It's Christmas at Vander Giessen Nursery!

For months now, you've probably been watching as Christmas trees go up in stores and gift items start appearing on shelves. It seems like Christmas comes earlier and earlier each year.

This morning, I saw a news report saying that Nordstrom is one of the few stores left to hold off on its Christmas decorating until the day after Thanksgiving. Well, they're not alone! Just yesterday we kicked off the Christmas season at Vander Giessen Nursery--after all, now it's the Christmas season!

We're open with a full supply of fresh-cut and live Christmas trees, poinsettias in various sizes and colors, as well as gift ideas for any gardener (our hand-made wreaths are scheduled to start arriving early next week!). Check out the Christmas photo gallery for pictures of Christmas at Vander Giessen Nursery and more information on our hours and what we carry.

As we begin this Christmas season, start your celebrations with a trip to Vander Giessen Nursery. This year, we're offering apple cider, coffee, hot chocolate and donuts on Saturdays, so bring the family down to enjoy a snack while you shop! As always, we look forward to serving you!

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

With all the busyness around here in the last couple of weeks, I didn't even get a chance to post a note about Thanksgiving. Yes, the holiday is past, but I still want to take a moment to write a few words.

To you who are our customers: Thank You! This year, despite the downturn in the economy, you've been such a blessing to us. I wish I could thank you each by name--whether you stop in once a year to pick up half a dozen geraniums or swing by once a week and fill up your pickup, we appreciate you all.

Vander Giessen Nursery has been in business for over 70 years, and that would never be possible were it not for our faithful customers. It's always a pleasure to serve you, and we look forward to doing so in the years to come. Thank you again for your business. In this holiday season of thanksgiving and celebration, we're proud to give thanks for you!

A Note to our Customers

On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, my grandfather John Vos, long-time owner of Vander Giessen Nursery, passed away suddenly. For many years, John, along with his wife Ada and brother-in-law Lawrence, operated Vander Giessen Nursery. In the Lynden community and beyond, John was well-known for his commercial spraying, barn whitewashing and other services.

After retiring from the nursery in 2003 at age 82, John--and Ada--continued to frequent the nursery, where they enjoyed visiting with customers, reminiscing about decades past and checking on the overall well-being of the nursery. To read John's full obituary and sign an online guestbook, please click here.

In order for our family to celebrate my grandfather's life and take part in his funeral, Vander Giessen Nursery will be closed Friday afternoon, November 20 and all day Saturday, November 21. Thank you for your prayers and kindness during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

David Vos
Manager, Vander Giessen Nursery

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

-- II Corinthians 1:3-4

Take a guess...

Have a look at this picture. When do you suppose it was taken? July? August? September?

Have your final answer? Okay, try this--I took this picture this morning. That's right, November 5. This basket has been in bloom for almost 6 months!

Now, here's why I bring this up today: many people buy their hanging baskets from the hardware or grocery store, and while they may look nice at first, by the end of August (or earlier!) they're finished and need to be dumped. Vander Giessen Lynden Baskets, however, will give you months more color! We carefully select the plants, potting mix, fertilizer--even the basket itself--to give the most blooms and the longest life to each and every hanging basket.

If you're tired of throwing your money away on hanging baskets that only last a couple months, make a note to choose Vander Giessen Lynden Baskets next season! Available in a variety of colors and plant combinations, we can advise you on the best baskets for your location, as well as the care you'll want to give them to keep them looking great all season long. Choose the best. Choose Vander Giessen.

Fall Checklist

Yesterday I had the task of raking the leaves that had begun to pile up in my yard. I have a feeling I'm not the only one doing that this time of year! After last week's wind storm, I imagine many people have piles of leaves on their lawn and in their flower beds.

As we prepare for winter, now is the time to start working on your fall checklist. Here are a few things you should be doing in your yard:

1. Prune your roses. I know, it's early--I still have buds and blooms on my roses at home. But plan on doing some fall pruning in the next couple of weeks. 
2. Mulch your roses. Many roses are grafted at the base of the plant, and last winter, many gardeners lost roses because they didn't cover the graft with mulch. Adding a little bit of mulch to insulate the graft will protect your roses from hard freezes. 
3. Rake your leaves! They won't go away on their own, and left on your lawn all winter, they can choke out your grass.
   
4. Apply Lilly Miller Super Sweet to your lawn. 
5. Fertilize with Scotts Super Turf Builder with Winterguard.

If you have any questions about the above checklist, please contact us at Vander Giessen Nursery. We are open Monday-Saturday 9:00-5:00 and are eager to serve you in all your gardening needs.