Merry Christmas!

I want to take just a moment to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! At Vander Giessen Nursery, our family has been blessed by the many customers we've had come through the door in the last year, and whether you've bought multiple pickup loads of shrubs, a handful of geraniums in the spring--or just like to keep up with the latest happenings at the nursery through our e-mails--we appreciate the support you've shown us.

In the coming year, we look forward to debuting many new plants and garden products--but there will be plenty of time for us to share what's new in 2011. As Christmas Day draws near, we wish to simply pause and reflect on the first Christmas, when Salvation came to Earth in the form of a baby in a humble manger. That is the Good News of Christmas we celebrate!

From our family to yours, may you be blessed with a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Best wishes,

David Vos
Vander Giessen Nursery

A Great Gift Idea!

Last night, like so many other people this time of year, I had some Christmas shopping to get done. As I went through my list, I found myself hunting for the "perfect" item to fill a stocking--and stay within my budget. I was glad to find that every store I went in had several items scattered throughout the store for just my need: good stuff for cheap!

If you're still trying to find Christmas stocking stuffers for the gardener in your family (or have a gift exchange at work), try the Mini Hula Ho! In the garden, its deceptively humble appearance gives way to incredibly easy weeding no other tool can quite replicate--and without all the cleanup work required after using a traditional hoe. Dare I say that with the Mini Hula Ho (and its full-size sibling) weeding might actually be fun? Nah--that's probably going a little far.

While your favorite gardener might still dread seeing weeds popping up in his or her garden, they won't have to dread the task of removing them with the Mini Hula Ho. Check it out at Vander Giessen's today!

Bring Life to Your Garden This Winter!

This column originally appeared in the December 8 Lynden Tribune.

Welcome to the chilly days of December! As we get into these dormant, barren winter months, there is little we can do with plants to really add excitement to a yard. Birding, however, is one thing that can bring activity and entertainment to the view outside your window this winter (and year-round) with very little effort. Here are a few things to keep in mind whether you’re new to birding or want to enjoy more success in your endeavors.

First, choose a good location to place your bird feeders. Make it visible from your house—after all, you deserve to enjoy watching the little critters—but be sure it’s a location they’ll feel safe with. If you choose too busy a location, you’ll be unlikely to see much activity as birds feel uncomfortable eating in public, so to speak.

Second, pick out the feeders best suited to your goals. You may have the most activity at your feeders if you offer a full spread of seed mixes and suet, but nothing says you have to offer everything. If you want to start off small, buy a feeder designed for black oil sunflower seed. To attract more of the small birds in our area, get a feeder that accommodates niger (sometimes called thistle or nyjer) seed. What style you choose is entirely up to you—as long as it’s clean and seed is accessible, birds don’t care what your feeder looks like.

What they do care about, however, is seed. Simply put, birds are picky eaters. If you’ve ever taken the time to watch a sparrow sit at a sunflower seed feeder, chances are it throws away nearly half of all the seeds it picks up. That can add up to a lot of mess around your feeders, not to mention the number of volunteer sunflowers you have to pull! But you really have no other option, right?

Wrong! Like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for—and judging by the way your birds treat the seed in your feeders, it looks like you got the bargain stuff. The fact is, a 50-pound bag of bargain seed may cost less initially, but you’ll ultimately save money upgrading to a higher quality seed that you use less of in the long run. Moreover, you’ll save yourself a lot of wasted time refilling feeders. At Vander Giessen’s, we carry a great line of bird seed by Cole's. Our favorite aspect of the black oil sunflower seed is that there’s no mess. Because it has such a high oil content and has been extensively filtered, there are virtually no bad seeds for the birds to throw away, meaning no sunflowers to weed out of your flowerbeds.

Lastly, if mischievous squirrels have you frustrated and wanting to give up on feeding birds, try Cole's Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce. Simply mix this chili-based liquid with bird seed before filling your feeders. Birds can’t taste the spicy flavor, but it will drive squirrels (and other mammals, for that matter) crazy. We’ve just started carrying it at Vander Giessen’s, and you’ll likely find it at specialty bird supply stores, too.

As we get into the cold, dreary days of winter, bring some life to your yard by putting out a couple bird feeders. You’ll enjoy the activity of non-migrating chickadees, sparrows, and some finches, among others, and they’ll appreciate the food during these scarce months. Finally, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas! May you enjoy a blessed season with family and friends—and together we’ll look forward to another year of gardening in 2011.

Poinsettia Myth Debunked!

For years, you've probably heard that poinsettias are poisonous to pets and children. I, for one, believed it--there are all kinds of plants that are toxic to animals and humans, so it just seemed to make sense.

It turns out, however, that the idea that poinsettias could ever hurt you or your pets is entirely false! There has never been a documented case of poinsettias actually killing or poisoning any human or animal. Of course, if you ate a lot of poinsettia leaves, bracts (what we call flowers) or stems, you would probably get a stomach ache...but you'll get a stomach ache if you eat too many cherries, too, and we sure don't call them poisonous!

If worries about poinsettias being toxic to you or your pets have kept you away from the seasonal flower, we encourage you to give it a second look--after all, nothing says Christmas like a beautiful red poinsettia on the kitchen table!

Join us for our Christmas Open House!

Come celebrate Christmas with us! For years, my grandparents John and Ada welcomed the community to the nursery at Christmastime for an open house, complete with olie bollen, hot coffee and a great, festive atmosphere.

We'd like to thank you for your business in this last year by once again hosting an open house for you! Please join us tomorrow (Saturday), December 4 from 10AM-3PM for fresh olie bollen (Ada's recipe), hot coffee, apple cider and hot chocolate.

Throughout the day, we'll also have incredible sales on many of the items in the store. To see what all is included in the sale and for more information about our open house please click here.

Pack up the family, invite your friends and please join us tomorrow for our Christmas open house! We look forward to seeing you!

Christmas Season is Here!

Having already had our first snow of the year, some people may have started the Christmas music a little bit early. Did you? I did--it was just too hard to resist!

Now that we're officially started with the Christmas season, Vander Giessen Nursery is fully stocked with Christmas trees (both living and cut), fresh, fragrant wreaths, top-quality poinsettias and gifts for gardeners and non-gardeners alike! We encourage you to stop in and check out our selection of gift ideas, some of which include:

• Real stone fountains--many with built-in lights
• EarthBoxes
• Bird feeders, houses and food
• Gardening hand tools
• Pre-made gift baskets
• Gift certificates

For the duration of the Christmas season, we'll be open with extended hours for your convenience. Our hours are Monday-Saturday 9:00-6:00.

Also, we encourage you to join us on Saturday, December 4 for our Christmas open house! From 10:00 to 3:00 we'll be serving up free olie bollen (a Dutch Christmas favorite), coffee, apple cider and more! We'll also have sales on many items in the store, and if the weather is bad, Christmas tree shopping will be available indoors. Bring your family, tell your friends and celebrate the Christmas season!

For more information on the products and services we offer, please contact us at 354-3097 or send us an e-mail. We wish you a blessed Christmas season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from the family at Vander Giessen Nursery! As we enter another holiday season, we want to express our sincere thanks to you, our customers, for another good season of business.

In the last year the economy has shown few signs of improvement--and for some, things have gotten worse--but even with budgets tight and extra spending money scarce, we've been blessed by your faithful patronage. Whether you bought plants by the handful or trailer load, we appreciate your support!

Starting tomorrow, we'll be open with our selection of Christmas trees, poinsettias, wreaths and gifts--but for today, we pause to give thanks. For at least some portion of these last 72 years, you've been a blessing to our business and we look forward to serving you in the year to come.

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a blessed start to the holiday season!

It's Time to Start a Garden Journal!

I love autumn—it’s truly a beautiful season. In the last several weeks, we’ve been blessed with the rain we needed after a fairly long, dry summer. The light frost we had a couple weeks ago brought out the fiery colors of fall in the trees around town—and who doesn’t enjoy the sunny autumn days we’ve had? As we settle into the rhythms of fall, you’re likely winding down your gardening for the season. So, for the million-dollar question: How did it go this year?

With the downturn in the economy the past couple of years, more people than ever have turned (or returned) to gardening. Whether it’s to save money by planting vegetables, put vacation funds toward a “staycation” or make an investment in new landscaping to add value to a home, gardening has resurged in popularity among all age and income groups. And frankly, with bad news seemingly the order of the day in our national media, gardening is great therapy!

Take note of your accomplishments!

Whether you’re new to gardening or a lifelong hobbyist, have you considered writing a gardening journal? I’m not talking about making daily entries as to which flowerbed you weeded or what bird you saw at your feeder; rather, did you take time this year to document what worked and what didn’t? Did you record when you fertilized the lawn or planted your vegetables? Many people start from scratch each year with trying to recall how to do things, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are a few suggestions for what you might want to journal: fertilizing (your lawn, flowers and shrubs!), planting dates for your annuals and vegetables, what you planted where (more on that below), when flowers started to bloom or crops were ready, what types of fertilizer and insect control you used and when, and when you did major pruning. Like I said, this doesn’t have to be a daily narrative—simply make a note when you did major tasks.

Now, for your vegetable gardens, it’s good to chart how you arranged your crops. Whether you lay it out on a spreadsheet program or jot it on a napkin, try to remember what went where. If your peppers or tomatoes didn’t turn out…well, it wasn’t a great year for peppers or tomatoes. But did you notice they spent most of the summer in the shade? Make a note to put them in a sunnier spot next year! If you grow corn and beans, rotate their location through your garden regularly to get the highest crop yields. Sure, you know how your garden looked now, but next spring you might have forgotten altogether what you planted where.

Reflect on your garden successes!

Many of the ideas I’ve suggested may have to wait until next year for you to put them into practice. But as you sit inside with a cup of coffee watching the rain, do this much: grade yourself on the end results (and go easy!): did you remember to use Jack's Blossom Booster or Petunia Feed on your flowers to get more blooms? Were you happy with the herbs you tried out, and if not, what varieties might you enjoy more? Did you really have any use for all the zucchini you grew (and no, “paperweight” or “doorstop” are not valid uses!)?

Next time you’re at Vander Giessen's buying bird seed or lime for your lawn, take a minute to share what went well and what could have gone better. Sure, gardening is winding down for the year, but that doesn’t mean you have to forget your accomplishments! Start a journal today and you’ll thank yourself in the spring.

Big Changes at Vander Giessen's!

If you've driven by in recent days, you've probably noticed some big changes here at the nursery! So, what's going on?

Several years ago, when we remodeled much of the nursery to expand back into shrub and tree sales, we tore down most of the house on the corner as it severely limited the space we would have to use for plants. At that time, we converted the remaining portion of the house into our office. Now, as we continue to expand, we need more space for plants, as well as better visibility of the nursery from the street. So, sadly, it was time for the house to go.

While the newly-created space where the house once stood leaves a void for now, we encourage you to watch the changes that we plan to make over the winter and into next spring, including more flower beds, additional space for displaying shrubs and trees, new structures to display our famous Lynden Baskets and more! We're excited about the potential this new area holds and look forward to using it to expand our business and make it more visible to passersby.

As we transition into winter, our first order of business will be spreading gravel into the area for our Christmas tree lot. After Christmas, we'll get to work on reconfiguring the flower beds and creating displays for our Lynden Baskets.

Share the news about the changes at Vander Giessen's with a friend today--chances are, they'll be glad to know :) If you'd like to view an album of the house demolition, please follow the link below.

Demolition at Vander Giessen's!

So Now What?

In case you've had your head in the sand these last few days, our fall clearance sale wrapped up on Saturday. And if you're at all like many of our customers who've stopped at the nursery in the last week, you're wondering, "So now what--do you close for the rest of the year?"

The simple answer? NO! We understand if you think we do--for years we did. But last year we decided that we could better serve you in your lawn and garden needs by staying open year-round. If you have a gardening question or a need, you don't want to wait until spring to get help--and we don't want you to have to wait, either!

Soon, we'll be getting stocked up with our Christmas items: live and cut trees, poinsettias and wreaths. But it's only the beginning of November, so you've got plenty of time to get ready for the holidays. In the meantime, we're pleased to offer you...

a sale on all our birding supplies! 

This is the time of year birds are preparing for winter, so it's important that you keep your feeders full and available. Whether you're looking for seed, feeders or nesting houses, it's all on sale at 15% off! This sale is only for a limited time, so stock up with great supplies at great prices!

P.S. In the next few days, you might see some exciting major changes at the nursery if you happen to drive by. Stay tuned for updates--we'll keep you posted!

Final Days of the Fall Clearance!

It's the final weekend of our fall clearance sale at Vander Giessen's! If you haven't taken advantage of our 50% off sale on almost all plants, do so before prices go back up on Monday. The cooler, wetter weather we've had lately is great for planting shrubs, trees and perennials, so make some time in your schedule this weekend to get in a little more gardening before winter.

Several people have asked if we'll be closing after this week. NO! We're open year-round, so if you need any plants, the stock we carry through the winter IS available for sale. Remember, we're also stocked with birding supplies, lawn and garden products, and soon, our Christmas trees, poinsettias and wreaths, so there's always something to help you out if you need a gardening fix! 

It's Not Too Late to Garden!

Did I get your attention? I know, you probably read the title and thought, “Good grief—it’s already mid-autumn, the weather has been cold and rainy, I’m sick of mowing…and you expect me to keep gardening?!” It’s okay if you feel that way—you’re certainly not alone. And while a comfortable recliner and a good book sound great to just about anyone, I have a few reminders (the list is short, I promise!) to pass along to you as you wind down your gardening endeavors this fall.

First, about your lawn: I know that by this time of year you’re tired of caring for it and would like nothing more than to just put it out of your mind entirely. While it’s easy to do so, there are a couple things you can (and should) do yet before winter to keep your grass healthy and strong.

One of the most important yet most overlooked things to do is to spread lime. I know I’ve written about this before, but it bears mention again. Fertilizer is easy to remember—it makes sense that a growing lawn needs food. But what good does lime do? Without getting too deep into chemistry, lime helps to balance the pH of your soil, making the nutrients in fertilizer more available to your grass. Look at it this way: if you’re baking a batch of cookies, you can use the best flour and freshest eggs, but if you forget the baking soda, you’ll never enjoy a good snack!

Now, many people are familiar with dolomite lime—it’s what you’re most likely to find on store shelves. But if you want fast results, dolomite isn’t the best choice as it takes over six months to fully dissolve into your soil. Instead, we recommend Lilly Miller Super Sweet. Per square foot, it’s a cheaper alternative to dolomite. Moreover, because it’s been ground up and made into water-soluble pellets, it’s easy to apply with your fertilizer spreader and starts working in just two to three weeks. With an application of Super Sweet in spring and fall, your fertilizer will be able to achieve its full potential.

Speaking of fertilizer, could your lawn use a pick-me-up? Despite what you see advertised, it’s still best to wait until November to apply a “winterizer.” If your lawn is desperately undernourished but you don’t feel like mowing more than absolutely necessary, use Scotts Turf Builder with Moss Control. Even if you don’t have moss, it’s a good blend to use for greening up your lawn without excessive growth.

Third, have you checked your supply of birdseed? The consensus among forecasters seems to be that we’re going to have a colder, snowier winter this year, and the way they’re feeding, birds appear to think so, too! Visit your local nursery to pick up some high quality birdseed. While it’s often tempting to buy the cheapest seed available, birds can be very discerning and throw away the “junk” seed, meaning you end up spending more time and money refilling your feeders (and cleaning up underneath them!). If you need a new feeder or two, you’ll likely find those at a local nursery as well.

Finally, it’s still not too late to plant. Most nurseries around the county are still having fall sales, so take advantage of excellent prices and get some shrubs or trees in the ground before the snow flies!

This month, wrap up another year of gardening on a high note by properly preparing for winter. When you look out on a healthy green yard next spring, you’ll be glad you did!

Embrace the Forgotten Season

Lime Glow Barberry

Think about it: Which season do you most anticipate? For many gardeners, spring can’t come soon enough after a dreary, cold winter. How about summer? You bet—who doesn’t gladly welcome longer days and warmer temperatures? Winter is great, too—and we don’t get too much say in the matter as retailers seem to start promoting Christmas earlier and earlier each year. Autumn, though, seems to be increasingly overlooked.

It’s not entirely the fault of retailers that fall gets passed by. Around here, summer seems to run from July through September, so with a late start to nicer weather, nobody is eager to welcome autumn. We take a couple weeks in October to celebrate the harvest and then it’s on to Christmas. As a gardener, what can you do to make the most of fall?

First, step outside and reassess your yard. With summer vacations over and kids back in school, you likely have a little bit more time to dedicate to gardening. Maybe you’ve noticed that weeds are popping up again after our recent rains. Grab your gloves and Hula Ho and get to work! There is plenty of time left in the season for weeds to grow, so don’t let them get a foothold.

Second, take a look at what could use pruning. Now before you go crazy with the hedge trimmer, hold on—I’m not talking about serious, “Will-it-grow-back?” pruning like you might do in the spring. But do you have some shrubs that could use a light haircut? Don’t be afraid to trim back unsightly branches—and certainly you should continue to prune back suckers. Remember, most plants are very forgiving; if looking at a misshapen shrub all winter will make you miserable, prune it!

Third, fertilize. For your lawn, it’s still too early to use a “winterizing” fertilizer, which is designed to prepare grass for spring. In September, your best option is to fertilize with Scotts Super Turf Builder. Later in the fall, after grass has gone dormant (usually in November), plan to apply a winterizing fertilizer. Also, now is a great time to apply a fast-acting lime like Super Sweet to help utilize the nitrogen in your fertilizer. At Vander Giessen’s, we prefer Lilly Miller Super Sweet to the more commonly used dolomite lime because it’s cheaper, faster-acting and overall, more effective.

Next, take stock of what plants could stand to be replaced or take another look at those unfinished landscaping projects around the house. Historically, September is the best month of the year to plant shrubs, trees and perennials. Though spring is often thought best for planting, in reality, early- to mid-autumn is even better. Cooler temperatures and regular rainfall make care easier and most plants will soon go dormant anyway, suffering less transplant stress. Plus, many nurseries currently have great fall sales going on! Planting now will allow your new plants to establish their roots this fall so come next spring they can dedicate all their energy to above-ground growth.

Obviously, autumn is just beginning, but as you look forward to the season, make room in your yard for some beautiful fall color. Vine maples offer a kaleidoscope of gold, orange and red tones. The fiery crimson hues of the burning bush will be sure to turn heads, and most Japanese maples exhibit their most striking beauty in autumn—‘Orido Nishiki’ is one of my favorites with its distinctive shades of gold and red.

Whether you’re looking to redo a flowerbed, plant a hedge or fill a hole in your garden, enjoy the beauty of summer’s final bow and embrace the “forgotten season” of autumn by getting back outside and visiting your local independent nursery to find the plants you need to brighten up your yard.

Get the Most Out of Your Investment!

I know I’m being repetitive when I say that I love this time of year. Look back at any column I’ve written in the past and you’d probably find some reference to how much I love the current season. The truth is, we live in a beautiful corner of the world and with our moderate climate we really can enjoy four seasons of garden interest.

At the peak of summer, however, we reach a tipping point. Gardens can easily go one of two ways: toward continued color and productivity well into autumn or spiraling down into unkempt and under-nourished plants…and overzealous weeds. If you’re a gardener, you’ve undoubtedly been down that road of wondering how much longer you can keep things looking good or how much time you really care to invest in doing so.

Mini Hula Ho

Believe me, I know what it’s like to be there—nurseries and garden centers reach that same tipping point each summer too. As a gardening enthusiast, you’d like to make your flowering investments last as long as possible, so what can you do to keep things looking good in your yard for the last few months of the growing season?

First things first: tackle the weeds! Many gardeners are familiar with the “Hula-Ho”—its unique design allows it to eliminate weeds without the effort of dragging dirt like a traditional hoe. If you’re working in smaller, raised beds and need a hand tool for killing weeds, try the Mini Hula-Ho! I’ve started using one this year in a couple flower beds where it’s difficult to maneuver the full-size version and I love it.

Second, you’ll need to assess your fertilizing program. When was the last time you fertilized your flowers? Your shrubs and perennials? Your lawn? I know, it’s easy to forget—and even if you remembered, you might have run short on time or decided a picnic sounded better that day. That’s alright—there is more to life than just gardening!

Deciding on what fertilizer is right for your garden can be like picking out toothpaste—how many different kinds can there be? While there are some redundancies in what’s available on store shelves, many fertilizers can offer specific solutions for the gardening problems you might be facing right now. For example, do you have petunias, million bells or bacopa in your planters or hanging baskets? If so, they would benefit from a high-iron “petunia feed,” as they are likely becoming iron-starved at this point in the season.

Jack's Classic All Purpose 20-20-20

Annuals other than those just mentioned will benefit from a “blossom booster” fertilizer for continued blooming through the late summer months. For either of these more specialized fertilizers, I recommend alternating every other week with an all-purpose 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer. With any of the aforementioned types of fertilizer, we use and recommend the Jack's Classic (R) line of water-soluble fertilizers.

For perennials or shrubs, mid-summer is a good time to fertilize with a balanced slow-release like Osmocote so your plants will have sufficient nutrients going into autumn and preparing for winter. Consult your local independent nursery for the best formulation for your plants. And don’t forget to fertilize your lawn! If you haven’t fertilized since spring, you’re past due for another application. For that, now is a great time to apply Scotts Super Turf Builder.

Finally, I can’t stress enough how important it is to maintain a regular watering schedule. Although we’ve recently had some cooler, wetter weather, you need to continue daily watering of annuals to keep your plants looking their best.

As a gardener, you’ve dedicated time and money to make your yard look nice, and with a little extra knowledge and commitment, you can extend the beauty of your flowers well into autumn. Now get out and enjoy the beauty that summer has to offer!

Gardening Success: It Starts With Planting

Last month, I wrote about roses and some common mistakes gardeners make when planting a rose garden. I received several responses from customers who all echoed the same thing: “When it came to planting, I realized I was doing it all wrong.”

Hearing those comments, I got to thinking about how important a step planting is—not just for roses, but all shrubs, trees, annuals and perennials. Young or old, experienced or brand new to the world of gardening, customers regularly ask me what to do with their plants once they get them home. Here are a few pointers.

First, the most basic step: dig the hole. Like I said—basic! However, many people have learned that you need to dig the hole twice as deep and wide as the root ball of the plant. While it is good to dig the hole twice as wide, you only really need to dig it as deep as the level of the soil in the pot or the height of the burlapped root ball; it’s simply unnecessary to remove so much extra soil. What is important, though, is that you loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole to give the roots of your plant something to easily grow into.

Next, carefully slide the plant out of its pot (I’ll explain burlapped plants in a minute). If it’s root-bound—that is, if there are a lot of roots circling around the outside of the soil—use a garden knife to make a few vertical cuts in the roots around the perimeter to stimulate new growth. Do not tear the root ball apart as you can cause serious injury to the plant.

If the plant was not in a pot but rather wrapped in a burlap sack, set the rootball—burlap and all—in the hole you’ve dug. If the rootball also came wrapped in a metal cage, leave that on as well. Once you’re satisfied with the positioning of the shrub or tree, carefully cut the twine that’s wrapped around the base of the trunk or stem and remove it from around the top of the rootball. Loosen the burlap from the stem and open up the top of the sack to expose the soil.

Whether your plant came potted or in burlap, position it in the hole so that the place where the stem meets the roots—called the crown—sits slightly above the existing grade of the surrounding soil. One of the most common mistakes gardeners make in planting is setting a plant too low. Many plants can tolerate soil above the crown, but very few will ever thrive if planted too low. There’s an old saying that goes something like this: “Plant it too high, it will not die; plant it too low, it will not grow.” Look at it this way: a plant can always grow longer roots to reach water, but it can never dig itself out of a hole too deep.

Once you’ve ensured that your plant sits slightly above grade, backfill with a well-drained topsoil. To reduce transplant stress, soak the area with a liquid vitamin B1 or tuck prepackaged pouches of starter fertilizer around the roots of your new plant.

Many people worry that summer is a bad time to plant, yet if you take the proper steps in planting and keep your new additions well-watered, summer can be as good as any other season. Visit a local independent nursery, browse the many summer-blooming perennials and enjoy the beauty that summer’s longer days and warmer temperatures have to offer!

Rose Gardening: Supplemental Information

The following information is supplemental to my "In Bloom" in the Lynden Tribune. If you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to pick up a copy of the Tribune or read my column here. --David

Every time you visit a nursery, you marvel at the beautiful roses; the gorgeous blooms in every shade of the rainbow, the glossy leaves--and don't forget the amazing fragrances! But you've tried before...and failed. Or maybe you've just heard it's too much work. You're not alone--many gardeners feel the same way.

As with beginning any worthwhile hobby, you need to know where to start. If you've read this week's "In Bloom" column in the Lynden Tribune, you've been given some mistakes to avoid. Below you'll find some additional information to take into consideration as you start a rose garden.

• When choosing roses for your garden, it's important to pick healthy plants. However, you also need to know what class of roses you want. If you like long-stem roses suited for cutting and making bouquets, look for hybrid tea varieties. If you prefer large clusters of roses that you can enjoy looking at in the garden, select floribunda varieties. These types have plentiful flowers but rarely bloom all at once, so a cluster of flowers doesn't work well for cutting--you'll end up with too many spent flowers and buds. A third class of roses--and a combination of the two aforementioned types--is grandiflora. Typically, these roses have long stems and are well-suited for cutting, but they may have two or three buds per stem. 
• Planting roses isn't a difficult task, but you need to make sure that your soil is well-drained. Before you plant, dig a hole a foot deep and wide and fill it with water. Check it in an hour; if it's not completely drained, you must amend your soil. Dig out an area at least twice as large as the pot the rose came in (or, if bareroot, no less than 18 inches across and deep). Refill the hole with equal parts topsoil and a mild compost--at the nursery we recommend a yard waste compost by Green Earth Technology. Use this as the planting medium for your roses. 
• Once your roses are planted, build a small berm (2 inches should be sufficient) of mulch or soil at a radius of 12 inches around each plant. This will make watering much easier as any water you give the plants will stay focused at the roots. 
• Pruning is often one of the biggest concerns potential rose gardeners have, and with good reason--a poorly-pruned plant can quickly get out of control and begin to suffer. This time of year isn't good for doing major pruning on your roses, so I'll save the topic for this fall; however, you should be aware of the best way to prune back spent flowers. After a bloom is finished, follow the stem down to where you find the first cluster of five leaves facing away from the plant. Prune at a slight angle 1/2 inch above that junction to encourage new growth (and more flowers!). Be sure to always use a sharp, clean pruner--and it's always a good idea to sterilize your pruner after cutting through diseased or dead wood!
• Left untreated, roses are great host plants for many forms of insects and disease. Don't, however, let this scare you away--it's easy enough to keep your plants healthy with today's products! Around here, the most common insects you'll find on your roses are aphids. They're often light green when you first notice them and they'll most often feed on buds and areas of new growth. As far as diseases go, two are particularly prevalent in our cool, often-wet climate: black spot and powdery mildew. Thankfully for the average gardener, these are true to their names. Black spot will show up as small round patches of black on leaves and branches, especially in the bottom third of a rose bush. Leaves will turn yellow and fall off as the fungus progresses. Powdery mildew can show up just about anywhere on a plant and has a dusty white appearance. Both are commonly brought on by high humidity or outright wet foliage and any affected leaves should be immediately removed and disposed of. At Vander Giessen's, we recommend treating every six weeks with Bayer Advanced All-in-One Rose and Flower Care during the growing season to prevent any insect and disease problems. This product is a liquid systemic, meaning no more spraying--just mix it in a quart of water and pour at the base of your rose bushes. It's also a fertilizer, so it's the only product you'll ever have to use to treat your roses. 

I'm sure that there are plenty of additional questions you may have, especially if rose gardening is a hobby you've never dared try. I've tried to present a thorough "beginner's guide" as you get started, but no doubt there are topics you'd like addressed. Or, if you're an experienced rose gardener, you might have tips and tricks you'd like to share with other gardeners. Either way, please feel free to leave comments below or e-mail them to me at info@vandergiessennursery.com. I'll try to post answers as soon as possible!

If you'd like more information in print, please stop by Vander Giessen Nursery to pick up some free literature on growing roses. Now, have fun and enjoy getting started with your rose garden!

Roses: Easier Than You Think!

June is National Rose Month, so today I’d like to address one of America’s most-loved and commonly misunderstood flowering plants. For decades, roses have had a bad reputation as being difficult to grow. In the past, it was true—being a “rose gardener” meant that you had plenteous time to dedicate to spraying, fertilizing and pruning. Today, however, you can have a beautiful rose garden with minimal effort. Really, it’s true!

Whether you’re a newcomer to rose gardening or are looking for suggestions on how to make it easier, consider these common mistakes many gardeners make and tips for success.

First, many gardeners plant roses where there’s an empty space, not where there are necessarily good growing conditions. Many plants (for example, azaleas) can easily be grown in sun or shade. For roses, find a spot in your garden that’s sunny, hot and dry. Roses love heat and hate sitting in wet soil, so pick a spot where you can ensure they’ll be well-drained and get at least half a day of full sun. Any less than 4-6 hours of sunlight and your roses will undoubtedly suffer.

Second, many people plant roses too close together. Doing so makes getting around your shrubs difficult, and more importantly, restricts airflow around the plants. Stagnant air promotes fungus problems such as black spot and powdery mildew. For best results, space your roses 3 feet apart or 2 feet from other plants in your garden—the more room for air circulation, the better.

Third, beginning rose gardeners too often choose plants based on the blossoms, not the plant. Remember, flowers come and go, but if you start out with a poorly shaped or weak plant, you’ll likely struggle with it for years to come. When shopping, visit your local independent garden center and only select Grade 1 roses. All roses are graded based on the number and size of the main canes (or branches), so Grade 1 will give you the healthiest, strongest plants. Look for roses to have at least 2-4 strong canes that branch out away from each other—avoid plants that are too crowded in the center. If you’re unsure of what to look for, a nursery professional will be happy to help you pick the best plants.

A fourth mistake many gardeners make comes at the time of planting. If you have poorly drained soil, replace or amend it with good, well-drained soil or compost. Plant the rose at the same grade as the soil in the pot it came in, or if bareroot, a couple of inches below the graft.

Probably the biggest mistake I hear of gardeners making with roses is watering. After planting, roses should be kept lightly and consistently moist until they’re adapted to the location. Once your roses are established, switch to watering a couple times a week (or less in cool weather) with a soaker hose. Doing so promotes strong root growth. Never water overhead—like stagnant air, water on the foliage encourages fungus growth.

Finally, many gardeners believe that the only way to keep roses healthy is with complicated, dangerous sprays, dusting powders and granular fertilizers. This is my favorite mistake to correct. Today, the best product on the market does it all—insect protection, disease control and fertilizing—in one easy application, and it’s not a spray! Use it three or four times during the growing season and your roses will be more beautiful than ever.

For more information on selecting and growing beautiful roses with fewer headaches or to have your questions answered, visit www.VanderGiessenNursery.com and join the conversation. Happy gardening!

Fresh ideas in container gardening

I apologize for being so delinquent in posting information, tips and articles lately--if I may, I'd like to blame it on a busy spring! But on this rainy Saturday, I'm getting caught up on e-mails and "desk work" and thought it would be good to post this month's "In Bloom" column from the Lynden Tribune in case you haven't read it. Enjoy!
-David 

In the garden industry, a major trend over the last several years has been toward container gardening. We’ve all seen the pots of flowers sitting next to a neighbor’s front door or large planters overflowing with color in front of businesses or churches. If you’re like a good percentage of gardeners today, you have “patio pots” or other similar planters you use around your house, too.

This spring, as you figure out what to plant in the pots around your house, try something new that can bring joy all summer in addition to the happiness you get from the colors: welcome hummingbirds to your home!

For young and old alike, hummingbirds are fun to watch, and with container gardening you can bring the wildlife right up to your window. For hummingbirds, the key is to have the right plants, and thankfully, there are plenty of options suitable for containers.

If you wish to attract hummingbirds to a sunny location, petunias and calibrachoa are great options as they produce plenty of nectar and their funnel-shaped flowers are well-suited for hummingbirds to access. Traditional mounding petunias work well in the center of containers while trailing Wave petunias and calibrachoa are best placed around the perimeter of a planter or in a hanging basket.

When planting container gardens close to a house, many people have limited sun exposure to work with—if any at all. If you need shade-loving flowers, try planting a pot with impatiens. Colorful and showy, New Guinea impatiens work well in sun or shade and make great container plants. For your best chances at attracting hummingbirds, choose a color palette of bright colors—reds, pinks and orange work best.

Now, maybe hummingbirds are the least of your concern when planting container gardens—perhaps you’re interested in growing something for you to eat, not some blur of a bird! If that sounds like you, try container gardening with herbs.

To be honest, I must admit that as far as herb gardening goes, I’m still pretty new to the scene—this is only my second year growing herbs and I still have a lot to learn in how to properly use them once they’re out of the garden and into the kitchen. But, for all you interested parties, a bit of encouragement: herbs are easy to grow!

Frankly, many herbs grow like weeds, so you don’t need a lot of garden expertise to have a healthy, burgeoning container herb garden—all you need is a watering can, proper fertilizer and an easily-accessible hand pruner or scissors. The latter is important—herbs need to be harvested regularly to keep them from growing too large for your containers.

While there are hundreds of plants classified as “herbs,” I recommend starting an adventure in herb gardening with a few of the basics: chives, oregano, basil and thyme. With the help of a nursery professional, choose plants that will complement each other and will thrive in the size pot you have as well as the lighting conditions you can provide. Then, put together your planter, add a well-balanced fertilizer and keep the container lightly moist—in no time you’ll have a beautiful, delicious herb garden!

Whether you wish to enjoy the entertainment hummingbirds can bring to your window or discover fresh new flavors to add to your cooking, patio planters can provide more than just color through the growing season. This spring, visit a local independent nursery and learn more about how you can expand your horizons with a container garden!

Flowers or Food--Make the Most of Your Garden!

In case you missed it, here is my column from the April 14 Lynden Tribune. Enjoy!
-David

In the world of gardening, this is the time of year I like most. Each morning I walk through the greenhouses at our nursery and marvel at how fast everything is growing. The longer days and warmer temperatures throw annuals into overdrive—one day, a greenhouse of Lynden baskets may be merely budded; the next, it’s full of color.

In the last couple weeks, cooler, wetter weather may have dampened your spirits as you made plans for your garden. But with a return to milder weather, now is the time to start planting annuals and preparing your soil for a vegetable garden—more on that shortly.

Choosing annuals can often be an overwhelming task—it’s not uncommon for me to encounter a customer in the greenhouse staring into space while mumbling something about “too many choices…” Before you head to a nursery to pick out flowers for your garden, take a look at the area you’ll be planting to see how much sun it gets and which direction it faces. Knowing the conditions in which you plan to put flowers can greatly help when it comes time to make decisions.

A second bit of advice to help you in planning your flowerbeds or pots is this: know your limits. Do you have time to deadhead more high-maintenance flowers or do you need “carefree” selections? Do you regularly forget to water? Be honest with yourself—there are plenty of options for all types of gardeners, so with a little guidance from a nursery professional, you can have a garden that pleases the eye without overextending your skills or experience. One example: if you like the look of trailing petunias but don’t have the time to keep them pruned or deadheaded, consider calibrachoa (commonly called “Million Bells”)—it gives the look of petunias without needing any additional care.

Of course, gardens full of flowers can provide months of color, but with the state of today’s economy and the desire for fresher, more healthful food choices, many gardeners are giving up some sunny space once dedicated to flowers or lawn for a vegetable garden. Before you start planting seeds and vegetable starts, however, take some time to properly prepare your garden.

After an initial rototilling or cultivation to loosen the soil, you should add a layer of compost to provide nutrients. Mushroom compost—essentially manure and organic matter that’s been composted and aged—is my recommendation for growing a lush, productive garden. A thin layer of half an inch of mushroom compost mixed evenly into the soil is all you need for a vegetable garden; more is not better in this case as you can actually kill vegetable seeds and starts with too high a nutrient level.

If you’re new to vegetable gardening, the next step is to choose what you want to grow—and how much. From experience, I know that planting six zucchini plants sounds like a good idea (I had the space!) but unless you plan to stock the kitchens of homeless shelters from here to Portland, try just one.

With that extra room in your garden, try planting some more unusual varieties of vegetables. How about white or red carrots? Purple beans? If you have kids interested in gardening, fun crops such as these can provide great learning opportunities.

This spring, make the most of your options for color and enjoy the lavish potential a well-planned vegetable garden can offer! With a little preparation and help from your local independent nursery, you can have a flower or vegetable garden that brings pleasure for months to come.

Freeze alert!

If you're like me, your ears perked up when you heard the forecast for tonight into tomorrow--overnight temperatures are forecast to dip well below freezing! If you've already planted any annuals outside or have vegetables started in your garden, please take the time to protect them tonight. Here are a few steps you can take to prevent frost damage to tender plants:

• Mound bark mulch or compost around the base of tender perennials, annuals or vegetable starts.
• If you have an entire vegetable garden planted and it has no vertical obstructions, spread a tarp over the garden to build a mini-greenhouse. Raise the tarp a few inches above the soil (or above any plants) to create a pocket of warmer air and seal the edges with bricks or rocks to keep cold air out
• For potted plants or hanging baskets, move plants into a cool garage. If pots are too bulky to move that far, relocate planters to a place up against your house under the eaves. Doing so can boost temperatures by 10 degrees or more. 

All the forecasts I've seen show tonight's predicted freeze to be the last one before a return to more normal temperatures for this time of year--which means that it's time to start gardening! For tonight, though, if you've already moved any annuals outdoors, please the time to shelter them--your plants will thank you for it!

First

Pink Lemonade Blueberry

A hot new item this year is--get this--a pink blueberry. That's right! It's called "Pink Lemonade" and it really does have pink fruit. If you're interested in what "Pink Lemonade" is all about, here's some information on it, courtesy of Briggs Nursery (one of the growers for retail nurseries):

Pink Lemonade offers four seasons of color. The pinkish-white showy flowers are bell-shaped in spring. The fruit are pale greenish at first, then dappled pink, and finally turning to deep pink on ripening. Leaves are glossy green and lanceolate. Leaf surface texture is smooth, very similar to that of Vaccinium ashei. In fall, leaves turn golden yellow then bright orange. Wintertime twigs are dusky reddish-brown. Wintertime fruit encourages song birds and other wildlife in the garden. 

The ideal adaption of 'Pink Lemonade' is unknown, but its background suggests that it might perform equally well or better in milder climates including areas where rabbiteye cultivars can be grown. Mid-late to late-season ripening, with moderate yields of medium-sized, glossy fruit, bright pink fruit color, mild, pleasant flavor, and good firmness. 

Requires high light levels and well drained acid soil, high in organic material. Moisture content should be adequate and even. 

'Pink Lemonade' is ideally suited for borders, beds or in a mass planting mixed in with other ornamentals or perennials.

At Vander Giessen Nursery, we're proud to debut this beautiful new variety of blueberry. It's truly a unique introduction in the world of fruit! 

You know it's spring when...

This evening after work I decided to take advantage of the extra hour of daylight and do some work around the yard. After I finished up, I took a few minutes to wander around and admire what was popping up and leafing out.

My roses have been leafed out for a month already, so I thought maybe it was time to look for the first rosebud of the season...hey, it doesn't hurt to dream, does it? Well, I found it! Honest, it's there--if it was still light out, I'd take a picture to prove it.

But here's the problem: covering that one rosebud was a host of aphids. Yuck! I'm afraid that this year, I won't be the only one battling bugs in my garden. After an incredibly mild winter, it could shape up to be a bad year for insect problems. Normally, I wouldn't even have to dream of aphids this early, but it looks like it's time to take action.

If you're concerned about bug problems on your roses this year, I challenge you to try a product you may not have used before--Bayer All-in-One Rose and Flower Care. It's the only product I trust for managing insects and diseases on my roses, and it's an excellent fertilizer as well. The best part of this relatively new product is the ease of use--it's a systemic, meaning no more spraying! Simply mix up the liquid in a quart of water, pour at the base of the plant, and it protects your roses for 6 weeks.

Maybe you're already a believer in Bayer All-in-One--many of my customers are. But if you haven't used it yet, give it a try. You're sure to like it!

Start the Spring Checklist!

Check out my column each month in the Country Life section of the Lynden Tribune! In case you missed it, here's this month's column.

I like to consider myself an optimist. To me, the glass is half full, and a typical gray day in Washington is partly sunny, not mostly cloudy. The warm weather this winter, however, leaves me cautious. While I’d like to believe that spring is here to stay, history has proven otherwise. So, as a gardener, what can you start working on outside that will satiate your desire to work in the dirt without getting ahead of schedule?

This year, spring has come incredibly early—especially compared with last winter! While you may not yet have started a list of projects to tackle this spring, you likely have had to mow your lawn already. In case you haven’t noticed, this winter has provided ideal conditions for moss to grow in lawns and garden beds. Before you get too eager to start other projects, you need to address any moss issues.

Properly eliminating moss in your yard will take several steps. First, you need to kill any significant moss growth with a targeted moss killer like Moss Out. Once the moss has died, you may need to rake it out of your lawn so that grass can grow more freely.

A second step to killing moss is to feed your lawn with a high-iron fertilizer. Scotts Turf Builder with Moss Control helps to eliminate moss while providing a good dose of nitrogen to feed your grass.

A third and often-overlooked step in moss control is to prevent moss from growing back. Since moss thrives on acidic soil, you can prevent its return by balancing the pH or “sweetening” the soil with lime. In its natural form, lime takes months or even years to break down, so I recommend a product called Super Sweet for quick results. This form of lime has been ground into a powder and then pelletized for easy application with your fertilizer spreader. The pellets break down and absorb into the soil in a matter of weeks, allowing grass to thrive and preventing moss from returning.

If you don’t have any moss issues in your yard—or if you’re eager to start on other outside projects—now is a great time to prune many of your shrubs and trees. While it’s already too late to prune some plants in your garden and too early to prune others, it’s good to take note of what needs a trim.

At the nursery, I’ve had several calls from customers concerned about their roses. Usually, late February or early March is the ideal time to do spring pruning on roses. This year, however, many roses budded and leafed out much earlier than normal, catching many gardeners by surprise. My advice if you’re worried it’s too late to prune: better late than never! While I don’t recommend that approach for all shrubs, roses are very tough plants, and pruning them a few weeks too late will only set them back temporarily, if at all.

Spring is a beautiful time of year, and thus far, we’ve been treated to an especially nice start to the season. As you start to work in your yard, enjoy the color palette spring has to offer, from the golden flowers of forsythia to the soft pinks of heather and flowering cherry or plum. Now is a great time to visit your local independent nursery to shop for shrubs and trees and in a month or so you can start to put pots of annuals outdoors. Now, go find your gardening gloves and hope for a “glass half full” kind of spring—not of rain, that is!

Another big week

This time of year, every week is a big week--between receiving shipments, planting annuals, designing and building plant displays and helping customers (of course!), the pace really picks up. And we love it, so don't think I'm complaining!

If you're driving by this week, you'll see that our shrub and tree orders are arriving. We have a great selection of blooming shrubs and trees, many of them budded and ready to start blooming in the next few weeks (or in bloom already). I'll try to get some pictures up soon of the shrubs that are currently in bloom--or, if you have a minute, stop by and see for yourself!

This year we're also proud to have a broader selection of edibles, many of which have already arrived! From apple and cherry trees to raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and grapes, we're off to a good start--and as the season progresses, expect us to have the veggie starts and herbs for your garden as well. If you're looking for seed, we have a great selection of Ed Hume seeds selected specifically for our climate.

As the days get longer and you start to work in your garden, stop by Vander Giessen's to see what you could use to bring some early spring color to your flowerbeds. As always, we look forward to serving you!

Spring has sprung!

Okay, I don't want to get ahead of myself and have to eat my words when we get a hard freeze or that March snowfall that everyone seems to worry will still come--and it might--but it would sure appear that spring has arrived in the Pacific Northwest!

Here at the nursery, we've been busy in the last week stocking shelves, receiving orders of plant "plugs" for our greenhouses, transplanting perennials, and planting hanging baskets and geraniums. Just today, we planted 4100 geraniums, nearly filling our entire "Geranium House" greenhouse (see the picture to the right)! Earlier in the week, we planted 380 hanging baskets--our first batch of the season.

Tomorrow, the first of our shrub and tree orders will arrive. While we will have much the same selection of shrubs and trees as previous years, we're looking forward to expanding our selection of fruit, including several varieties of blueberries and raspberries, grapes, pears and cherries.

As I said, we've been busy, and we're excited to begin another new season--our 72nd! We welcome you to stop by anytime during the day Monday-Saturday to browse what's new and learn about what's coming up. Now, cross your fingers that the mythical March snow stays just that--a myth!

Happenings this week...

This time of year, we get a lot of deliveries! From shrubs, trees, annuals and perennials to fertilizers, hand tools and other hard goods to pots and hangers for our greenhouses--a lot happens each week in February! Here's what's on tap for this week:

• Our stock of Jackson & Perkins roses will arrive. We're excited to offer many new varieties in addition to the tried-and-true classics.
• Our remaining order of perennial starts will arrive.
• Our first shipment of plugs for hanging baskets will come in.
• We plan to finish the new greenhouse.
• The remainder of our hard goods selection will arrive. This is especially exciting considering the new items we will be stocking as well as an entirely new department! More information about that to come soon.

As you can see, this is an exciting time of year for us here at the nursery. If you're getting anxious to work in your garden and want to see what we have to offer that is new and exciting, please stop in--we're sure you'll be thrilled to discover new solutions for your garden!

Beautiful new perennials!

Our first batch of perennials has arrived. We just finished planting a wide variety of root masses, tubers and starts--all of which promise to be winners! This batch of 625 is just the first--more will be arriving soon. Pictured here is a beautiful daylily called "Frans Hals."

In case you haven't noticed the link to the right of this post, we encourage you to follow us on Facebook! Become a fan and you'll receive regular status updates on sales, what's new at the nursery and garden tips and hints, all in your Facebook news feed or on our page whenever you log on. Visit www.facebook.com/vgnursery today to become a fan. We look forward to you joining our online community!

Spring is coming early!

After last year, this year feels like we went straight from autumn to spring! The perennials in my flowerbeds are all sprouting and many of my bulbs are ready to bloom. Even my roses have leafed out--normally, they would just be starting to bud...in two weeks from now!

With a mild winter and and early spring coming, we've decided to have a pre-season sale. For all you gardeners looking for a reason to start working outside again, take advantage of 10% off all 2009 stock at Vander Giessen Nursery! This sale is for a limited time only, so stop in soon.

In my last posting (was that almost a month ago already?) I wrote about new projects for the new year. Well, we've been busy this last month, so I want to show you some of what's happened. Here is the progress we've made on our new greenhouse--

In another greenhouse, we've made great progress building a new growing and display bench. It's hard to get a good picture (so you'll have to check it out for yourself!) but here's what's changed so far--

Aside from construction, there are a lot of other changes coming to the nursery this year that will greatly benefit you! While I don't want to let you in on all the secrets at one time, here's one new thing to look forward to: a larger variety of hard goods, including several organic options for potting soil, fertilizer and pest control!

As we begin another new year of gardening, be sure to check back here regularly for updates on what's new at Vander Giessen Nursery. Trust me, you'll like the changes we're making!

New year, new projects!

Welcome to 2010! As we start another new year, we're busy with some new projects at Vander Giessen Nursery that will benefit you! Here's a quick look at what's been happening here since Christmas--

First, we've recently removed two of the old benches in our "geranium greenhouse." For those of you who shop here during the spring, you know that it can be a tight fit to walk the narrow aisles between the benches--especially when the flowers hang over the sides! Well, we're going to fix that problem! This year, we're removing two benches and replacing them with one larger bench and a wider aisle.

Another more major project we're in the middle of is building an entirely new greenhouse! With some shuffling of storage and display of shrubs and trees, we were able to free up the entire sawdust lot across the street for the construction of a new growing facility. While the new greenhouse will not be open to the public, it will allow us to grow many more beautiful Lynden Baskets, bedding plants, and perennials!

These are just a couple of the new projects underway here at Vander Giessen Nursery. If you'd like to take a look at what's happening for yourself, feel free to stop by. We're open Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30! For more information, visit our website.