October 20, 2008

Wait for it...

Spring is a wonderful time of year for gardeners. Greenhouses are filled with annuals and hanging baskets, azaleas and rhododendrons are covered in cheerful, vivid color, and shrubs and trees put out fresh growth or open their new leaves. Certainly, spring is a magical season.

Autumn, however, is also a beautiful time of year and the best time to experience the true colors of many plants. Take the Burning Bush for example. During spring and summer, this shrub has a humble, even homely appearance. Its rough, woody stems hold matte green leaves that give gardeners little to be excited about. In fact, at Vander Giessen's, the Burning Bush is relegated to the back of the nursery display yard--customers simply don't have any interest in the plant. But come autumn, the Burning Bush quickly gains popularity. With shorter days and colder temperatures, this plant undergoes a dramatic transformation, its leaves changing from dull green to an array of deep crimsons and fiery reds. Suddenly, customers take a keen liking to the Burning Bush, and it becomes the star of the show.

And it's not alone. Many other plants put on their best display this time of year. While perennials are withering and other shrubs are looking tired from a long growing season, some shrubs and trees are just putting out their best color. Lime Glow Barberry completes its transformation from lime green to deep salmon in fall. Grasses of all types open their plumes or seed heads. And who can forget the beautiful range of colors found in maples? Full size maples come in beautiful colors, but the smaller Japanese Maples have a wide array of color, too.

So, if you haven't been to your local nursery in a while, stop by today and check out the beautiful fall color. The season doesn't last long, so don't wait, or you might miss the show!

October 17, 2008

Fall rains

It's that time of year again. You know, the season between "Back to school" and "Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland." In some parts of the country, they call it Autumn, and tourists flock to see the fiery reds and yellows in the rolling hills and sip fresh apple cider. Here, we call it Dreary. At least, on many days.

But, don't let the fall rains get you down! While it's easy to want to forget your garden and curl up with a good book on the couch, did you know that right now is the best time of year to plant? Get your shrubs and trees in the ground now, and come spring, you'll have a healthy, established garden! And, as an added bonus, all of our nursery stock is on sale, so your gardening dollars will go up to twice as far as they would in spring or summer!

Grab your umbrella and car keys and head to your local nursery now for great plants at great prices. We're here to serve you--rain or shine!

Welcome

Thank you for visiting the Vander Giessen Nursery blog! We're new to this scene, so bear with us while we get rolling.

At Vander Giessen Nursery, we're committed to serving our customers, and that means listening to your requests. For the last several months, we've had many requests for a website, so we're proud to announce that our new website, www.vandergiessennursery.com will be rolling out soon! Send us your e-mail address, and you'll be among the first to know when the site is up. We promise, we'll never sell or share your e-mail address with an outside party.

Thanks again for visiting the blog, and we look forward to serving you!

David Vos
Vander Giessen Nursery
Lynden, WA