A Warning About Fertilizing

I want to take just a minute to offer a warning about fertilizing for those of you who may use Miracle-Gro. We've seen several cases this spring of overdosed hanging baskets--all fed with Miracle-Gro. If you've got a hanging basket that looks wilted but has never seriously dried out (and may currently not be drinking at all) and you're fertilizing regularly, it could easily be that you've over-fertilized.

Whether it's "operator error" or a bad batch of Miracle-Gro that many of our customers have bought is hard to tell--without doing some real investigative work, we can't determine the exact source of the problem. What we can tell, though, is that with proper care, we've been able to revive a couple of fertilizer-damaged baskets brought in by our customers, so it's not the plants that are the problem but rather the care they've received.

If you think your baskets might be suffering from fertilizer damage, continue to water somewhat regularly to try to leech the extra chemicals out of the soil. Don't continue to fertilize, hoping it might "come around." Only fertilize when it's begun to show significant new growth or when the foliage starts to yellow.

When you do start to fertilize again, we highly recommend Jack's Classic. Scroll through this blog and you'll find plenty of recommendations for Jack's--we truly believe in the value of high-quality plant food! Like Miracle-Gro, it's a water-soluble fertilizer, but Jack's uses professional-grade ingredients and formulations, ensuring higher quality plant food and better results in the health and vitality of your plants.

Whatever fertilizer you choose to use, remember this: more is not always better. Be careful to follow instructions faithfully--if the package says to feed once a week, don't expect better growth with twice-a-week fertilizing!

Astilbe in Bloom!

Astilbe is a great addition to any shade garden--but did you know you can easily use it in a sunny spot, too? Sun or shade, it will work well in any garden that gets adequate moisture. The best thing about astilbe is how easy it is to grow--plant it once, fertilize it lightly each spring, and you'll be rewarded with year after year of colorful, plentiful blooms in early summer.

 Right now we have four great varieties coming into bloom at Vander Giessen's. Check them out today!

Great Trees for Privacy, Structure and Shade

Neighbors can be wonderful--it's great to have someone to visit with over the fence, someone to get your mail while you're gone and a friend to share a good laugh with. But even if you have great neighbors, sometimes you just need a little privacy.

If your patio or backyard could benefit from a little bit of a privacy block between you and the neighbors--or if you'd just like some shade or structure to your backyard landscaping--there are some great trees you can use to add interest and function to your yard. Here are a few of our favorites at Vander Giessen's.

First, dogwood trees are incredibly showy in spring or early summer--but did you know that there are different types beyond just pink and white? I'm not talking strictly about color, but rather size and blooming season. If you're looking for a dogwood to provide flowers in mid-spring and grow to provide shade for your backyard, choose a variety like 'Florida Pink' or 'Eddie's White Wonder.' These trees will fill out to 25-30 feet tall, so be sure to plant them away from your house!

If you enjoy the look of dogwoods but simply don't have the space for something that large, consider a 'Kousa' variety. Topping out at 10-12 feet tall and only 6-8 feet wide, 'Kousa' dogwoods are great for smaller spaces. Available in either pink or white, these trees bloom later in the spring or even in early summer, which makes them standout trees since most other flowering varieties in our area are long-since finished blooming.

'Japanese Snowbell'

Another great flowering tree to provide shade and interest to your yard is Styrax, commonly called 'Japanese Snowbell.' In early summer, bell-shaped white blossoms coat the branches of the tree, exuding a wonderful, jasmine-like fragrance. When it's not in bloom, 'Japanese Snowbell' continues to provide beautiful structure with its horizontal branching and bright green leaves. Though it's slow-growing, give it room--eventually it will grow up to 20 feet tall!

If flowering trees aren't your cup of tea and you'd rather enjoy foliage color and interest, use Japanese maples. With literally hundreds of varieties in cultivation today, there's something out there for everyone. A couple of our favorites at Vander Giessen's are:

• 'Bloodgood'--its wine-colored leaves fade to red in fall.
• 'Sango Kaku'--with red bark in winter, chartreuse leaves in spring and summer and golden-orange foliage in fall, it's a standout year-round. 
• 'Ukigumo'--also known as 'Floating Cloud,' it boasts white foliage speckled with green, great to brighten up a shady corner in the yard.

'Ukigumo' Japanese Maple

Japanese maples grow at different rates and to different sizes, but most upright varieties top out in the 15- to 20-foot range, so be sure to keep them out from under the eaves of your house. Planted near a house, however, is generally fine--they'll provide shade and structure without damaging your foundation.

Finally, an easy-to-love tree that can provide shade and beautiful seasonal color is 'Katsura.' Filling out to 25 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide, it's sure to provide shade without overwhelming a yard. In spring, its leaves emerge with a bronze hue, aging to a rich deep green. Come autumn, the leaves turn a beautiful butter yellow before dropping. One often-overlooked aspect of 'Katsura' is that the leaves typically shrivel up to such a small size that raking after they drop is virtually unnecessary!

'Katsura' fall color

Whether you enjoy spring flowers, summer beauty or fall color, there are many great options for you to enjoy as a privacy screen or shade tree in your backyard this summer. Remember, with proper watering, you can plant all summer long and let your new tree benefit from warm soil to quickly root out into. Stop by Vander Giessen's today to see what beautiful tree would best suit your yard!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Attention t-shirt holders! If you have our 2012 Washable Coupon, stop in to Vander Giessen's today through Friday (6/20-6/22) to save on dwarf Asiatic lilies! When you stop by with your t-shirt on, you'll instantly save 20% off any and all dwarf lilies you purchase--no limit. These plants are loaded with buds and blooms, so pick up some today to enjoy in your garden this summer and for years to come.

Fill-A-Flat Sale Underway!

As we hit mid-June, it's time to clear out our greenhouses here at Vander Giessen's. To help you save, we've started our "Fill-A-Flat" sale--fill up a tray of annuals and save big! With this sale, you can save up to 50% off standard retail prices and take home a flat of your favorite flowers for as little as $10.

While we still have plenty of variety available in flowers--bedding plants, trailing basket stuffers, sun annuals and shade lovers--supply of many varieties is very limited, so be sure to stop in soon for best selection.

When you stop, be sure to check out our great selection of gorgeous Lynden Baskets. Planted and grown right here in our own greenhouses, our baskets are unrivaled in their beauty and quality. We're sure you'll love what you find! And don't forget to take home a tub or two of Jack's Classic fertilizer to keep your flowers growing and blooming strong all season long.

Plant Bright Color to Battle June Gloom

They say there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. For us in Western Washington, though, I’d like to add a third: June gloom. You can count on it like clockwork—summer likely won’t really arrive until our Fourth of July picnics are over. So what can you do in your yard this month to brighten your flowerbeds and your spirits? 

Annual flowers are great—nothing provides quite the splash of color like the vivid tones of geraniums, New Guinea impatiens or Wave petunias. But if you’re looking for something with a little bit more size that will come back year after year, you’ll love Asiatic lilies. With their bright colors, these bulbs will bloom through early summer and aren’t easily spoiled by the regular rain we get at this time of year. Each year, the bulbs will multiply, allowing you to divide and replant them as you wish.

'Tiny Bee' Asiatic lily

If you love the look of lilies but don’t enjoy the size that many can grow to (some varieties can easily grow four feet tall), try dwarf Asiatic lilies. At Vander Giessen Nursery, we love the “Lily Looks” series—these varieties bloom profusely with full-sized flowers but top out at two feet or less. My favorite this year is a bright yellow called ‘Tiny Bee’, but there are several other great colors as well.

Another beautiful perennial for early summer color is dianthus (also known as carnations or pinks). This classic selection looks beautiful in the garden year-round with its silvery-blue foliage, but recent advancements in breeding have produced varieties that offer longer bloom times and higher bud counts. Additionally, many recent introductions have brought back the strong fragrances found in some of the older varieties no longer available commercially.

'Black Lace' elderberry

For a larger shrub in your yard that can provide early-summer flowers and all-summer interest, a plant you must check out is ‘Black Lace’ elderberry. With its deeply-cut dark purple foliage and soft pink flowers, it’s a stunning addition to the garden throughout spring and summer. In fall, its berries may be harvested for elderberry jam—or, if you enjoy watching birds in your yard, the fruit may be left for them to enjoy. 

Drought is certainly not a pressing concern in our area right now, but if you tend to forget to water potted plants on your patio, you may want to consider mixing some succulents into your containers. Not afraid of dry conditions, succulents like jade or colorful stonecrop varieties can add beauty and texture to pots out in the sun. Additionally, you can consider adding unique Boxwood basil to frequently-dry containers. While not exactly drought-loving, basil can quickly succumb to too much water, so enjoy the dwarf Boxwood basil variety as an edible, fragrant addition to pots you can keep on the dry side. 

Finally, June is a great time to start enjoying fresh rose bouquets for your dining room table. If you enjoy the beauty and fragrance roses offer, it’s not too late to plant a single shrub or a whole garden. Visit your favorite nursery this month to find roses budded and in bloom. And if you haven’t yet fertilized your existing roses this year, use Bayer All-in-One Rose & Flower Care to make rose gardening easy—it feeds, protects from bugs and prevents diseases in a simple no-spray application. 

June gloom is nothing to smile at, but with lots of colorful plants to enjoy this time of year, a quick trip to your favorite local nursery can go a long way to stave off the doldrums. See what colorful plants you can find to brighten your spirits today!

'Absolutely Amethyst' Candytuft

Check out this brand-new evergreen candytuft! Fittingly named 'Absolutely Amethyst,' this great new variety from Proven Winners is an attractive departure from traditional white varieties. With a later bloom time than white candytuft strains, it will add late spring or early summer color to your garden as well. Check out this beautiful new variety at Vander Giessen's today.