Vander Giessen Nursery

It's Been a Busy Month!

2012-01-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Quite often in December, we hear comments from customers to the effect of "well, I bet you're looking forward to having nothing to do next month" or, "you probably just take January off, right?" Well, nothing could be further from the truth--January is busy! In fact, this year it's been especially busy.

Property in need of some serious TLC

In mid-December, Vander Giessen Nursery more than doubled in size with the purchase of property adjacent to its existing location across Hawley Street. Many people know the property as the former Standard Oil or Price Brothers location. In fact, many Lyndenites may recognize the old horse barn that housed the horses used to pull a fuel wagon in the event the delivery trucks were able to get out--no doubt this property has some great history!

While the acquisition of this property will not immediately bring major changes to Vander Giessen's, it does offer us much more space in which to expand. Currently, we're building another greenhouse on the site to accommodate growing demand for our beautiful Lynden Baskets--this greenhouse will allow us to expand to growing over 1000 baskets each year.

A new greenhouse is quickly taking shape!

Additionally with the new property, we plan to expand our offerings of shrubs, trees and perennials--and grow many more of the items we sell on-site. By growing more of our own plants, we'll be better able to respond to your needs and ensure even higher plant quality.

Another change you can expect to see at Vander Giessen's is more selection of bulk products. While we currently carry bark, compost and topsoil, we're looking forward to expanding the variety of products we offer.

Truly, we've been blessed to have the opportunity to expand the size of the nursery this winter. It's a joy to have such great support from our customers and community and we look forward to using this expansion to better serve our community.

A Fresh Start for a New Year

2012-01-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

I love new beginnings. After a busy holiday season, it’salways nice to slow down again, restart normal routines and take stock of life.Indoors, this time of year is great for cleaning out closets, reorganizing andtaking inventory of our belongings. Outdoors, the story is much the same…butwho really wants to spend time working outside in 35-degree rain? I, for one,don’t. So what steps can you take to start the new year off right in the worldof gardening?

Brand New for 2012: 'Superbells Cherry Star' calibrachoa

First, January is a great month for dreaming. Whether youenjoy perusing seed catalogs or reading magazines for the scoop on upcomingplant introductions, there’s a lot of fun in imagining the possibilities. Makea list of plants you’d like to try out—like last year, in 2012 there will bemany exciting new plants for your yard.

Second, look at your yard from a new perspective. It’s easyto plan your landscaping to look nice from the street—to give your home ‘curbappeal.’ Ultimately, though, you’re the one who does all the work—make sure youcan enjoy it too. So here’s an easy task for this time of year: take a look outyour windows.

That’s right—just look outside. If you’re like most people,the majority of the time you spend admiring your yard is actually indoors, sofigure out how to make your yard more beautiful from your living room. Is therean overgrown shrub blocking the view of those nice perennials you planted lastyear? Do the low branches on that tree by the house get in the way of the viewout to your rose bed? Grab your garden journal and make a note to change it! Youdon’t need to do anything right now—there will be plenty of time when theweather is nicer and the days a little longer—but take a few minutes to startplanning.

A third step you can take as you start the new year is towelcome wildlife to your garden. Near the front counter at Vander GiessenNursery is our selection of birdseed, feeders and products to deter ordiscourage squirrels. It’s amusing to hear customers’ varied opinions ofsquirrels—some people love watching them and so put out food for them, somedespise the creatures and will do anything to keep them away, and still othershave resigned themselves to the idea that there’s not much they can do.

Cole's Blazing Hot Blend deters squirrels

If you love squirrels and enjoy feeding them, good for you.I have to admit they’re fun to watch! But if squirrels have ruined your fun infeeding birds by your back window, start the year off right withsquirrel-deterring birdseed. You might recall me writing about Coles FlamingSquirrel Seed Sauce, a hot pepper sauce you mix with birdseed to attract birds(they can’t taste spice) but drive squirrels away (they hate spicy foods!). Ifthat’s too much work, though, Vander Giessen Nursery also carries seed mixespretreated with the hot sauce to save some effort. In the bleak months ofwinter, it’s nice to have some life to enjoy outside—and as a gardener, you’rebound to appreciate the sights and sounds of birds in the spring when you’re backoutside.

In just a couple of months we’ll already be busy with thefirst spring activities outside—and if you’re like me, it will be fun to getstarted once again. But for now, enjoy the slower pace that winter brings andreflect on how you’d like to start a new year off right.

More work going on...

2011-12-22T09:10:00.000-08:00

It seems that the projects never end--and in our case, that's a good thing! At Vander Giessen Nursery, we're growing again. If you drive through the neighborhood with any regularity, you may have noticed some changes in the last few days. I'll write more after Christmas when I have time to upload some pictures and a share more, but be assured--we're growing for you!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

A Hori Hori garden knife is a must-have tool for gardening. Whether planting bulbs, digging holes, chopping through roots or slicing through twine or bulap, it's a great all-purpose tool!

Tips for a Beautiful Christmas

2011-12-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

Poinsettias are a beautiful--and safe--plant for Christmas color!

During the winter months, fresh garden life can be hard tofind outside as most plants have gone dormant until spring. Thankfully, though,you can add life with some indoor color at Christmas. Whether you usepoinsettias, living Christmas trees, or plant an amaryllis bulb withanticipation of color in a couple months—there is still plenty of life to befound at this time of year.

Poinsettias have long been the classic Christmas flower. Withoptions ranging from bright red and white to more unique colors like burgundyor variegated red and white, a poinsettia works great for decorating your home.But what if you have kids or pets and have heard poinsettias are poisonous?

For years, people have believed that poinsettias couldpoison—and even outright kill—children or pets if they ate parts of the plant. Thankfully,that idea is entirely false. While it’s true that eating several dozen poinsettialeaves or bracts—which are the colored leaves you may call the “flowers”—couldgive you a stomach ache, so would eating several dozen of just about anything.After all, didn’t your mom tell you if you ate too many cherries you’d get astomach ache?

In reality, there has never been a documented case ofso-called “poinsettia poisoning,” so rest easy—your kids or grandkids won’t dieif they take a bite, and given the bitter taste of the plants, your puppyprobably won’t venture more than a bite, either. So enjoy a poinsettia!

Now, here’s a tip for poinsettia care: don’t overwater. Mostplants you buy come in colorful foil, and while the sleeve is pretty, it canalso trap excess water. The best way to know if your plant needs water is topick it up. Get an idea for how heavy the plant feels after it’s been watered,and when it starts to feel light, add a little bit of water. Remember, if yourplant feels too heavy, check inside the sleeve and dump any extra water pooledup inside. Chances are, unless your poinsettia is near a heat source, you’llonly have to water once or twice a week.

For most people, either a fresh-cut or artificial tree isstandard fare for Christmas. If you want to enjoy a more lasting option though,try a living tree! Many nurseries around the county carry a selection of livingtrees that will work great inside the house this year and decorated with lightsoutdoors for years to come. At Vander Giessen Nursery, a couple of ourfavorites are Serbian Spruce and Norway Spruce. Unlike many varieties of fir,they transplant well, and unlike several varieties of spruce, have very fewinsect problems.

'Red Lion' amaryllis--a great gift

If you choose a living tree, give it a day or two in yourgarage before you bring it indoors to acclimate it. Likewise, do the same whenyou move it back outdoors after Christmas. To avoid a mess, wrap the rootballor pot in a couple of layers of large garbage bags and use ice cubes placed atthe base of the trunk periodically to create a sort of “drip irrigation.”

Finally, Christmastime is a great season to plant amaryllisbulbs for indoor growing. During months when very little grows, amaryllisprovide beauty with their large, tropical-looking flowers. At Vander Giessen’syou’ll find ‘Red Lion’ amaryllis, with stunning deep red blossoms that willopen in about eight weeks after planting.

December can be a bleak time of year for gardening, thus allthe more reason to bring some life to your home for Christmas. From our familyto yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Jack's for Christmas?

2011-12-10T13:03:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had a customer in who has discovered the difference that good fertilizer can make for her flowers each summer--she uses Jack's Classic. When I saw her grab a couple of tubs of fertilizer off the shelf and set them on the counter, I was curious what sort of plants she was feeding this time of year (since Jack's also works great on houseplants--my African violets can testify to that!).

"Oh, this isn't for me; it's for my son," she explained. Her adult son had admired her flowers this summer and marveled at how she could get them to look so lush and full of color. Knowing he was impressed, she decided that Jack's Classic would make a great stocking stuffer for Christmas.

Now, think about it--if you've used Jack's, you know how great a product it is. Wouldn't someone you love enjoy a gift this Christmas that they'll actually use? Jack's fertilizers aren't exactly glamorous...but who needs 7 tape measures laying around the house or that extra bag of Christmas candy that they've probably eaten too much of anyway?

This Christmas, check out our selection of gift ideas for the gardeners in your family--and be sure to grab a tub or two of Jack's Classic for their stockings. Come summer, that not-so-glamorous gift will start to show what it's really made of!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T13:24:00.001-08:00

Just arrived--Amaryllis! Give them as a gift or grow one yourself.

Open House This Saturday!

2011-11-30T09:32:00.001-08:00

All fountains will be on sale at our Christmas Open House!

It's that time of year again--the Christmas season! This Saturday, December 3, we welcome you to celebrate the season at our annual Christmas Open House. We'll be serving our homemade olie bollen from 10AM-3PM and there will be sales on all kinds of gift items throughout the nursery.

While you're here, be sure to check out our great selection of fresh Christmas trees, wreaths, cedar garland and beautiful poinsettias.

For more information on the open house, please click here. We look forward to you joining us--and be sure to invite a friend, too. Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T09:39:00.001-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T08:55:00.001-08:00

Look who just wandered in!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T12:02:00.001-08:00

New fountains have just arrived!

Final Tasks for Fall

2011-11-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

I’ll be the first to admit that winter brings a good changeof routine—yes, even those of us in the gardening industry tire of yard work. Allin all, it’s well worth the effort—there’s nothing quite like the feel of lush,green grass in summer or the beauty of flowers in bloom. But rest is ablessing, too. With the recent hard frosts, the last of the plants still“awake” in your yard should be going dormant—now is the time to finish up yardcleanup and winter preparation.


Save most pruning for spring

One of the most common questions I get from customers thistime of year is, “can I prune now?” In our mild climate, you could probably prunemost plants just about any time of year. But I prefer to err on the side ofcaution. Consider this: if you prune now, the open wounds you leave—no matterhow small—on a plant will be more susceptible to drying out or freezing overwinter. So if you can, wait until late winter to address any major pruning workin your yard.

There is one major exception to that rule: roses.Mid-November—after your plants have dropped their leaves and gone dormant—is agreat time to prune. Now is not the time to do a hard pruning like you would inspring, but rather a general “haircut” to prevent snow accumulation and winddamage from breaking long rose canes. A good rule of thumb is to prune yourroses back about halfway—straight across. Then, in spring, you can go throughand do a harder, more selective pruning to prepare for the new season’s growth.

Speaking of roses, now is a good time to mulch them forwinter. Cover the base of your shrubs with bark mulch or well-drained compost.If your roses are in an area heavily exposed to the northeast wind, mulching isan especially important step to protecting them from winter damage or loss. Somesources might suggest using leaves you’ve raked as an insulating mulch;however, wet and rotting leaves invite disease and really can be moreproblematic than beneficial, especially here in the Northwest.

Fall color this year has been spectacular!

October’s many sunny days and cool nights gave us beautifulfall color to enjoy, but now that we’ve had a hard freeze, the last of theleaves should come down soon. Take some time this month to get outside andrake. As with roses, grass won’t benefit from a layer of leaves on top as itcan promote disease and even kill grass if left unchecked. Besides, as much aswe all dread raking, it’s good to get some exercise before the season ofovereating—I mean Thanksgiving and Christmas—rolls around!

Lastly, take a minute to check your supply of bird seed.Winter is the time when the small songbirds in our area need the most care—andfeeding birds is a great way to bring life and interest to your yard this timeof year. At Vander Giessen Nursery, you’ll find a high-quality seed brandcalled Coles. From what we’ve seen at our feeders, birds eat all of the seedinstead of throwing half (or more) away—and the best part is that we don’t haveto worry about cleaning up sprouted seed under the feeders anymore! Also, toattract a wider variety of birds, be sure to provide suet through thewinter—you’ll love watching the wide array of birds feeding.

November is a month of closure for gardening; knowing thebest practices for this time of year will help to keep your yard and gardenhealthy through winter and into next year.

Almost-wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

A look at the nursery one year ago today--less than 24 hours after this picture was taken, the house was gone!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

'Kousa Pink' Dogwood--beautiful fall color!

Why Plant in Fall?

2011-10-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

"So what's the big deal about fall being the best season to plant? Isn't spring the best time to plant? Or is the whole "fall is for planting" line I'm hearing just a ploy to sell more shrubs this time of year?"Maybe you've had some of those same thoughts as you read and hear ads for nurseries this season. So, what is the big deal--what makes fall such a great time to plant?

Katsura fall color

First, let me assure you that just about any time of year can be easy to plant shrubs, trees and perennials in our corner of the world. In case you haven't noticed, our seasons don't exactly give us any extremes in heat or cold--in fact, at Vander Giessen's, our thought has always been that unless the ground is too frozen to dig a hole, plant! But fall really is an excellent season for doing so. Here are a few simple (although often unrealized) reasons why fall can be the ideal season for planting.

As the days start to get noticeably shorter this time of year, nearly all plants start to go dormant (except moss, but that's another story!). In dormancy, plants experience very little stress in transplanting--in other words, you're much less likely to have a plant suffer or die from being moved in fall than in spring or summer. Look at it this way: when the plant is asleep, it won't even know it's being moved.

Another reason fall is so great for planting is because although air temperatures are cooler now than in summer, ground temperatures are still relatively warm--and much more so than in early spring when many of us start itching to plant. Warm ground is great for encouraging fast root development, and with strong roots, your plants will be well established by next year.

Yet another reason why you should consider planting in fall is watering. We all lead busy lives, and in spring, you're probably going to have too many other things to keep track of to remember to water new plantings every day. So why not take advantage of fall and winter rains to do the work for you? Planting now means you can let our wonderful, natural irrigation take care of recent transplants.

'Tiger Eyes' Sumac fall color

Now, one word of caution: if you're looking to plant in a spot in your yard that gets the full blast of the northeast wind in winter, wait. Around here, the biggest killer in winter isn't snow or even cold--it's wind. Winter's "northeaster" winds can do more damage to young plants in drying them out than freezing alone, so if your yard is dangerously exposed, it really is best to wait until spring to plant. Aside from that caveat, get working!

Finally, fall really is a great time to find plants at clearance prices. While you won't find the selection of shrubs, trees and perennials you expect to find at nurseries in the spring, you may find some great treasures at huge markdowns. If you haven't done any shopping yet, stop in at Vander Giessen's and see what we have that might fit your yard and give you a headache-free planting experience!

Wordless Thursday

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Since I forgot yesterday...


Coral Bark ('Sango Kaku') Japanese Maple

Take Steps Now for a Great Spring

2011-10-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Like it or not, I think it’s safe to say our summer is over.If you haven’t yet started fall cleanup in your yard, you probably willsoon—and in another month or so, the last of the yard work will be complete andyou can put your garden tools to rest until spring.

Before you call it quits, though, there are a few items Iwould encourage you to add to your “to do” list—accomplishing them yet thisfall will give your lawn and garden a great start next year.

First, have you planted any bulbs? Whether you can boasthaving a green thumb or not, there’s no question you can grow springbulbs—they’re just plain easy. But if you want to enjoy the color thatdaffodils, tulips and other bulbs provide in early spring, you need to startplanting now. At Vander Giessen Nursery, we carry a great selection of early-to mid-spring bloomers that will finish up just when you’re ready to startplanting your other annuals.

If you have doubts that bulbs are easy to grow, consider thesteps: dig a small hole, drop in a bulb, add a little bit of bone meal tofertilize and backfill the hole. No need to water, no additional fertilizinglater. You’re done. With the exception of cacti and succulents—and most don’tgrow here anyway—there are very few plants that need such little care. So ifyou haven’t, find a place to plant some bulbs for early spring color in youryard.

Secondly, now is a great time to add lime to your lawn. Inorder to keep your grass thick and healthy—and keep moss from taking over—youneed to make applying lime a regular part of your yearly schedule. This summer,I attended a couple of weddings at the beautiful Evergreen Gardens south ofLynden. If you’ve ever been there, you’ve undoubtedly seen the lush lawnsgrowing amongst the stately evergreens. If you have any shade on your yard, youknow how tough it can be to keep grass growing there. Evergreen Gardens’ secretis lime—and lots of it. Shade or not, adding high doses of lime to your lawnmultiple times a year will help keep grass thick and lush, even in shade. As weget into the “rainy season,” stop at your favorite local nursery to pick upSuper Sweet lime for your yard. In just a few weeks, it will activate to helpyour fertilizer work better and keep moss at bay.

Third, hold off on your fall fertilizer for just a few moreweeks. Chances are you’ve probably seen and heard the box stores advertizingfall fertilizer for the last month or more, but for our area, it’s still tooearly to apply it. Fall fertilizer is designed to store nutrients in the grassas well as promote root growth for a quick green-up in spring, so for manyparts of the country, that means applying in September or October as lawns godormant. Around here, however, grass grows into November, so I encourage you towait. Apply Scotts Super Turf Builder Winterguard in mid-November to see thebest results—and if you’ve already done it, you may need to reapply.

Finally, October is still a great month to plant shrubs,trees and perennials. Fall clearance pricing continues at many local nurseries,so take advantage of deep discounts to fill some holes in your landscaping.

This month, take a few simple steps to make next springbeautiful. With minimal effort, you’ll have a healthy lawn and colorfulflowerbeds as another new season begins.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

We've just finished picking and washing gourds and mini pumpkins--and they're now for sale! While supplies last, they're 99 cents apiece or 6 for just $5.00.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

'Suminagashi' Japanese Maple

More Color for Fall

2011-09-22T11:06:00.000-07:00


'Burgundy Bunny' fountain grass

This time of year, it's easy to get jealous of New England. Autumn in that part of the country looks--at least according to the pages of magazines like Country--like a kaleidoscope of color. And to be honest, compared to the soggy browns many of us are used to seeing around our neighborhoods in fall, it is. But it doesn't have to be that way. With a little planning you can have a garden full of autumn color as well.

As I've already written about, there are many great options for adding color to your yard this time of year. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here are a few more of my favorites--and ones that are easy to grow, too!

First, barberry is a great plant that provides beautiful color in autumn. Depending on the variety you choose, you'll see fall colors range from hot pink to bright orange to rich crimson. One of my favorites is 'Helmond Pillar.' With a maximum height of five to six feet, it's great for the back of a flowerbed--but its narrow profile of just two feet wide will fit even the smallest space. In autumn, the deep burgundy leaves of 'Helmond Pillar' mellow out to beautiful shades of glowing red. At Vander Giessen's, we have this and many other varieties of barberry available--all with great fall color.

Speaking of red, another gorgeous shrub this time of year is the classic burning bush. My favorite is euonymous alata 'Compacta'--the dwarf burning bush. Throughout spring and summer, it holds slightly serrated deep green leaves on thick, woody stems. In September, the leaves start to fade out to pale green, but with the first cool nights, they flame up with bright crimson tones. Easily pruned to any shape or size, dwarf burning bush is drought-resistant and has no issues with insects or disease, so even when it's not "on fire" it's an attractive plant to grow.

If smaller perennials are more your taste in gardening, fall is an exciting time as well. Ornamental grasses like feather reed grass fade to golden brown; purple fountain grass shows off its fluffy seed heads and as I've written, 'Burgundy Bunny' grass reaches its peak as well. For a more robust-looking perennial, try a sedum like 'Autumn Joy.' This very drought-tolerant succulent has pink flowers just coming into bloom, and long after it has faded in a couple of months, it can provide winter interest as well.

Blueberry bush fall color

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of my favorite plants for four-season interest: blueberries. Sure, we all think of growing blueberries as a fruit crop. But have you considered planting them simply for their ornamental value? In spring, blueberries are loaded with beautiful bell-shaped flowers. In summer, you're treated to tasty, sweet fruit. And in fall, the shrub turns shades of brilliant red-orange. Follow that with stems that turn a bright red in winter and the common blueberry bush becomes a great standout in any garden. Moreover, if you choose to plant blueberries in your yard, the addition of the new 'Pink Lemonade' variety can add even more interest. With its golden-orange leaves in fall and yellow winter stems, it makes a great compliment to traditional blueberry varieties!

At Vander Giessen Nursery, you'll find all of the aforementioned varieties of shrubs and perennials--and right now, they're all on sale! In our neck of the woods, fall can be a gloomy time of year, but with a little planning, you can grow a garden sure to brighten even the darkest autumn day.

A Splash of Color for Autumn

2011-09-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Burning Bush fall color

Midway through last month, I told my California-native wife, “I’m sorry, but we’re just not going to get much summer this year.” Thankfully, I was wrong! As we enjoy this beautiful late summer, you’ve probably already started to notice a few changes in the season hinting that autumn isn’t too far off. From heavy morning dew to a smattering of gold and orange on maple trees, fall will be here soon. So what can you plant to add a splash of color to your yard for autumn? Moreover, is it safe to do so?

First, let me assure you that fall is a great time to plant. Whether you’re looking to add a few shrubs to your yard or redo an entire landscape, September and October are great months to work outside. Cooler nighttime temperatures and more regular rain (soon enough!) make autumn an ideal time to get work done in your yard. And while the nicer weather lasts, warm soil is great for encouraging rapid root development for your new plants.

In the past number of years, ornamental grasses have seen a surge in popularity among gardeners. One of my favorites is one called ‘Little Bunny.’ A small mound of finely-textured green grass, its delicate, puffy seed heads resemble bunny tails. This year, a brand new introduction is called ‘Burgundy Bunny.’ It bears all the same characteristics as ‘Little Bunny’ but with added color. In summer, a splash of red on the leaves will first catch your eye; in autumn, the entire plant will turn red. Use it as an accent in a sunny flowerbed or show it off in a container—its small size will fit most any space.

Another great plant for fall color—and interesting texture—is a relatively new variety of sumac called ‘Tiger Eyes.’ In spring and summer, its soft, velvety branches hold lacy leaves of bright green or gold colors—that alone makes it showy. But come fall, the foliage lights up with intense scarlet and orange shades sure to brighten any rainy October day.

Like I mentioned above, you may have started to see the first hints of fall color on maples as you drive around the county. If you love the interest maples provide but simply don’t have the space for a full-size version, there are still great options. First, ‘Lion’s Head’ Japanese maple provides great shape, texture and fall color in a small package. Very slow growing, this variety tops out at 10 feet—but it may take 30 years to get there! In fall, its tightly crinkled leaves turn bright shades of coppery orange, and even after it drops its leaves, the robust branches provide great structure to your garden through the winter.

If an upright Japanese maple isn’t right for the space you have, try a weeping laceleaf variety. One of my favorites is ‘Viridis.’ Green through spring and summer, it will turn the brightest of orange shades in autumn; with its small stature, it can fit in most any garden space.

Finally, if you have space for a beautiful shade tree—and with this weather, that sounds good—try a katsura. In fall, its small round leaves turn a beautiful shade of gold with touches of orange.

Whatever the amount of space you have available in your garden, adding some extra fall color can brighten up a dark day and extend the beauty of your landscaping into a new season. Stop by your favorite local nursery to check out what’s on sale and what you can add to your yard today!

Fall Clearance Sale!

2011-09-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Have you started to notice a change in the weather? It's here--whether we're ready or not, autumn is arriving! Along with the new season comes a great new sale at Vander Giessen's--our fall clearance!

Starting today, nearly our entire selection of in-stock trees, shrubs and perennials is on sale at 25% off! Excluded plants include fall flowers and fresh-stock emerald green arborvitae. Other than that, every other plant is on sale!

During our fall clearance, popular plants sell out fast, and we've already got a tight supply on many key items, so stop in soon to take advantage of great savings on your favorite plants. While you're here, check out our new selection of spring bulbs--now is the time to start planting them--and pick up some fall fertilizer for your lawn. As always, we look forward to serving you!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Check out our selection of beautiful succulents!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T14:15:00.001-07:00

Black-Eyed Susans looking great at the nursery!

Keep 'Em Looking Nice

2011-08-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

This time of year can be a challenge for gardeners no matter how passionate you may be about plants. Annuals are beautiful and can give you months of color if you treat them right, but by late August, you're just tired. Sound familiar? Here are a few simple tips to keep things looking nice and avoid the uphill battle it can sometimes feel like.

First, make sure you're keeping up on watering. By late summer, your hanging baskets and planters are (hopefully!) burgeoning--you should have plenty of plant material falling out of your containers. Lots of plants means lots of water, though, and if you forget for just a couple of days, it might be too late to save them. Spare yourself the headache of trying to revive toasted annuals by moving any containers to a spot you're sure to notice--and water--them each day. Also, for hanging baskets, water until the water drips out the bottom of your pots. A few squirts of water might have been enough early on in the year, but not now!

Second, give your flowers a haircut. By late summer you may have annuals that have started to get "leggy" or stretch and become unsightly. For plants like geraniums, pick off any flowers and buds and chop back long stems. With warm weather they'll bounce back in no time and you'll end up with much more compact, full plants. For trailing plants like petunias and million bells, don't be afraid to give them a haircut either. Trim off 1/3 of the length, and again, you'll end up with fuller, more vigorous plants in no time.

Finally, keep up on fertilizing. This is really the most important step. Like I mentioned in my main article this month, now is the time to start using Jack's Blossom Booster or Petunia Feed if you haven't already. At Vander Giessen's we love Jack's Classic 20-20-20 as a well-balanced "staple" in fertilizing your flowers, but as we get later in the season, you don't need to encourage so much plant growth. Instead, you're likely more interested in keeping them blooming--right? That's why Jack's Blossom Booster is so great--it will still fertilize for plant growth, but it does so at a lesser rate and does more to encourage blooming. For your petunias, million bells and bacopa, Jack's Petunia Feed will help to promote additional flowering and keep the leaves from turning yellow as they're prone to do this time of year even with regular feeding.

You've put a lot of time and effort into making your home look beautiful with flowers this year. Now that the weather is finally nice, take a few simple steps to keep them looking great the rest of the season--you'll be glad you did!

Solving Common Garden Problems

2011-08-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Red Thread Damage

I think it would be an understatement to say the weather this year has been strange. Of course, the cooler summer has been great for keeping lawns green. Unfortunately, it’s also given us our fair share of gardening problems to deal with.

For starters, although you might have a nice green lawn, you may also be battling a fungus called “red thread.” Noted by pink-tinged brown patches in grass, this fungus does more aesthetic damage than anything else and can easily be remedied. First, make sure you’re watering properly. Fungi thrive in cool, damp conditions (welcome to Washington!) so water early in the morning rather than at night. Evening watering will leave grass damp all night long, allowing fungi to thrive. Additionally, make sure that you’re watering no more than every other day rather than daily to give red thread even less chance to grow.

A second step you can take to reduce the severity of red thread is to collect and dispose of your lawn clippings rather than mulching them back into your lawn. Although mulching helps keep nutrients recycled back into your lawn, it’s also an excellent way to spread red thread spores, so when you see the fungus show up, start bagging!

Finally, keep up with fertilizing. Yes, you can buy fungus control products for your lawn, but the results are often mixed—you’ll see immediate die-off of the fungus, but in a few weeks, it’s back. A better solution is to use Scotts Super Turf Builder to “burn” the fungus out. The high nitrogen levels in the fertilizer easily overtake and kill red thread—and you’ll get a beautiful green lawn as well.

Another significant problem I’ve seen a lot of this year is aphids. This time of year is always bad for aphids—warmer weather and plenty of new plant growth make populations explode—but this year seems to be notably worse. Look for light green or dark brown bugs about half the size of an ant clustered on flower buds or new growth; you can also keep an eye out for the white “skin” they shed as they molt.

Fortunately, aphids are easy to control, provided you take swift action. For vegetables or other edibles, try Natria, an environmentally-friendly spray that works fast and dissipates quickly. On flowering shrubs, perennials and annuals, use Bayer Insect, Disease & Mite Control, a very effective spray that also provides some systemic protection for up to a month. Your best option, though, is to treat your plants with systemic liquid insecticide or insect spikes—products like Bayer Rose & Flower Care will protect for up to two months (essentially the rest of the growing season) and can be found at Vander Giessen's.

Lastly, we’re nearing the time of year when your annuals and hanging baskets can start to look worn and tired. If you’ve forgotten to water or fertilize from time to time, your plants may be stressed and susceptible to insects or disease. Add to that the morning dew that we’re starting to see more frequently and, much like with your lawn, fungi can be problematic. Use the Insect, Disease & Mite Control mentioned above to help control common fungi like powdery mildew (noted by a white film on plant leaves), black spot or mold. Follow up with a fertilizer like Jack’s Petunia Feed or Blossom Booster to rejuvenate your flowers and keep them blooming well into fall.

Like it or not, what summer we’ve had will soon be drawing to a close. Take a few steps now to keep your lawn and garden healthy and you’ll get to enjoy it yet for months to come!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

Blueberries are ripening--take a couple bushes home today!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

All perennials are currently on sale--buy 3, get 1 FREE!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Shasta Daisies are in bloom!

Use Hydrangeas for Summer Color

2011-07-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hydrangea 'Cityline Rio'

In our part of the country, we’re blessed to have so many varieties of flowering

shrubs and trees—from rhododendrons and azaleas to flowering cherry and plum trees, if you’re looking for color it’s easy to find. Yet look at those names I’ve just mentioned; do you see what they have in common? They’re all spring-blooming plants. That’s great—with our dreary, dark winters, we need a good pick-me-up in spring. If you’re looking for summer-blooming shrubs, however, give hydrangeas a try.

Chances are, hydrangeas aren’t something entirely new to you. If you don’t have one in your yard, a neighbor probably does. As common as hydrangeas are, however, I’ve found that for many people, they aren’t very well understood. For starters, there are far more varieties of hydrangea than your basic blue “mophead” variety. In the last few years, hydrangea breeders have introduced several exciting new types of hydrangea, available in different colors, sizes and shade requirements.

First, there are a couple of great hydrangeas that give color all summer long. Whereas most hydrangeas bloom in July and August only, “everblooming” varieties start in June and bloom until the first frost. ‘Endless Summer’ has been around for a few years—it’s a standard mophead (meaning large, rounded flower heads) with rich green leaves and beautiful deep blue flowers. Another exciting new variety I wrote about this spring is ‘Bombshell.’ This bright white everblooming variety only gets two to three feet tall—and it’s good for full sun to full shade, too!

Speaking of sun, hydrangeas are commonly thought of as shade-loving plants. It’s true to the extent that nearly all hydrangeas will do fine in shade. But many varieties like ‘Bombshell’ also thrive in full sun. Recently, growers have introduced an entirely new series of hydrangea by the name of Cityline—each specific variety bears the name of a different world city (e.g. Berlin). These hydrangeas prefer full to partial sun and like ‘Bombshell’ top out at three feet.

Aside from differences in size, color and sun preferences, not all hydrangeas are alike when it comes to pruning, either. If you’ve ever had a hydrangea that refused to bloom, you may have been pruning it improperly. In the most basic terms, there are two types of hydrangeas: those that bloom on old wood and those that bloom on new wood. Knowing the difference can save next year’s flowers when it comes to pruning.

Mophead hydrangeas as well as lacecap varieties—distinguished by a ring of larger blossoms around a center of tiny flowers—typically bloom on old wood only. For this reason, it’s wise to prune these varieties in late summer as the blooms begin to fade. Just like with rhododendrons and azaleas, many hydrangeas set their flower buds nearly a year in advance, so pruning late summer will allow your plants a chance to put out some new growth and still set buds for the following year.

Other hydrangeas—namely ‘Annabelle’ types and varieties like ‘Limelight’ and ‘Bombshell’—will bloom on new wood, meaning you can prune them in any way at any time. Obviously, a hard pruning right before summer will greatly delay blooming, so it’s best to plan ahead and do that work in early spring.

With so many choices available today, hydrangeas are a great option for your garden regardless of your color preferences, sun exposure and space limitations—not to mention the color of your thumb! This month, stop in at Vander Giessen Nursery and check out the many varieties of hydrangeas in bloom and find one to suit your yard.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Check out our selection of beautiful hydrangeas in many sizes and colors!

Tips for Summer Planting

2011-07-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Let's face it--summer can seem like a scary time of year to plant. Between the fact that plants are fully leafed out and the need for extra watering, you may think it's not worth the risk to plant during the summer. But that's not a great option either; if you wait, you're stuck looking at empty flower beds all summer and by the time fall rolls around, plant selection at nurseries is dwindling. So what to do?

In reality, summer is not a bad time to plant--in fact, done right, your plants will thrive and be well-established for the upcoming fall and winter. Here are a few tips to help you out.

First, plan to water. If you have an in-ground irrigation system, you may not have to make any changes to your "to do" list at all--let your sprinklers do the work! If you don't have a sprinkler system, simply snake a soaker hose through your flower bed around your new plants and turn on the faucet every day or two for awhile until your plants are well watered. Obviously, the amount of water you have to give your plants will vary depending on the size of your plants, your soil type and the type of plants you use. Ask a nursery professional for recommendations on water when you're shopping.

Second, treat your new plantings regularly with Vitamin B-1. This inexpensive, easy-to-use liquid can be a lifesaver for plants. Not only does it help reduce transplant shock, it stimulates root development to assist plants in rooting out quickly. I can't stress enough how important this step is--I've literally seen plants come back from certain death from transplant shock with a couple of treatments of B-1.

Third, don't be afraid to give new plantings a light pruning. Some shrubs--like variegated willow and most varieties of barberry--can wilt easily after transplant. Not to worry--these plants simply have very tender leaves and with proper care will certainly recover. A light pruning to these plants to alleviate stress, coupled with the first two steps mentioned above, and voila, in just a couple weeks, they'll look even better than when you bought them.

Finally, take care not to over-fertilize. You may think you're helping your newly-planted treasures by feeding them right away, but it's best to let them get established before fertilizing. Allow your shrubs, trees and perennials a month or so to begin building a strong foundation of roots before using water-soluble or slow-release fertilizer.

As you're enjoying your garden this summer, don't hesitate to fill holes in your beds with new plants. As we at Vander Giessen's have installed landscapes over the last 50 years or so, we've never let summer slow us down with planting--in fact, that's when we do most of our work!--so don't let the great weather put a damper on your plans. Simply consider the above recommendations and enjoy the beauty that new plants can bring to your yard!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T14:40:00.001-07:00

'Ukigumo' Japanese Maple--a beautiful specimen tree for a shady garden!

Summer Hours--Take Note!

2011-07-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick heads-up: we're open! In the past, the nursery used to close by mid-June after the greenhouses were empty, but since we've added a full selection of shrubs, trees, perennials, landscape products like bark mulch and many landscaping and garden products, we've stayed open through summer and fall. If you've just assumed that we close up after our annuals are sold out, make a note to yourself that we're now open year-round to better serve you! Our spring extended hours are over, however, so here are our summer and fall hours:

Monday-Saturday 9:00-5:00
Sunday Closed

Summer is a beautiful season in the Pacific Northwest, and a great season for gardening. Stop in sometime soon to check out the many varieties of beautiful summer-blooming perennials, shrubs and trees we have in stock and ready to take root in your garden. As always, we look forward to serving you!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

Slow-Release or Water-Soluble: The Best Fertilizer for the Job

2011-06-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

One of the most common questions I hear from customers at the nursery is, "Which fertilizer should I use?" Annuals, shrubs, perennials, trees--all plants need proper nutrients to keep growing and looking their best. So why the confusion?

The fact is, you could probably go shopping for fertilizer and end up with a different product for each and every one of your plants. Discouraged by so many choices, many people end up choosing the easiest-sounding option: slow-release fertilizer. Feed once for the season and you're done. Sounds good!

But not so fast. Slow-release fertilizers, while great for many plants, may not be the best for what you need to feed. Annual flowers--especially hanging baskets--really need more nutrients than a slow-release fertilizer can provide at any one time. At Vander Giessen Nursery, our custom-blended potting soil has a slow-release fertilizer added--for the first month or so after planting our beautiful Lynden Baskets, we can rely on it to feed the young plant starts. After no more than six weeks, however, we need to start supplementing that with water-soluble fertilizer. The same is true for any annuals you plant--slow-release may be a good way to start, but don't rely on it exclusively.

Here's a good rule of thumb: if you wish to use slow-release fertilizer on your flowers, do so--but continue to feed with water-soluble fertilizer at half the recommended dose. That way your flowers will get the added boost on a regular basis while also benefiting from sustained release of nutrients in the event you forget to fertilize for a week or two.

So, then, which water-soluble fertilizer is best? Miracle-Gro is the most common, but like you've probably heard us recommend, Jack's Classic is far better. Here's a quick breakdown of the different blends of Jack's available:

All-Purpose: Great for balanced growth and blooming on annuals. Also an excellent fertilizer for vegetables. Use weekly.
Blossom Booster: True to its name, excellent for encouraging more blooms. Alternate weekly with All-Purpose for increased flowers and continued plant growth.
Petunia FeED: Best option for petunias, calibrachoa ("Million Bells"), and bacopa. Added iron helps keep these plants from developing yellow leaves or becoming weak and spindly. Use any time, but be sure to start by mid-summer, alternating with All-Purpose and Blossom Booster as needed.

Please note, there are no real "rules" to using these fertilizers--if you think your flowers need to bloom more, use the Blossom Booster blend for two or three weeks in a row. Likewise, All-Purpose may be used at any time for more growth, and Petunia FeEd can be used exclusively throughout the season. These are simply our recommendations based on the results we've seen.

Now, for shrubs, trees, and perennials, slow-release fertilizers are a great option to provide season-long feeding. Osmocote is the most popular brand, but at Vander Giessen's, we like Jack's Classicote better--it does the same thing as Osmocote--just better. This year, we're also excited to have debuted a brand new slow-release from Jack's called Crystal Green. Made with nitrogen derived from wastewater treatment plants, it's sustainable and helps to keep nitrogen from being released into our waterways. Either of these options would be great for your plants.

Ultimately, your plants will only be as great as the care they receive, and while understanding the best fertilizer for the job may take a little bit of work, the rewards of healthier, longer-lasting plants will be well worth the effort. If you have further questions, we're here to help!

Following Through With Plant Care

2011-06-23T13:51:00.000-07:00


Lotus 'Amazon Sunset' --fertilize it and watch it bloom!

For many people, gardening each year goes like this: buy beautiful plants, admire how they look in the yard, tend to faithfully for awhile…and then, suddenly, they don’t look so great and you wonder what happened. Sound familiar? It’s happened to all of us—even the most experienced gardeners have failures.

In order to thrive, any plant needs three basic things: water, food, and a catch-all category we’ll call “care”—more on that below. First, commit yourself to keeping your plants watered. Annuals, while the brightest and most prolific bloomers of any plants in your yard, will require more regular watering than shrubs or perennials, and those in pots or hanging baskets need extra attention. At Vander Giessen Nursery, every Lynden Basket we grow and sell comes with a recommendation to water daily until the water starts to drip out the bottom of the basket. In cool, wet weather, that’s not necessary—but with that exception, plan to water often.

For shrubs, perennials and trees planted directly in the ground, take a two-step approach to watering. In the weeks immediately following planting or transplanting, expect to water regularly to keep the soil evenly moist. Young and recently-moved plants can stress easily if left to dry out. As many plants start to grow, however, it’s a good idea to encourage deeper root development with less frequent and longer watering intervals; for plants like roses, they prefer deep, more infrequent soakings anyway. There are exceptions, however, so always consult a nursery professional if you’re unsure how much to water and when.

Now, for food. Plant nutrition is a huge subject in itself, so I don’t intend to offer information for how to feed every plant in your yard. But note this: if it’s alive and growing, it probably needs food. Like with water, annuals require the most consideration, so take time once a week to use a water-soluble fertilizer like Jack’s Classic to promote growth and flowering all summer long. This is especially true for hanging baskets as flowers can quickly deplete nutrients available in the pot.

Perennials and shrubs also benefit from feeding, although for most, once a year is usually sufficient. Mix compost or slow-release fertilizer into the soil around the edge of the plant each spring to promote healthy new growth. Some plants have specific needs—acid-loving plants like rhododendrons and azaleas, for instance, prefer specialized fertilizer for their needs; roses also require a more specialized fertilizer. Ask a nursery professional for recommendations if you’re unsure what to feed your plants.

Lastly, the catch-all category: care. Some people might call this “TLC,” others, simply “love.” Plants perform best when you take some time to keep them looking good. Maybe it’s deadheading spent flowers or spreading slug bait before your hostas get chewed up. Maybe it’s taking time to prune out some dead branches in a tree after last winter’s hard freezes. Whatever the task, in this aspect, plants are a lot like people and pets—they just want to be loved. Take some time occasionally to simply wander around your yard and note what could use a light pruning, what might need an extra boost of fertilizer or where you might need to spray for bugs. Ultimately, a little investment of time can go a long way toward a nicer yard.

Whether you’re finished planting for the season or have just started in the last couple of weeks, make the most of your investment by offering your plants faithful care through the summer. In the end, they’ll be happier, and with beautiful flowers and lush plantings all season long, so will you.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

A small selection of plants that just arrived--including more 'Orange Rocket' Barberry!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

When is too late?

2011-05-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

With all the cool weather we've had this spring in our area, you may have had several false starts in your gardening endeavors. Maybe you've taken advantage of a few nice days here and there to do some weeding, but when it comes to planting your vegetables, the weather sours just when you're ready to plant...and now it's starting to look like it's too late to start.

Not to worry! In a "normal" spring, you could have planted your garden shortly after Mother's Day--and maybe you did. If you're seeing growth, great. But if you're still waiting and starting to wonder if you should even bother, don't give up! Given the continued cool weather, our soil temperature is just starting to warm up to the point of encouraging seed growth and development. So even if you have to plant your garden the first of June--nearly a month behind a "normal" schedule--you won't be behind. In fact, a garden planted later (but when the soil temperature is warmer) will likely outperform one planted during earlier, cool weather.

If you've been wondering if this is a shaping up to be a "why bother" year, don't give up hope. We're fully stocked with vegetable starts and seeds, so check out what we have in store for your garden today!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

'Figaro' Dwarf Dahlias

Not-Quite Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

So it's Thursday...sorry :)

Our flowers are planted...are yours?

More Great New Plants for Your Garden!

2011-05-16T11:31:00.000-07:00


Coleus 'Pink Chaos'

If you follow this column with any regularity, you probably recall that last month I wrote about several exciting new shrubs and perennials you’ll find at nurseries this year. With all the dreary and depressing weather, I figured you might enjoy reading about some exciting new additions to your yard for the coming year. Well, the weather has moderated somewhat, but the showers continue, so if learning about a few more new and exciting plants will raise your spirits, read on!

Now that we’re beyond Mother’s Day, it’s safe to plant annuals outdoors. At this point, the chance of a frost is extremely small—even with continued cool weather, our nighttime temperatures are now in the 40s. As you plan how you’ll fill your planters, save a spot for “Pretty Much Picasso” supertunia. First introduced last year, this trailing petunia is a great addition to sun-loving hanging baskets or patio pots. With its bright pink flowers edged in lime green, it’s a totally unique flower that will have you doing a double-take when you first see it. [Note: unfortunately, we are already sold out of this beautiful plant--and it looks like most places are. But look out for it next year--we'll have it in plentiful supply, along with another exciting brand new petunia!]

If you’re looking for more shade-tolerant trailing plants to spill over the edge of your containers, try Dragon Wing begonias. Like their “wax-leaf” or fibrous begonia cousin, this trailing variety can take sun to full shade and require very little maintenance. Sporting arrowhead-shaped glossy leaves and cascading sets of flowers, Dragon Wings add a unique texture to planters you can’t easily replicate.
Additionally, like another very popular “spiller” calibrachoa, Dragon Wing begonias will bloom right up to the first hard frost, giving you color for months to come.

In container gardening, there are three types of plants: so-called “thrillers, spillers and fillers.” The above plants are both “spillers”—they trail down the front or sides of your container. For “thrillers” you often see dracaena (commonly called “spikes”) in the middle of a container. If you’re looking for something new to use, though, try coleus. Today’s coleus breeders have taken the plant to entirely new dimensions. With leaf textures and color covering the spectrum of possibilities, coleus is a whole new plant. And if you like gardening to be just plain fun, try out names like “Coco Loco,” “Pink Chaos” or “Big Red Judy.” If that’s not fun, I don’t know what is!

Basil 'Boxwood'

Now, maybe you’ve decided to try to expand your horizons this spring with some new edibles mixed into your garden or pots. Herbs are great for using in pots or mixed into a flower garden—just be sure you’ve identified what’s edible and not. This spring, I’m excited to be working with a relatively new herb: Boxwood Basil. Like all other basils, it’s great for culinary uses, but its shape and leaf size resemble a miniature boxwood shrub.

This time of year, we’re all excited to add color to our yards, yet far too many gardeners fail to follow through with proper care. To make your flowers bloom stronger and longer, the key is proper fertilizing. Miracle-Gro is okay, but at Vander Giessen Nursery, we’ve always seen better results with a product once called Peters, now labeled as Jack’s Classic. Use this water-soluble fertilizer weekly and you’ll see the difference that proper care can make in protecting your gardening investment.

Spring may be slow in getting here this year, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it get you down. Eventually, it will warm up and get sunny—it always does—but in the meantime, get out of the doldrums with some exciting new options in flowers for your garden, and as always, have fun!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

The best fertilizer for your annuals--put your Miracle-Gro-loving friends to shame!

Making the Best of Things...

2011-05-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

I received this tonight from a customer, and it made me smile, so I thought I'd share it with you. Enjoy--and thanks, LeAna!

An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent, 

I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over...I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.

Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,

Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried.

Love,

Vinnie

At 4:00 AM the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Pop,

Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love you, 

Vinnie

A Lesson in Planting

2011-05-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

As I look out the window of my living room this evening, I can admire a beautiful specimen 'Sango Kaku'--commonly called "coral bark"--Japanese maple. In the last month, it's been great to watch it awake from dormancy and leaf out. Normally, I probably wouldn't care so much; after all, I don't pay a lot of attention to most trees this time of year as I'm more interested in watching spring bulbs and annuals come into color.

This particular tree, however, is a rescue tree--a year ago, it was near death. Let me explain. A very well-intentioned customer bought it at Vander Giessen's and, as soon as he got home, planted it. Sounds good so far. But as it leafed out, it quickly showed signs of major sickness: all the leaves started turning brown and curling up, and worse yet, the normally red-hued branches began turning black.

Worried that he had purchased a diseased tree, the customer called me to come take a look at it. After inspecting the tree, I discovered that, in planting it, he had buried it almost two inches deeper than the depth of the original rootball. Where the bark of the tree had once been exposed to open air, it now was surrounded in neatly-packed soil.

Unfortunately, this problem is all too common in planting shrubs and trees. While you may have every intention of doing right by your plants--after all, you've spent real money on them!--you can love them to death before you've even had the chance to get to know each other when you plant them too deep. In the case of this customer's tree, Japanese maples have very thin bark, and piling dirt too high around them can suffocate the tree as the soil cuts off supply of water and nutrients to the branches. And Japanese maples aren't alone.

With the exception of a very few plants, most anything will suffer if you plant it too deep. My grandma has a saying I wrote about a year ago and would like to remind you of: "Plant it too high, it will not die; plant it too low, it will not grow." Really, it's better to plant the new additions to your yard too high and gently slope the ground away from the base of whatever you've planted than to sink it in a hole--you're very rarely going to kill a plant doing so.

So, other than a cutesy saying, what's the moral of this story? Well, it's two-fold. First, take care to plant properly. It's not rocket science, but planting can easily go awry if you don't have the proper knowledge to keep your plants above grade. When you're buying plants, ask about the best way to plant them.

Second, don't underestimate the resiliency of plants! My Japanese maple is a testament to that, and it's not like I'm a miracle worker--I just had some patience. After digging up the nearly-dead tree, I carefully washed the bark, pruned out the dead branches, re-potted the tree in well-drained soil and doused it with Vitamin B1 to stimulate new root growth that I hoped would help to bring life back to the tree. A year of care later, I have an absolutely beautiful, healthy tree in my front yard.

If you've ever come home to a recently-planted barberry wilted and dropping leaves because you forgot to water it during a warm summer day, or if you've ever turned your back on a hanging basket just long enough for it to go entirely limp--don't give up. With a little care and patience, you can usually bring it back to life (and quickly, too!).

As you get started with planting in your yard this spring, take care to plant properly--err on the side of planting too high if anything--and don't give up if you get it wrong at first. Plants are very forgiving, so if you goof up, you can usually correct your mistakes easily enough. Now go do some planting--and have fun!

Gift Ideas for Mom

2011-05-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard, Mother's Day is this weekend! (I'm just kidding--we've all been hearing about Mother's Day for weeks, now.) If you're still looking for ideas for your mother--or if you need to give your husband or kids a few ideas--we've got plenty of great options for you at Vander Giessen Nursery! A few of our suggestions include:

Hanging Baskets (Lynden Baskets, Fuchsias and Begonia Baskets available)
Earth Box garden planters
Gardening hand tools (including the very popular Hori Hori garden knife)
Ceramic pottery
Pre-made patio planters
Fountains
Gift certificates

Additionally, many people choose to go the "do it yourself" route and make a garden gift basket. Pick out a beautiful pot, add a bag of potting soil, some fertilizer, a pair of garden gloves of accessories and a few flowers and you'll have a great personalized gift for your loved one.

Finally, if you wish to get your mom one of our very popular Lynden Baskets, we urge you to come in today--we're selling through our first crop fast and will likely be sold out soon. Not to worry--you can give Mom a gift cetificate for the purchase of a basket and she can come pick out one of our later crop of baskets in the next couple of weeks--but if you like to give your mom a basket in bloom now, you're running out of time!

Have a great Mother's Day weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

Lynden Baskets are going fast--get them now and they'll look like this in a couple months!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

Rain Got You Down? Try These Plants!

2011-04-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

'Admiration' Barberry

It might all be my fault—whenever I wash my car, it rains like crazy for the next week. And I’ve been washing my car a lot lately, it seems. I apologize, and I’ll try to stop; after all, we could all use a good dose of sun! If all the rain this spring has you down, cheer up—there are some great new plants to make way for in your garden this season, rain or shine!

First, a couple of tips on planting. One of the most common questions I hear is, “Can I plant this now?” Here’s the scoop: start now with perennials, shrubs and trees; wait to plant annuals. I know we’re all eager for warm weather, but unless you have a plan to protect your annuals from frost—which can happen until around the first of May—it’s not worth your time and investment to plant flowers yet. Practice patience until the first of the month and you’ll be glad you did!

Annuals aside, other plants for your garden won’t mind the occasional frost we get this time of year. Consider this: whether it’s sitting in a pot outdoors at a nursery or in the ground at your house makes no difference to a plant—in fact, it would likely be better off in the ground starting to take root so it can grow as soon as the weather turns nice.

Keeping that in mind, take a look at your yard and determine where you can make room for some exciting new plants—and this year there are plenty of new selections to choose from. First on my list are a couple of great new varieties of barberry. ‘Orange Rocket’ is a columnar type with unique, dusky-orange leaves all season long. It has very upright growth reaching four feet while spreading just over a foot across. ‘Admiration’ is a dwarf barberry introduction—with beautiful gold-edged red leaves, it tops out at around two feet tall and wide.

If flowering shrubs are more your thing, you’re in luck! This year, I’m excited about ‘Bombshell’ hydrangea, a re-blooming dwarf variety well-suited for full sun to full shade. Once it starts blooming in early summer, it won’t stop until frost. Add to that the fact that it only reaches three feet tall and you have a great addition to your garden regardless of available space.

For perennials, there are a several brand new (or new in the last couple years) plants I’ve grown to love in particular. The first is a brand new hosta: ‘American Hero.’ This army-green and cream variegated plant displays bold contrasts throughout summer on slightly twisted leaves. If you love hostas, this is a great addition to your garden—furthermore, you’ll support a charity that provides lawncare to the families of our troops stationed overseas.

A final selection that I think you’ll enjoy adding to your garden is a dwarf bleeding heart. While bleeding hearts are often considered old fashioned, this plant redefines nearly every aspect of the species. ‘Burning Hearts’ displays deep burgundy flowers set atop fine, silvery blue foliage—and since the plant stands at only a foot tall, it’s excellent for the front of a flower bed or in a patio container.

While we wait for warmer spring weather to come, now is the perfect time to get started planting shrubs, trees or perennials in your yard. With plenty of new introductions in every plant category, this season of gardening is one you’re sure to find exciting. Between rains, find a few minutes and stop by Vander Giessen Nursery to see what you can use!

Good grief, it's been too long...

2011-04-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

I just happened to look at the blog to see what I'd posted in the last few weeks...and it looks like other than my "Wordless Wednesday" posts, I haven't been a very good blogger lately! I'd try to use the excuse that I've been too busy--which I have--but that's no excuse. So, what's been going on at the nursery?

In the last few weeks, we've been waiting out the weather and hoping for some spring weather. Not that there's any reason to panic--it's never safe to put annuals out before the first of May, anyway--but some warm weather would be appreciated, for sure! In the meantime, we've been busy working in the greenhouses, by and large, and let me tell you, we've got a great spring in store!

At Vander Giessen's, we work hard to grow premium plants, and this year is shaping up to be one of the best on record. In all humility, we're really excited about how well everything is looking--when you start shopping for your flowers, you'll find that everything is in bloom, well-branched and stress-free. Despite the crazy weather outside, the plants inside have had a great start, which means they'll do even better in your garden.

Aside from the quality you'll find at the nursery, we're also excited to offer many new plants and varieties that we've carried before. Some of what you'll find this year includes:

'Pretty Much Picasso' petunia
Supertunias
Double impatiens
Dragonwing begonias
Heat-loving trailing white lobelia
14 varieties of calibrachoa ("Million bells")
Great new colors of geraniums
A whole new coleus section with totally unique colors, shapes and textures

Like always, everything you find in our greenhouses--nearly 100% of our annuals--are all planted and grown on-site in our greenhouses, ensuring top quality for your home and garden!

Now, I know you're probably excited for planting annuals--we could all use a good dose of spring right now--but now is a great time to plant your perennials, shrubs and trees. After all, plant them now and you don't have to worry about watering for the next while! We're fully stocked with beautiful plants for any area in your garden, whether you're looking for the basics or a brand-new showpiece.

If you need garden amendments, we've got those, too. Check out our great selection of bagged potting soils, chicken and steer manure, topsoil, bark and play chips as well as our bulk bark, topsoil and composts--including mushroom compost for your vegetables.

Like I said, we've got a great spring in store at Vander Giessen's. As you get going with your yard this spring, check out what solutions we have for your garden--we're here to help!

Wordless Wednesday (a little late!)

2011-04-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

We've extended our hours through the spring and early summer season!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

'PJM Compacta' Rhododendron--a beautiful dwarf rhody and one of the earliest to bloom!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

This ain't your grandma's coleus--stay tuned!

Blueberry Bonanza

2011-03-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Check out this essay on blueberries--and then check out the great selection of varieties we have available at Vander Giessen's!

From "Green Profit Magazine" March 2011. By Chris MacLaggan

Edible plant gardening is one of today’s hottest trends. Bringing edibles into the landscape satisfies the need to know our food sources, fulfills our desire for sustainable gardening, and adds the benefit of a bounty of goodness coming right from the landscape. Blueberries are a perfect landscaping plant: four seasons of beauty and the ultimate edible experience.

Blueberries are true American native plants. Incredible natural breeding work has brought forth a range of varieties that fill every landscape niche with texture, color and fruit. There are low-bush selections that will perform as compact border plants. Well-behaved, mid-sized varieties are ideal for a foundation planting. Tight, uniform varieties make a productive hedgerow, while vigorous upright cultivars create beautiful screens.

For small yards, apartments or condominiums, blueberries excel in patio containers, which is also a foolproof way to grow them if you have poor soils. There are low-chill and high-chill selections that will perform in a broad range of climate zones—from the Deep South to the far north. Relatively disease and pest free, blueberries are low-maintenance, easy-care solutions for your garden.

Blueberries are perfect for every season and every garden. In spring, these shrubs have an abundance of beautiful bell-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink and red. Summer brings on a bounty of fruit with varieties that can produce super-jumbo berries as large as quarters all the way down to smaller berries ideal for baking. Packed with antioxidants proven to combat many diseases and benefit overall health, blueberries are the superfood homeowners can grow themselves. And don’t forget, kids love blueberries, too. By including a mix of early-, mid- and late-season varieties in the landscape, the fruiting season can be extended up to several months in many regions.

In the fall, blueberry plants burst forth with hot colors of gold, oranges and fiery reds. In the dead of winter, they bring vibrant cane colors of gold, yellow, pink and chartreuse to the dull winter landscape. Some varieties have evergreen leaves in the south. Blueberries are also a favorite of those who like to bring nature close to home. The flowers and fruit attract a variety of hummingbirds, songbirds, deer and other wildlife.

As gardeners seek plants for their landscapes that offer a true value proposition, blueberries are a great choice for beauty, health and fun. Bring some blue to the green landscape.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T16:12:00.001-07:00

Beautiful spring plants are in and displayed!

Moss in Your Lawn? Go to Battle!

2011-03-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here in the Pacific Northwest, moss is a common problem we all battle in our lawns and flower beds. On the north side of the house, in shady areas--and this year, just about all over--it's a challenge to keep up with. Especially after this year's mild, wet winter, you may find that the moss in your lawn is worse than ever. So what to do?

There are a few steps you can and should take right now to help keep moss from taking over your yard. Moss killer can be used any time moss is actively growing, so the first step is to kill what's there. Products like Moss Out work well and are easy to apply with a fertilizer spreader. At Vander Giessen Nursery, we have generic ferrous sulfate--the main ingredient in Moss Out. It's cheaper than the brand name product and has a higher concentration of iron, so it's more effective! Many moss killers are best applied when the moss is damp, but check the packaging for instructions on when and how to apply.

After you've killed the moss--and that should be evident by the moss turning black in a matter of hours (if not minutes!)--you may need to remove it from your lawn. If you have an older, more established lawn, consider renting a walk-behind thatcher to tear up the moss and remove old, dead grass. Younger lawns should be treated with more care, but if the moss was thick, use a thatching rake to manually pull the dead moss out of the problem areas in your yard.

Once the moss is dead and gone, it's time to fertilize. For the first fertilizer application of the year, we recommend Scotts Turf Builder with Moss Control. Not only is it a great fertilizer to rejuvenate your dormant grass, it has iron it to help control any moss you may not yet have killed. As a bonus, the iron will turn your lawn a beautiful deep green without giving you too much growth!

Ultimately, you'd probably like to keep the moss from growing back...right? Moss thrives on acidic soil, which, due to the amount of rain we have, is basically all of the soil in our area. Balance the pH of your soil--remove the acidity--and the moss will be less likely to grow back. Our recommendation for a soil "sweetener" is Lilly Miller Super Sweet. Unlike dolomite lime, it doesn't take months or years for it to break down and start working; it only take 2-3 weeks. The great thing about Super Sweet is that not only does it help control moss regrowth, it allows your lawn fertilizer to work to its best potential--meaning you get more bang for your buck. Apply Super Sweet two weeks before or after fertilizing for best results.

Next time you're at Vander Giessen's, check out the moss killers, fertilizers and soil sweeteners we have in stock to help control moss in your yard. Spring is just around the corner, and this year, you deserve to have the best lawn possible. Let us help you make that happen!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

It’s Time to Start Your Spring Checklist

2011-03-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

Add bark mulch for beauty and less maintenance

An old saying says that March is “in like a lion, out like a lamb.” Well, the “lion” has certainly reared its head as the month has started! After the latest windstorms, you may have already spent some time outside cleaning up your yard. As you get started, here are some spring checklist items that are important to accomplish for a headache-free gardening season ahead.

First things first: clean up the leaves. No matter how many leaves you raked last fall, there are always more, and now you have piles of leaves that have accumulated in and around the shrubs in your beds over the winter. Fallen leaves are rich in nutrients, but they need to be properly composted first. Wet, decomposing leaves are an excellent host for various fungi and diseases, so keep your plants healthy by removing the source of the problem.

Our recent cold snap put a halt to a lot of weeds that grew through the winter, but no doubt they’ll be back soon! Take a few steps now to keep weeds at bay all season long. Start by pulling any stubborn weeds that have overwintered or run your Hula Ho through your flowerbeds to break up patches of weeds that have already taken root.

To keep weeds from growing back, you have a couple of options. For established flowerbeds you don’t plan to plant annuals or tender new plants in this year, I recommend spreading Casoron. Its active ingredient prevents weed seeds from germinating, but can damage annuals and perennials, so thankfully, there’s an alternative: Preen. While it still kills seeds, it won’t hurt anything that is already growing. For organic gardeners, Preen is available organically as well.

After you apply Casoron or Preen, spread a layer of bark mulch. Not only is it an easy way to add curb appeal to your home, it also suppresses weeds and helps hold moisture in your soil. If you want your garden to be low-maintenance, mulched flower beds are a must. Your personal preference will dictate what type of bark you use—at Vander Giessen Nursery, our most popular choice among customers is a fine fir bark.

For rose gardens, a great alternative to bark that can provide additional nutrients to your plants is a black compost produced locally by Green Earth Technology. Made largely of yard waste, it has the consistency of very fine bark. It may be worked into poor soils to deliver nutrients right to the roots; however, many people like the appearance enough to use it as a top dressing. Best of all, it’s virtually weed-free.

As spring rolls around, you also need to pay more attention to your lawn. This year’s wet winter has been ideal for moss to grow, and most likely your lawn could use some help. Start by applying a moss killer to eliminate existing moss. Then follow up with a preventive to discourage moss regrowth—Lilly Miller Super Sweet. I’ve written about it before and can’t stress enough how important granular lime like Super Sweet is to the health of your lawn and the detriment of moss.

Finally, start your annual fertilizing program; this time of year Scotts Turf Builder with Moss Control is an excellent choice. Stop in at Vander Giessen Nursery to get more recommendations on spring lawn care.

In between the crazy storms March so often brings, this is a great time to get a start on work around your yard. Grab a notepad, write out your checklist and get going—and let’s hope that March goes “out like a lamb.”

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

'Pink Lemonade' Blueberries are back!

Pink Lemonade Blueberries are back!

2011-03-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

This time last year the plant world was abuzz with news of a brand new introduction--a pink blueberry! Nurseries nationwide sold out quickly of the limited stock available.

Well, it's a new year, and we're excited to have a fresh supply of 'Pink Lemonade' Blueberries at Vander Giessen Nursery! We've been taking calls now for just about a year asking when we would have more in, so we expect this great new blueberry to sell out quickly. For more information, read our blog post from last year on 'Pink Lemonade'...and then come check them out for yourself!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T16:40:00.001-08:00

Heather 'Kramer's Red' in full bloom!

Keeping warm?

2011-02-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Brrr! As you may know, I write a gardening column for the Lynden Tribune each month, and without fail, if I make any sort of a statement about the weather, it suddenly turns on its head and proves me wrong the next week. Recently, I made mention of how mild the winter had been...and this week, well, you know what happened! I'm thinking this spring I should complain about how dreary and cloudy and rainy the weather is--do you think it might get us some sun?

Anyway, this cold weather hasn't been the greatest if you have shrubs or trees starting to bud out already. Chances are, you'll have at least some damage evident--but unless all your plants are movable, there wasn't a whole lot you could do. And you know what? They will grow back. It's been cold, but nothing that should kill most plants.

So, what's to be thankful for with the weather this week? Chances are, it killed a bunch of bugs! Now, I'm not going to stick my neck out and say that we'll be free of insect problems in the year ahead--that would be a bit presumptuous--but the more cold we have, the more bugs die. Last winter we had such a mild winter...and we had lots of bug issues through the summer. Let's hope that this cold snap took care of that problem!

Next week the weather is supposed to warm up again, and with the more seasonable temperatures, we'll be bringing in our first loads of shrubs, trees and perennials. It's about to get very colorful at Vander Giessen's, and after the last few days, we're ready to see some signs of spring! For today, though, bundle up, wrap your hands around a steaming mug of coffee, and enjoy the last hurrah of winter!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

Some of the 420 Lynden Baskets planted today!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

Spring is Coming--Are Your Roses Ready?

2011-02-14T09:18:00.000-08:00


'Perfect Moment' Hybrid Tea Rose

So what happened to that winter we were supposed to get? All reports last fall indicated a cold, snowy season ahead. Sure, we’ve had our share of wet weather, but thus far, it seems like we’re the only part of the country that hasn’t been cold.

With the mild weather, you've probably noticed your spring bulbs popping up, some of your perennials sprouting—and have you taken a look at your roses? Chances are, they're starting to bud out, and if they haven't yet, they will soon! So, it's time for that always-daunting task: spring pruning.

Roses are beautiful shrubs—no other flower can quite match their prestige or classic beauty. But they can also scare many people, and that might include you. I've written in the past about rose care made easy with today's liquid—and now granular—all-in-one formulas that take care of feeding, insect and disease control in one application. This time of year, however, pruning should be your top priority, so grab a pruner and get started!

First, take a look at the shape of your rose bush. In an ideal world, it would be nicely symmetrical with equally sturdy branches (called canes) growing outward in each direction. Like I said, that would be ideal—your shrubs may be somewhat lopsided or have only one or two very strong canes…and they might all point in the same direction. No problem—you can correct that!

Selecting three to five of the strongest, most evenly spaced canes, either mentally or physically tag them as keepers. Keep in mind that roses like to have good air circulation around and through the shrub, so pick canes that face outward from the center of the plant. If you don’t have at least three sturdy, vigorous canes, pick those that are the most evenly spaced from each other and are free of scars and winter damage (identifiable by blackened bark). With proper care and patience, they’ll fill out into strong canes, too. Now, here’s the most frightening part of the job: chop out everything else.

That’s right—get pruning! With a sharp pruner, cut each of the non-essential canes down all the way to the ground or half an inch above the knobby point where all the branches meet (called the graft or bud union). Depending on what type of roses you have, your plants may or may not have a graft.

As for the three to five canes you’ve chosen to leave? They will need to be pruned, too. First, though, take a look at how the buds are situated on the stems. At about a foot (between 8 and 16 inches) above ground, find buds that face away from the plant—remember the part about keeping good air circulation? Approximately one half inch above the buds, prune the canes at a 45-degree angle pointing down and away from the buds. This will keep water from collecting on the wound and causing rot or other problems.

Finally, check your pulse. Is your heart beating up in your throat? That’s to be expected—it can be scary to chop down so much of the shrub. Ultimately, though, a hard pruning in late winter before the plant leafs out does little to hurt a rose and can actually invigorate it to grow stronger and healthier than it would have otherwise.

Still have questions? At Vander Giessen Nursery and at any of the independent nurseries around the county, you’re sure to find an expert who can offer advice for how best to prune and care for your roses. Now, muster some confidence, grab a pruner and get to work!

The End of Hibernation

2011-02-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

I think bears got it right when they first decided to start hibernating. I mean, they spend their whole life traipsing through the woods eating berries and chasing the occasional hiker who happens to cross their path, so it seems like a great idea to just take a few months off during the quiet, cold winter season to hibernate...doesn't it?

Well, we haven't exactly been hibernating around here at Vander Giessen's, but if you've called or stopped by--or just checked out our website--in the last month and a half, you may have noticed we were operating with more restricted hours. Not that we've had any shortage of work to do--quite the contrary!--but when spring and summer have us working longer hours, it's a nice breather to be able to cut back a bit during the quietest time of the year and spend a little more time with our families.

Now, as we gear up for another great gardening year, we're pleased to announce that we're back to our normal operating hours: Monday-Saturday 9:00-5:00. Things are starting to get busy--we're stocked with primroses, pottery, fountains and a great selection of lawn and garden products. Perennials are planted and starting to take root, our roses will arrive this week and we'll also be expecting our first major shipments of annuals to come--that's over 12,000 flowers!

If you're as excited as us for spring to arrive, we invite you to stop in anytime at Vander Giessen's to browse what's available, what's growing and find out what's coming soon (shrubs will be here in just 2 weeks!). It's an exciting time of year, and we look forward to sharing it with you. Happy gardening!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

Here it comes!

2011-02-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever stood out on a beach during a big storm and watched the waves crash ashore? It's fun to watch the swells start to build out as far as the eye can see--and more fun still to try to predict which one will be "the big one" that makes you run for high ground!

But I'm not here to talk about big waves coming ashore...although it's starting to feel like it. Even though we're only halfway through winter, spring will be here before we know it, and we can start to see the waves building on their approach to the nursery, so to speak. We've gotten final notice of the first of our plant orders--some of our perennial starts have already arrived--we're starting to get plant tags in the mail (meaning an order of plants is soon to follow) and our back room is presently full of fertilizers, squirrel-proof bird feeders, and a great assortment of new products soon to be unpacked and proudly displayed. Before we know it, we'll be up to our eyeballs in plants and gardening products once again!

Like I said, it feels like the waves are starting to build, but in the world of gardening, that's great news--spring will soon be here! Enjoy the last weeks of winter, and stay tuned...we've got great things in store for the year ahead!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

Beautiful handmade ceramic pots just in!

Something New: "Wordless Wednesday"

2011-02-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

In the world of blogging, it's not always easy to find time to keep things current--especially as the season gets busier, it can be challenging to keep our readers up to speed on what's going on at the nursery and in the world of gardening. That's why I'm starting something new: Wordless Wednesday!

While I will continue to post regular written updates on what's new, in bloom and looking good at the nursery, I'm excited to debut this new weekly feature for our blog. The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" never fails to ring true--and sometimes, a picture can say it all. Don't worry, though--if the picture begs a description, I will add a caption!

Also, I would like to extend an invitation to you to submit your pictures of plants you've purchased at Vander Giessen's! We'd love to feature your garden, hanging basket or mixed planter for all to see! Simply e-mail us your favorite picture you'd like featured, and we'll make sure it gets posted (and don't worry, we'll credit you so you get the bragging rights)!

We hope you enjoy following us at Vander Giessen's as we start this new feature. Happy Wordless Wednesday!

What's up at Vander Giessen's?

2011-01-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

Like many people, you may wonder what happens around a nursery during the winter? Many nurseries close after fall sales or the Christmas season--there's just not much to do until spring--but we're open! So what do we have going on right now?

The truth is, the months of January and early February--while different from the rest of the year--are equally as busy as any other time. We're constantly working to make improvements to our facilities so we can provide you a better shopping experience. (On a side note, if you have suggestions along those lines, we welcome them!). The most major change you'll notice in the coming year is the demolition of our old office on the corner of the nursery property. We're excited about the change and are confident you'll enjoy the more open shopping area as well.

Another change that we've been working on lately is an update on the layout of what we call our "geranium house"--the greenhouse most visible from the street. We've always known that the previous layout of narrow aisles and small benches was anything but ideal...and now those problems are gone! We've replaced the old benching system with new, wide benches and considerably wider aisles. I'll post pictures of the update when we've made the finishing touches to the new benches.

Of course, there's much more happening at Vander Giessen's than just construction this time of year. Already we've started to receive our initial spring shipments of lawn and garden products; soon our seed racks will arrive, and in just 2 weeks, we'll start to see the first plants come through the door. It's an exciting time of year as we gear up, and if you're getting anxious for spring, we invite you to stop in anytime and find out what's new for 2011.

Make Gardening Resolutions for a New Year

2011-01-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Like is the tradition for so many people, you probably made several New Year’s resolutions for 2011, but let me guess: none of them include gardening. Why not? After the busy—and fattening—holiday season, your mind is probably on things like exercising more and eating better. Good for you! But don’t forget to write down some resolutions for working out in your garden come spring—after all, it’s great exercise and can promote a healthy lifestyle. If the cold winter weather of late has you wishing for spring, grab a pen and jot down a few hopes and dreams for your garden in 2011. Here are a few of my resolutions that I hope you can look forward to implementing for yourself this year.

Felco F-8

First, I resolve to start the year off right by making sure I’m properly equipped. Nothing is more frustrating than getting ready to work in the garden and not having the right tools to do the job. This spring, before the real work starts, make sure you have a good pruner. Whether you choose a pricier (but worth it!) Felco or an economical yet suitable Fiskars or Corona, be sure it fits your hands and your workload.

Another tool I plan to make use of is a Hori Hori knife. This all-purpose tool is useful for everything from digging holes to dividing perennials to cutting through stubborn roots, making it a must-have implement for your garden.

Would you like to grow vegetables or fresh herbs but don’t have a good garden plot or find it difficult to get out in your yard? Try an EarthBox this year! This revolutionary container gardening system has everything you need to grow a highly productive vegetable or herb garden right on your deck or patio—and it’s incredibly easy to use. I tested one out last year and was thrilled with the results, and I’m sure you will be too. At Vander Giessen Nursery, we're excited to carry EarthBoxes, staking kits and replant kits--check them out next time you visit!

Second, I resolve to choose new and exciting varieties of plants for my garden. A new introduction last year was ‘Pink Lemonade’ blueberry—yes, it actually has pink berries! This shrub sold out quickly last year, and because of its popularity, it has already garnered a lot of interest for the coming season.

Hosta 'American Hero'

Another plant I want to find a spot for in my yard is ‘American Hero’ hosta. Brand new in 2011, the slightly twisted leaves of the plant have deep green margins with a creamy white center. Moreover, this is a “plant for a cause,” with proceeds going to support families of soldiers overseas. If you’re a hosta lover, you’ll want to pre-order or pick up your specimen of this beautiful perennial at Vander Giessen's before they’re gone for the year!

Third, I resolve to take proper care of my plants—after all, if I don’t treat them right, how can I expect success? In the last year, you’ve probably heard about Jack’s Classic water-soluble fertilizers—formerly called Peters. What you may not know, however, is that Jack’s also makes slow-release fertilizers similar to Osmocote. This year, if you fertilize with a slow-release, try Jack’s ClassiCote, a higher-quality alternative to Osmocote; another sustainable slow-release option we recommend is Jack’s with Crystal Green.

In this winter season of rest and planning, and as we look forward to a new year of gardening, now is the perfect time to assess where you currently stand and where you want to go with your gardening endeavors in the year ahead. In 2011, resolve to make your garden more beautiful and successful than ever—and have fun doing it!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-12-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-16T15:14:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-11-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-10T08:54:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-08-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-06-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-27T15:59:00.001-07:00

First

2010-03-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Pink Lemonade Blueberry

2010-03-16T16:24:00.001-07:00

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...

2010-03-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

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!