Enjoying Garden Life in Winter

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we never really experience the “dead of winter.” Unlike large swaths of the country, our lawns never turn completely brown and evergreen shrubs and trees keep our yards somewhat colorful. But as we go through the more barren months, you may be wishing for more life outdoors.

Caring for wild birds is a great complement to gardening. Especially during the winter months, birds like chickadees, finches and juncos can benefit from a little extra sustenance—and they’ll provide great entertainment in return. Whether you have young children or are empty nesters (pardon the pun), watching birds build nests in birdhouses or vie for a spot at a feeder is simply fun.

If birding is a new hobby for you, start with the basics. A feeder that dispenses black oil sunflower seed will attract the most variety of birds. Tube feeders protect seed from the elements but can limit the number of birds that can feed at one time. If you plan to hang your feeder in a somewhat protected space—such as under the eaves of a shed or your house—a platform or wire mesh feeder will offer the most opportunity for birds to eat; additionally, you may find these feeders easier to clean.

While black oil sunflower seed is a great all-purpose option, you may wish to feed only some of the smaller songbirds. Niger (or nyjer) seed is the food of choice for chickadees, purple finches and of course, the goldfinch, our state bird. Although these birds will often eat sunflower seed, you’ll attract larger numbers with niger or a blend thereof. At Vander Giessen’s, one of the popular seed mixes we sell is the “Finch Friends” blend, which attracts the birds previously mentioned as well as nuthatches and wrens.

Until recently, the only major nuisance animals to feed at bird feeders in our area were other non-desirable birds like starlings. In the last few years, however, squirrels have become a nuisance to bird-lovers, eating bird seed, chasing away birds and at times even destroying feeders. To prevent squirrels from ruining the fun, there are a couple of worthwhile options to consider. One option is to occasionally fill your feeders with a spicy, Cajun-flavored seed mix like Coles “Hot Meats” or “Blazing Hot Blend.” The hot, spicy flavor won’t deter birds, but squirrels will quickly give up on trying to eat it. Another option is a squirrel-proof feeder—your best bet is a feeder surrounded by a metal cage that birds can get through but squirrels never will.

Now, if you feed birds, consider the added fun that a birdhouse or two will bring to your backyard. Put a birdhouse within view of a window or your back patio; you’ll love watching birds building their nests each year and be entertained by baby birds tumbling out of their home for the first time each spring.

Choose a house designed specifically for the type of bird you wish to attract—birds will only move into a house if the entry hole size is right. When shopping for a birdhouse, check to see that it can be easily cleaned. Like us, birds don’t like to move into a house full of someone else’s junk, so empty out your birdhouses once a year to keep your feathered friends happy.

In the bleak months of winter, enjoy the added life that birds can bring to your garden. With their varied colors, shapes and sizes, they’ll add interest to an otherwise drab view out your window—and come spring, they’ll serenade you as you get back in the garden.

Winter Hours

We hope that you had a great Christmas spent with family and friends! As we finish out the year, we're taking a break for time with family--we'll be reopening again on January 2. Once we reopen, we'll resume our standard winter hours:

Monday-Friday 9:00-4:30
Saturday-Sunday Closed

In the meantime--and on Saturdays after the first of the year, we are always available by appointment. Please give us a call at (360) 354-3097 or send us an e-mail if you need assistance. We've enjoyed serving you in 2012 and look forward to another exciting year of gardening in 2013 as we celebrate 75 years! Happy New Year!

Enjoy Garden Life Indoors

Winter is a great season for rest when it comes to gardening; after many months of work outside it’s nice to take a break. But if you find yourself missing the opportunity to exercise your green thumb—or want to plan ahead for those days in late winter when you’re sick of the dark, rainy weather and need a pick-me-up—there are great options you can take advantage of right now.

For many people, Christmas trees are a great way to bring joy, color and life indoors during the dark days of December. But to some, it seems a shame to purchase a plant they'll just throw out in a few weeks' time, so they decide to pass on the cut tree and opt for artificial. There’s another alternative, however, one that can add beauty to your home for years to come: a living tree.

Living Christmas trees are a great option if you have a flower bed that could use something with structure and height. If you're planning to purchase a tree sometime next year anyway, wouldn't it make sense to kill two birds with one stone and buy a living Christmas tree? You can enjoy it indoors for the next few weeks and move it outdoors after Christmas. In future years, you can continue to decorate it with lights to remember this year’s holiday—consider it a new family tradition!

Living Christmas trees even make nice decorations for your front entry or back patio during the Christmas season. Even if you don’t want it for your “official” Christmas tree, pot it up, add a few strings of lights and place it in a prominent spot outside--you’ll have an elegant and lasting decoration to welcome guests or simply to enjoy yourself. 

If you don't have room for a living Christmas tree in your yard but like the concept, consider a donation to the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association. They will gladly accept your living Christmas tree after the holidays and provide you with a receipt for your tax-deductible donation. It's a good feeling knowing your tree will help provide shade to a local stream and help salmon habitat.

Christmas trees aside, if you’re reading this you have at least some interest in gardening—and December is a perfect time to do some planting. Of amaryllis, that is! With their huge, colorful flowers that appear just eight weeks after planting, amaryllis are a fast-growing, easy way to bring life indoors. Available at Vander Giessen’s and other local nurseries, amaryllis bulbs can be planted indoors now to be in bloom for Valentine’s Day. And if you’re looking for a fun gift to bring to your family gift exchange, bring a gift-packaged bulb—it’s sure to be a conversation piece.

Finally, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the classic beauty of a poinsettia. Whether you prefer classic red or opt for pink, white or a more adventurous color like speckled red-and-white, they’re not just for the holidays. After Christmas is over, put your green thumb to the test and see how long you can keep your poinsettia going. Fertilize regularly with a low dose of Jack’s Classic All-Purpose fertilizer and when the weather warms up next spring, move it outside. That’s right—next summer you can enjoy it in your yard! 

Winter is a great season for resting your weeding muscles and taking a break from lawn mowing, but it doesn’t mean you can’t still have some fun with plants. Enjoy the opportunities a living Christmas tree, amaryllis bulb or poinsettia can offer and make the most of this season. Merry Christmas!

2013 Calendars Now Available!

Next year will be a big year for us at Vander Giessen's--we're celebrating our 75th Anniversary! Since 1938, we've been family-owned and operated, and as we gear up for a year of celebrating, we've introduced a way to help you have some fun at it, too: our 2013 calendar.

This wall calendar is packed full of timely gardening tips each month and beautiful photos to admire throughout the year. And while all that is reason enough to like the calendar, you'll really enjoy the nearly $200 worth of coupons and free gifts each month.

Now, these coupons aren't the gimmicky, won't-really-save-you-any-money type. You, our customers, have rewarded us with your business over the years, so these coupons are all for big discounts--or simply free items. Some of the coupons include:

• 1 FREE flat of annuals (value $19.99)
• 2 FREE perennials (value $20.00)
• 75% off any one shrub, tree or perennial
• 75% offf any two rose bushes

Even if you don't end up using the 75% off coupons (of which there are 8 throughout the year), you'll love the other 4 months of totally free items to enjoy. And if gardening just isn't your thing, it's probably a big deal for someone in your life, so pick one up as a Christmas gift!

Our 2013 wall calendars are available in limited quantity, so stop in soon to pick one up for yourself or a friend--and together we can look forward to celebrating next year!

Christmas Open House Saturday

It's almost here--our annual Christmas open house! This Saturday, December 1, we welcome you to stop by the nursery to enjoy free, fresh olie bollen--a deep-fried Dutch donut--as we express our appreciation to you, our customers at the end of our 74th year in business.

Our open house officially runs from 10:00-3:00, but throughout the entire day--from 9:00-6:00--we'll have great sales on many of the items throughout the store, including our selection of fountains. This is the only day this year the fountains are on sale, so take advantage of the discounts and give yourself an early Christmas present.

For more information on our open house please click here; for a complete listing of what's on sale, please visit our open house sale page here.

Also, don't forget that we're now fully-stocked with Christmas trees--living and fresh-cut--as well as poinsettias, wreaths and cedar garland (cut to your specifications). As December begins, we're eager to help you gear up for the Christmas season. 

Christmas Season is Here!

The Christmas season is officially underway at Vander Giessen's! We're now fully stocked with a beautiful selection of both fresh-cut and living Christmas trees as well as top-quality poinsettias, wreaths, cedar garland and great gift ideas for the gardener in your life.

On Saturday, December 1 we cordially invite you to join us for our annual Christmas open house. We'll be serving up hot, fresh olie bollen--think of it like a Dutch donut--for free from 10:00-3:00. Bring your family and enjoy a Christmas indulgence while taking in the sights of the season throughout the nursery.

For more information on our open house and the many great items on sale during the open house, please check out our website. Merry Christmas!

It's Time to Put Your Yard to Bed

Many years, autumn weather comes as a gradual cool-down to ease us into the rainy season. This year, however, proved quite different. September felt much warmer than normal and even early October was beautifully sunny and mild. Then came the cold rain—and wind. In the span of just a few days, we transitioned from late summer to what feels like early winter, and with the change comes the task of putting your yard to bed.

First things first: raking leaves. It isn’t the most fun job, but when it comes to the health of your grass, it’s absolutely necessary. Piles of leaves left to rot on your grass over winter will promote disease in your lawn or worse, smother it altogether. Once your trees are bare, take a little time and rake off your yard—consider it your pre-Thanksgiving workout.

This time of year isn’t a time when many people think to fertilize their lawn, but fall is arguably the most important season to do so. Consider this: a bear wouldn’t go into hibernation without eating a good meal first, and neither should your lawn! Although you see lawn “winterizer” fertilizers advertised in September and October, November or even early December is a much better time to do this task in our area. If it has been at least six weeks since you last fed, apply Scotts Super Turf Builder Winterguard now to help feed your lawn through winter. Doing so will ensure stronger roots to protect against winter damage and give your grass a faster green-up next spring.

In your flowerbeds, it’s important to prepare for winter as well. If you grow roses, now is the time to prune them back about halfway. Don’t worry about pruning to properly shape your bushes—you’ll want to do a more selective pruning in February next year. Right now, your reason for pruning is simply to minimize any snow or windstorm damage.

Many rose varieties will winter over just fine even in a bitter cold storm, but some varieties may tend to be more cold-sensitive, so take a few minutes this month to mulch around the base of your rose bushes. While some shrubs may benefit from fallen leaves piled around them for insulation, roses will be susceptible to any mold or disease the leaves harbor, so instead use well-drained bark mulch. Create a low mound around each plant to cover the knobby graft at the base; in late February next year, you’ll be able to easily uncover the plant and spread the bark around your flowerbed.

When it comes to perennials, now is the time to cut back herbaceous varieties—those that die down to the ground each year. You may opt to leave some dried perennials (like grasses) in your garden for winter interest, but keep in mind that the dead foliage may harbor fungus spores or insect larvae. For evergreen or semi-evergreen varieties like heuchera or lavender, save any pruning until next spring when growth resumes.

Lastly, have you planted bulbs for spring? While you’ll need to wait to plant lilies, gladiolus and other summer bulbs until warmer weather next year, you need to get your daffodils, tulips, crocuses or hyacinths in the ground yet this month to properly acclimate. You’ll thank yourself for the minimal work it takes when you see the bright colors emerge next spring!

November may not always be the most pleasant month to work outdoors, but with just a little bit of effort, you can keep your lawn and garden healthy through winter, making next spring that much more enjoyable.