A Better Pole Bean

'Blue Lake' pole beans have long been the standard for pole beans in vegetable gardens. But in the last several years, 'Blue Lake' hasn't exactly performed. Maybe you've noticed: many of the beans tend to be flat, hollow "meatless" and stringy--essentially worthless for fresh eating or canning. So what to do? Give up on pole beans?

No!

The problem is, 'Blue Lake' has been around for so long, many of the plants used for growing seed (it's a hybrid variety) are reverting back to a wild bean, essentially. So we've found a better--and newer--hybrid that gives you all the benefits of 'Blue Lake' and then some.

'Kentucky Blue' is a variety of pole bean that we've come to love for its full ("meaty"), long, stringless beans. If you snap your beans, you'll typically get an extra snap out of each 'Kentucky Blue' bean you pick. The beans taste great, are very prolific and don't give you any of the headaches of 'Blue Lake.'

At Vander Giessen's, we carry a great supply of 'Kentucky Blue' pole beans to meet your needs. Stop in to pick up a couple of packets for yourself--and tell your friends!

Rose Care Made Easy

First off, let me be completely clear: I don't get paid to say this. Period. No kickbacks for promoting the product, no special deals from my supplier if I say good things about it. Like anything we carry at Vander Giessen's, we use it ourselves at home and truly believe in it. If we don't, we don't carry it.

So, you'd like to grow roses, but who has the time to take care of them? I mean, fertilizing, spraying for bugs, spraying for diseases...it's tiring even thinking about all the steps needed to keep your plants healthy and blooming. If only there was a better way!

Actually, there is.

Really! About 7 years ago, we discovered a (then) new product from Bayer--the makers of the aspirin in your medicine cabinet--called All-in-One Rose & Flower Care. It claimed to do just as the title suggested: everything in one step. Fertilizing? Check. Bug control? Check. Disease prevention? Check. And because it was a liquid systemic, it meant you could just mix it up and water it in--no more spraying!

It sounded too good to be true, but I can assure you it's not. This stuff really works. Apply it three or four times during a typical growing season and you'll have the healthiest, best-blooming roses you've ever seen. Every customer I have who's switched from the older, more time-consuming methods to All-in-One loves it--not one has reported back to me that it didn't work as well as whatever they'd been using.

If you'd like to grow roses for yourself but want rose care made easy, check out Bayer All-in-One Rose & Flower care at Vander Giessen's. We're happy to help explain how to use it (it's really quite easy) and how much you'll need for your rose garden. And if you've given up on roses, just ask a friend who uses All-in-One on their plants--they'll tell you how great it is and just maybe give you reason to try again.

The Best Food for the Job

Last summer I published a blog post about water-soluble fertilizers versus slow-release options and which type would work best for your plants. I spent a fair amount of page space writing about care for your annuals and hanging baskets--but what about the shrubs and trees in your yard?

The truth is, most plants--especially flowering types--will benefit from regular (even if only once a year) feeding to keep them looking their best and stay healthy. But certain plants will benefit more from specific fertilizers.

A great all-purpose fertilizer for the shrubs around your yard is Jack's ClassiCote. Like I wrote last year, you're probably familiar with Osmocote--it's a fine option. But like the Jack's Classic water-soluble fertilizers, ClassiCote is simply better. If you're looking for one fertilizer to use on everything, you'll love the ease and quality ClassiCote provides.

Around northwest Washington, you'll find a lot of rhododendrons. It is, after all, the state flower. Likewise, you'll also find plenty of azaleas. Both of these plants like acidic soils--which we have plenty of in our part of the country. (As a side note, don't ever bother with a pH test of the soil in your yard if you're curious--it is acidic.) But, these plants need a special fertilizer for acid-loving plants, so treat them right. We recommend Lily Miller Rhododendron, Azalea & Evergreen food for anything you have that's acid-loving, including many of the evergreens in your yard.

For roses, feeding is easier than ever--I've written another blog post explaining proper rose feeding, so don't miss it!

Your hydrangeas can thrive!

Hydrangeas are another shrub that I often get customers asking about. As I mentioned, our soils around northwest Washington are acidic--and that means that most of your colored hydrangeas will eventually turn blue. You can "correct" this "problem" by adding Super Sweet lime to your soil to make it more alkaline and thus turn your flowers more pink. If you enjoy blue and want to enrich the colors and make your hydraneas even more healthy, try the new Hydrangea Blue fertilizer from Jack's Classic! This water-soluble blend is easy to use and will give you beautiful, rich blue flowers  to enjoy this summer.

Finally, if you have tree or shrubs that are susceptible to insects, feed them once each spring with Bayer Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed. This liquid systemic provides a full year of insect protection as well as slow-release fertilizer to encourage healthy growth. As far as tree care goes, it's as easy as they come!

For more information on care for specific plants in your yard, stop in at Vander Giessen Nursery and check out the products I've mentioned. We're happy to help you choose the right fertilizer for the job!

Enjoy the Bounty of a Successful Garden

Little by little, we’re finally seeing sunnier, warmer days. In fact, some of the weather over the last few weeks has been downright warm! Thankfully, this spring hasn’t been quite as cold and wet as last year, and (fingers crossed) long-range forecasts for summer indicate a nicer season ahead. If you’re a gardener, May and June are an exciting time as you decide what to plant and watch your garden take shape. Whether you grow vegetables or flowers, here are a few tips for a bountiful season ahead.

In the last few years, people of all ages have started vegetable gardening for the first time—so if you’re a beginner, welcome! If you have space to turn some of your yard into a vegetable garden, wonderful. Be sure to mix a rich nutrient blend like mushroom compost or chicken manure into your soil to promote strong growth and production all season. 

You'll love the ease of growing with the EarthBox

If you have little to no yard—or simply want to enjoy vegetable gardening without the extra effort of weeding—try growing a small garden in containers. Now, any pot or planter will work, but if you want better results than just “any pot” can give, invest in a container gardening system like the EarthBox. Set up as an all-inclusive gardening system, the EarthBox takes the guesswork out of growing vegetables and herbs and offers better yields than other containers or equivalent ground space can. Check out the EarthBox at your Vander Giessen Nursery to learn more about how the system works and see examples planted up and growing. 

Before you get too far with gardening this season, I want to share a great trick with you that even many experienced gardeners may not know. If there’s one plant that just about everybody grows in their garden, it’s the ubiquitous tomato. They’re cheap, they grow like weeds and if we get a nice summer (again, fingers crossed!), they’ll reward your diligent care with more fresh, juicy tomatoes than you’ll know what to do with. But did you know that you can—and should—bury your tomato plants when you get them home?

That’s right—bury your tomatoes. Now, don’t just dig a hole and cover the whole thing up…that wouldn’t give you a very good crop later this summer, I’m afraid. But seriously, you can bury just about all but the top one or two sets of leaves on your tomato starts and end up with healthier, more vigorous plants. The reason is that tomatoes root from their stems when buried. Plant your tomatoes deep and you’ll end up with a root system several times stronger than what it otherwise would’ve been! 

With proper care, your Lynden Baskets can look like this!

Vegetable gardening is a very rewarding hobby, but for sheer beauty, nothing beats colorful, lush flowers outside your home. Whether you plant flowers in the ground or containers or pick out vibrant “Lynden Baskets” to decorate your front porch, they’ll reward your care with blooms all summer long. First, remember to water your flowers daily—and for hanging baskets, that means until water starts to drip out the bottom of the basket. 

Annual flowers are bred to bloom heavily through summer, but they’ll need regular feeding to do so. In the past, I’ve written about Jack’s Classic fertilizers as a far superior option to Miracle-Gro. For the showiest blooms, I alternate weekly between Jack’s All Purpose and Blossom Booster blends—what Jack’s calls their “dynamic duo.” For petunias, bacopa, calibrachoa ("Million Bells") and other iron-hungry plants, Jack's also makes an excellent Petunia Feed I can highly recommend for keeping those plants healthy and productive all season long. Quality really does make a difference, and if you treat your flowers right, they’ll bloom well into autumn. 

With better weather upon us, now is the time to get your adventures in flower and vegetable gardening underway for the year. Enjoy getting your fingers in the dirt, and relish the beauty and bounty your efforts bring!

Wordless Wednesday

Our second crop of Lynden Baskets is looking great! Pick one up today!

Wordless Wednesday

Introducing our Washable Coupons!

2012 Wearable Coupon!

Let's be honest--who doesn't like to save money? Coupons are great, but unfortunately, once you've clipped them and handed them to the cashier, the savings fun is over. Wouldn't you like a coupon you could use, wash, and reuse? Well, look no further!

Just arrived at Vander Giessen's are this year's "washable coupons"--t-shirts you can wear into the nursery and use to save on all your purchases! Each and every time you wear your shirt into the nursery, you'll save 5% on everything you purchase (sale items excluded) through the rest of 2012. At just $12, this shirt will quickly pay for itself--and you'll get to enjoy the comfortable fit of a great shirt for years to come (not to mention the laughs you'll have over the great saying on the back!). 

We have a limited supply of shirts on hand for 2012, so stop in soon to get yours--and be sure to wear it every time you stop at the nursery to ensure savings on all your purchases! We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you.