FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
I’M VERY FORTUNATE to have a backyard at my house. Over the
years, we’ve worked hard to carve out a small, modest escape from
the busy parts of life. Using Costco as the main source of supplies,
we’ve slowly tackled various areas of the yard.
First came a ;ower garden in one corner, then landscaping rocks
in another. We made a patio for a table and outdoor dining, and
planted trees, shrubs and perennials wherever there was a bit of
open space. In the summer we have raspberries and tomatoes, as well
as colorful seasonal ;owers that attract hummingbirds and bees. We
had a fence built around the yard to enclose it, and I added a little
shed to store all the necessary tools, lawn mower and supplies.
We made sure to include meaningful personal objects: a beautiful, healthy sage plant
from a special friend, a statue of St. Francis and a few pieces of homemade garden art.
There’s also a soccer ball, from when my three sons were young. I couldn’t throw it away.
The goal was to create a pleasant place to relax and entertain family and friends. I
hadn’t anticipated a playground for raccoons.
One morning this past summer, I found the ball in the center of the yard. I thought
the wind must have blown it, so I put it back near St. Francis. But time and again, the ball
was back in the middle of the yard. I was thoroughly perplexed.
A few days later, the mystery was solved. Early one morning, in the quiet before full
daylight, I happened to look out back. Three raccoon cubs were playing with the ball,
wrestling and rolling with it. A larger raccoon—presumably mom, because males have
no part in raising the young—was watching nearby. I watched with amusement, until
the raccoons sensed the day was coming and ran o; under the fence.
I’m glad that humans and animals can enjoy our yard—as can my three grown sons
when they come over. We’re lucky to have quiet places to relax, alone or with others, or
raccoons. I hope you have a special place like mine. C
FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK
SPRING IS one of my favorite times of the year at Costco. In the
warehouses, lots of space has been freed up to bring in flowers,
shrubs and trees, as well as all the tools, fertilizers and other things
needed for a beautiful garden. Our buyers work with a variety of suppliers to source the best live goods for spring, and each year they also
look for a hot product or two for outdoor living activities.
Our cover story and the Home & Garden special section in this
issue are all about making the most of the spaces in and around your
home. One key message is that there is no shortage of wonderfully
creative things you can do to improve the place you call home. For
some perfect examples, check out the garage makeovers that members told us about, on page ;;.
I am a casual gardener with a modest yard. But I’m intrigued by the numerous creative options that go beyond the traditional ;ower and shrub garden along my backyard
fence. Our cover story, on page ;;, describes several di;erent garden types. For example,
container gardens can beautify a deck or balcony and are easy to start and maintain. In
the rainy Paci;c Northwest, where I live, containers can start producing color and
beauty just as winter is ending, and can keep going to the eve of next winter. Try some
scented plants for a special touch!
If you love to cook, why not try growing your own herbs and vegetables? Nothing
beats the wonderful freshness of something grown in your own yard.
When it comes to home improvement, remember Costco as you do your research;
we might be able to help you save money on your projects. If you’re remodeling, stop by
the Special Order Kiosk in the warehouses. This program o;ers great deals on new
garage doors, countertops, ;ooring, windo w coverings and more. Costco.com also o;ers
a wide selection of home improvement products. This option is especially helpful if
you’re buying something too big to ;t in your car.
If it seems too early in your region to get outside, and winter seems to be holding on,
be reassured: March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. C
FRONTEND
The Costco Connection is published by Costco Wholesale. All editorial
material, including editorial comments, opinion and statements
of fact appearing in this publication, represents the views of the
respective authors and does not necessarily carry the endorsement
of Costco Wholesale or its officers. Information in The Costco
Connection is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but
the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. The publication
of any advertisements is not to be construed as an endorsement of
the product or service offered unless it is specifically stated in the ad
that there is such approval or endorsement. Products advertised may
not be available at all locations at the time of publication. Publishing
offices are located at 999 Lake Drive, Issaquah, WA 98027. Copyright
© 2018 Costco Wholesale.
PUBLISHER Sandy Torrey
storrey@costco.com
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Tim Talevich 425-313-6759 ttalevich@costco.com
EDITOR, U.S.
T. Foster Jones 425-313-6748
tod.jones@costco.com
EDITOR, CANADA
Stephanie E. Ponder 425-427-7134
sponder@costco.com
EDITOR, UK
Will Fifield 425-313-6988
wfifield@costco.com
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Ron Damiani, Canada
ron.damiani@costco.com
Sue Knowles, UK
sknowles@costco.co.uk
Heather Seoyoung Lee, Korea
hsylee@costcokr.com
Yuko Nakagawa, Japan
connection@costco.co.jp
Abelardo Navarrete, Mexico
anavarrete@costco.com.mx
Nora Wang, Taiwan
norawang@costco.com.tw
REPORTERS
Steve Fisher steve.fisher@costco.com
Christina Guerrero cguerrero2@costco.com
Hana Medina hanamedina@costco.com
COPY EDITOR Miriam Bulmer
CONTRIBUTORS
Annette Alvarez-Peters, Roberta Carson, Shawna
Coronado, Milly Dawson, Paul and Sarah Edwards,
Adam Grant, Peter Greenberg, Rakesh Gupta, Amanda
Horowitz, Judi Ketteler, Amy Keyishian, Kristin Kirkpatrick,
Joelle Klein, Laura Langston, Elizabeth Lombardo, Suja
Natarajan, Sherrie Newman, Suze Orman, Liz Pearson,
Marc Saltzman
ART DIRECTOR Doris Winters dwinters@costco.com
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
Lory Williams lwilliams@costco.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Ken Broman, Bill Carlson, Steven Lait, Chris Rusnak,
David Schneider, Brenda Shecter
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Pam Sather
psather@costco.com
ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER
Antolin Matsuda amatsuda@costco.com
COLOR SPECIALIST
MaryAnne Robbers mrobbers@costco.com
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Jane Klein Shucklin
jshucklin@costco.com
ASSISTANT ADVERTISING MANAGER
Kathi Tipper-Holgersen 425-313-6581 ktipper@costco.com
ADVERTISING COORDINATORS
Nikki Chellew 425-427-3534 nchellew@costco.com
Nico Cordero 425-313-2558 nmcordero@costco.com
Kirsten Neubrech 425-313-2549
kneubrech@costco.com
ADVERTISING COPYWRITER Bill Urlevich
ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGNER Susan Detlor
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
West; Texas/Northeast: Frank Colonno 201-962-2759
fcmediapartners@optonline.net
BUSINESS MANAGER Jane Johnson
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Rossie Cruz rcruz@costco.com
PUBLISHING DIGITAL ANALYST
Dorothy Strakele connection@costco.com
COSTCO WHOLESALE
P.O. Box 34088, Seattle, WA 98124-1088
999 Lake Drive, Issaquah, Washington 98027
Fax: 425-313-6718
Email:
connection@costco.com
MEMBER SERVICE QUESTION? Go to Costco.com and
click “Customer Service” at the top of the page.
®
Sandy Torrey
is Vice President of
Corporate Marketing, Packaging, and
Publisher of The
Costco Connection.
Tim Talevich
is Editorial Director
of The Costco
Connection.