.

Meet Elle and Mike See what grows here →

Our roots

Gardening has always been part of our lives.

Our growing experience began in two very different places and eventually met beside Gamble Bay.

01

Elle grew up around farming

Elle grew up on Mactan Island in the Philippines, where gardening was one of her elementary-school subjects. Growing food was introduced as a practical life skill—not simply a weekend hobby.

See where we grow now →
02

Mike is a certified Master Gardener

Mike enjoys understanding how plants, soil and local conditions work together and brings formal gardening education to the work we do here.

Read our approach →
03

We both love to tinker outdoors

We test new methods, observe the results and keep adjusting. The difficult soil and relentless slugs have not convinced us to stop—although they have submitted several persuasive arguments.

See what we share →

The property we are learning

About 50 fruit trees were already growing here.

When we bought our waterfront property, about 50 established fruit trees came with it. Most are dwarf varieties. We also found established berries, raised beds and plenty of questions about varieties, pruning, ripening and harvest timing.

The land can be challenging. The soil is difficult, the slugs are relentless and the waterfront creates its own weather. We keep trying because growing food supports our health, connects us to the seasons and helps us live with greater care for the environment.

About 50 established fruit trees
Mostly dwarf fruit-tree varieties
Zone 8b mild winters and wet seasons
Waterfront wind and microclimate effects

Garden to pantry

We follow the harvest all the way home.

Our work does not stop when something is picked. We also test practical ways to store, preserve and use what the garden provides.

From seed to harvest

Grow

Seasonal planting guidance for raised beds, containers, berries and established fruit trees.

  • What to plant each season
  • Raised-bed and container growing
  • Fruit and berry observations
  • Lessons from our Zone 8b garden

Recognize what is ready

Harvest

Practical signs that help identify when fruit, vegetables, herbs and other crops are ready.

  • Ripeness and maturity clues
  • Harvest timing
  • Handling fresh produce
  • Reducing garden waste

Make the harvest last

Preserve

Approachable ways to store and use what the garden produces throughout the year.

  • Freeze-drying
  • Freezing and dehydrating
  • Jam-making and pantry storage
  • Seasonal recipes

How we create our guides

Experience first. Reliable sources beside it.

We explain what we personally observed, what an authoritative source recommends and what may need adjusting for another garden.

  • We begin with real questions from our garden and pantry.
  • We identify our Zone 8b waterfront growing conditions.
  • We separate firsthand experience from general guidance.
  • We consult university extension and government sources.
  • We use tested instructions for safety-sensitive preservation.
  • We correct meaningful errors when reliable evidence supports a change.