Final Days of Fall Clearance

If you're still planning to do any gardening yet this fall--and you'll be wise if you do, since transplanting is so easy on your plants--don't miss out on the last days of our fall clearance sale! Our fall sale continues through this week at 40-70% off nearly all the plants we have in-stock. Starting next Monday, though, our prices will reset back to normal, so take advantage of these deep discounts while they last.

While you're in, be sure to pick up some of our great bulbs. If you enjoy tulips, daffodils and the other beautiful bulbs that herald spring, we're here to help. Nothing helps to lift your winter-weary spirits like bright color bursting from the ground, so be sure to get some bulbs in the ground this fall.

A little bragging...

One of our famous 'Lynden Baskets' on 10/20/12

You'll have to forgive us just this once for bragging. This picture was taken today--October 20. Our Lynden Baskets still look pretty good!

With a good start and proper care, your hanging baskets can look like ours. Each spring, we plant up over 1000 of our own Lynden Baskets in dozens of beautiful color combinations. You're welcome to stop in anytime after mid-April to pick out just the right baskets for your home and we'll take care of them until the week of Mother's Day, at which point they'll be ready to go outside.

Now, aside from starting with better quality plants than you'll find at the hardware and grocery stores, the secret to having baskets look this great this late in the season is simple: food and water. We water our hanging baskets faithfully through the summer--that's daily. This time of year we slow down to 3-4 times a week.

In addition to water, however, you must fertilize, and we can enthusiastically recommend Jack's Classic--it's simply the best. We use it in our greenhouses, for our own flowers planted around the nursery and at our homes; it's absolutely amazing. You can use other fertilizers like Miracle-Gro, but you won't get the same results. Jack's Classic is available at Vander Giessen's--and we know you'll love it!

So, as the season winds down, we're pretty proud of our hanging baskets. Next spring, stop in and pick up some Lynden Baskets for yourself, and when you're looking at beautiful flowers yet in mid-October, you can brag to your friends, too.

Vote for Vander Giessen's in the Best of Lynden Contest!

One of our famous 'Lynden Baskets'!

For nearly 75 years, Vander Giessen Nursery has been privileged to serve Lynden and Whatcom County gardeners with beautiful annuals, perennials, shrubs & trees. This week, the Lynden Tribune announced their first annual "Best of Lynden" contest, where you get to vote for your favorite businesses around town. We'd appreciate your vote!

With our great selection of plants, timely gardening tips each month in the Lynden Tribune and commitment to providing our customers excellent service, we hope we've helped make gardening fun and easy for you and your family. We would be deeply honored if you would take a minute to vote for us in the "Best of Lynden" contest today.

To vote, please visit http://lyndentribune.com/ and click on the "Vote for the Best of Lynden" box on the right sidebar--you'll find our category under the "Retail" section about 2/3 of the way down the page. While you're voting, be sure to fill in the boxes for your other favorite local businesses! Voting ends November 9.

Thank you for your vote and your faithful patronage of Vander Giessen's for the last 74 years. We consider it an honor to serve our local community and sincerely appreciate your support!

Wordless Wednesday

'Red Sunset' Maples looking beautiful at the nursery!

It's Time to Lime!

Each year at the nursery we take questions from customers asking what type of soil we have--is it acidic, neutral or basic? Some people even go to the work of buying a pH test to determine for themselves just how acidic or basic their soil is. Frankly, though, that's a waste of money. Why?

Our soil in the Northwest is notoriously acidic. Period.

If you live in Western Washington, your soil is quite acidic. So much so, in fact, that the fertilizer you spread on your lawn faithfully each year won't even work properly. You may have experienced it--you fertilize religiously, only to find that your lawn loses its deep green color quickly or never gets there at all. Furthermore, you continue to battle stubborn, thick moss, especially in shady areas. With such conditions, you're just about ready to throw in the towel on lawn care. Sound familiar?

Although there are several factors that may contribute to the situation you face, your battles would be greatly lessened with faithful application of lime on your yard. Not only is it great for helping stifle moss growth, it allows the nitrogen in your lawn fertilizer to work properly. So before you grumble about having to spend more to keep your lawn healthy, add up the extra money you've spent on fertilizer and moss killers that haven't really worked--chances are, with a twice-a-year application of lime, you'll save money.

Now, there are lots of lime products out there, but only one that we really love--Lilly Miller Super Sweet. Dolomite lime is okay, but not nearly as fast-acting. Honestly, it can take over a year to break down, and who has that kind of patience anymore? Super Sweet breaks down in just a couple of weeks, so no waiting.

Apply Super Sweet now--during the month of October--and follow up with your regular winterizing fertilizer for your lawn in early November. If you currently have moss in your lawn, kill it with ferrous sulfate a week or two before or after you spread Super Sweet (just not at the same time). Taking these steps now will give you a much healthier, greener lawn come spring and ultimately will save you money!

Plant Bulbs Now for Spring Color

'World Expression' available at the nursery!

Autumn has arrived, and with the new season comes a different gardening experience. This year’s extended warm, sunny weather prolonged an already-beautiful summer, but as we get into the shorter, wetter days of fall, it’s time to shift gears in the yard. As you begin to think of winding down your time outside, here are some tasks you can do to finish the season well.

First, October is a great month to plant bulbs for spring color. Tulips, daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths—there are hundreds of choices in color, texture and bloom time to meet your tastes. However, don’t think you can just plant them a few weeks before you want them to bloom--if you want to enjoy bulbs next year, they’ll need the winter to develop and get ready for spring.

Whatever types of bulbs you choose to plant in your yard, take note of the blooming time. Not all tulips, for instance, bloom at the same time. Likewise, crocuses bloom much earlier than many other bulbs, so plan your planting to enjoy a long season of color. As a suggestion, consider starting the season with crocuses and hyacinths—you’ll love the intense fragrance hyacinths provide in late winter—and then move into daffodils and later tulips. By utilizing all of these, you’ll extend the blooming time of your bulbs well into 3 months.

When planting, keep in mind that bulbs look better in groupings rather than as individuals. If you choose to plant just a few bulbs, you’ll appreciate the look of larger, less numerous groupings rather than single bulbs scattered all around. Additionally, you may wish to consider planting your bulbs in pots buried in the ground—that way when you’re finished with them for the season and want to plant spring flowers you don’t have to wait for the bulbs to die down first!

If you’re new to growing bulbs or want to check out what new varieties you don’t yet have in your yard, visit a local nursery or garden center to check out their selection this time of year and get advice on how to plant. Purchasing bulbs in person rather than online offers you the opportunity to inspect bulbs for size and firmness—a hollow or mushy bulb is worthless—and you won’t have to wait for them to ship, either!

Aside from planting bulbs, October is also a great month for replacing any shrubs or trees in your yard that may have died during our dry summer (or, admit it—even last winter). Most plants are starting to go dormant for winter, so transplanting is easier than ever. And as a bonus, once the steady rain comes, your watering is taken care of!

Finally, as your lawn starts to gear down for winter, now is also a great time to spread lime. Due to the amount of rain we get each year, our soils around here are notoriously “sour” or acidic, which allows moss to thrive and prevents your lawn fertilizer from working to the fullest potential. Using Lilly Miller Super Sweet at least twice a year will help keep your yard healthier and reduce the amount of fertilizer you need to spread to keep a healthy, green lawn. And if you have shade, using lime is especially important to keep your grass lush and moss at bay.

Soon enough, the incessant rain and wind will come and fall cleanup will begin. In the meantime, though, enjoy what great weather remains and make the most of October gardening!

Fall Clearance Sale Continues!

As the cooler weather of autumn overtakes the sunny, warm days we've enjoyed for so long, now is the perfect time to do some planting in your yard. If you've never planted in the fall, you're missing out--not only can you take a break from constant watering, the plants you buy are deeply discounted to help you save money!

With our fall clearance sale continuing, we've now marked nearly our entire selection of trees, shrubs and perennials down even further! Through November 3, save 40-70% off normal retail prices. The only plants excluded from our sale are our fresh stock of Emerald Green Arborvitae and our fall flowers.

Although this sale continues for another 3-1/2 weeks, don't wait that long to shop--at these prices, plants are selling out fast.

Enjoy the cooler weather of October--and enjoy the great sale prices right now at Vander Giessen's!