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West Seattle Writer

Hi, I'm Marie.

I've been a West Seattle resident for over 35 years. I've had a lot of adventures in that time. I owned a landscape design and consulting company for 20 years.

I have been a volunteer with the West Seattle Garden Tour, Seattle Chinese Garden Society (before the garden was built), and I was the project manager for the former Triangle Park. I was on one of the committees that helped create Seattle's first Comprehensive Plan.

I've worked at Junction Hardware and West Seattle Nursery.

Along the way, I've done a bit of writing. I've collected some of those stories here.

Me Triangle Park.jpg

I had the great honor of making a small contribution to this remarkable book.

If you are a PJ fan, you need a copy.

Blog Posts

Black Hellebores and A Little Girl's Tears

Black Hellebores and A Little Girl's Tears

Black Hellebores and A Little Girl's Tears

I love hellebores. I have been growing them for years. They are highly prized in the gardening community for their exotic flowers and the fa

Marie McKinsey

Jan 24, 20154 min read

Grinding Corn

Grinding Corn

Grinding Corn

When Dougal MacKenzie told Claire in The Wedding episode of Outlander that he was tickled by the thought of grinding her corn, the remark pr

Marie McKinsey

Oct 12, 20143 min read

Barley the Beverage Grain: beer, wine and whisky

Barley the Beverage Grain: beer, wine and whisky

Barley the Beverage Grain: beer, wine and whisky

Two of the goals of the ancient alchemists were: 1) to turn common metals into gold, and 2) to create an "elixir of life, that would confer

Marie McKinsey

Oct 5, 20148 min read

Rowan: The Druid's Tree

Rowan: The Druid's Tree

Rowan: The Druid's Tree

Rowan, or "Luis" in Gaelic, is both a tree and the name of the second character in the Celtic Ogham Tree Alphabet.

Marie McKinsey

Sep 16, 20144 min read

Bear McCreary: The Man Behind the Outlander Music

Bear McCreary: The Man Behind the Outlander Music

Bear McCreary: The Man Behind the Outlander Music

I can't imagine a composer more suited to creating the score for the Outlander TV series than Bear McCreary. Growing up, he attended the Sco

Marie McKinsey

Sep 8, 20142 min read

Heathers & Heaths

Heathers & Heaths

Heathers & Heaths

Next to the thistle, heather is probably the plant most associated with Scotland. Much of the color in the moorland landscape is from the fl

Marie McKinsey

Sep 6, 20145 min read

Right Plants, Wrong Season?

Right Plants, Wrong Season?

Right Plants, Wrong Season?

One of the differences between Outlander - the Book and Outlander - the TV series is the time of year the story begins. In the book, Claire

Marie McKinsey

Aug 28, 20144 min read

A Druid's Herbal

A Druid's Herbal

A Druid's Herbal

I have always been curious about the Druids. Much of what is "known" about them is mere speculation because their most sacred rituals and

Marie McKinsey

Aug 24, 20143 min read

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