Dwarf Conifers for Containers -- Part II

Last month, I wrote about some of my favorite dwarf conifers for growing in containers--you can read that post here. If you've ever struggled with knowing what to do with your pots in the winter or don't like having to change out your plants each season, growing small evergreen shrubs in your containers may be for you.

This month, I've got another list of more of my favorite dwarf conifers for your containers, but don't worry--if you'd rather plant these in the flowerbeds around your house, they're excellent landscaping plants, too!

'Slowmound' mugo pine

First off: mugo pine. I love the unique texture that pines add to our gardens in the northwest;  however, like many other overused evergreens, mugo pines have gotten a bad rap over the years. Beat up and neglected in shopping mall parking islands, they're often only seen as overgrown, mangled shrubs. And to be fair, many mugo pines have been used in the wrong places over the years. Even the traditional "dwarf" mugo pine wasn't really a dwarf--over time, it grew into a large shrub itself.

Not so with these two varieties, though! 'Slowmound' is a far superior dwarf variety that only grows to 1-2' tall in 10 years. With a very dense form and dark green needles, 'Slowmound' will add great beauty--and low maintenance--to any sunny, well-drained place in your garden.


'Teeny' is another great mugo pine that, true to name, is very small. Extremely slow growing with tiny, bright green needles, 'Teeny' would make an excellent companion to other dwarf or miniature conifers in containers or in a rock garden.

If pines just aren't your thing, there are plenty of other choices. Over the years, I've written about several great varieties of dwarf hinoki cypress--and there are dozens of varieties that each boast their own great characteristics. But if you like the idea of using a dwarf hinoki in a container, 'Gemstone' would be a wonderful choice. With an extremely tight, irregular growth pattern, it will never outgrow even the smallest spot in the garden or a nice pot on your patio.

A fourth plant that would work well in pots around your house is 'Jervis' hemlock. Unlike some conifers, hemlocks work well in sun, shade or just about any blend thereof. 'Jervis' stands out from other conifers with dark green needles closely held to the branches of the shrub. Its irregular growth pattern lends additional character--in fact, it's so unique in appearance you may think it looks almost artificial!

To be sure, these are just a few of the many great dwarf conifers that would work well in containers. At Vander Giessen's, you'll find these varieties and a lot more. Stop in today to see which dwarf evergreens would look good in your pots or yard!

Eager to plant flowers? Try Senetti!

Add vibrant spring color with 'Senetti'!

As we slog through the days of "April Showers" it's easy to get a little giddy when the sun comes out.
After all, it's almost time to plant, so why not get started and put out your geraniums, petunias and impatiens...right?

Well, you may be eager to push spring along and get your planting done, but unless you want to replace all your flowers in a couple weeks, it's best to wait.

Except for Senetti, of course!

'Senetti' pericallis--a mounding annual with a daisy-like flower--is a relative newcomer to the gardening scene and is starting to gain popularity amongst gardeners who want to get planting but don't want to worry about cool weather ruining their new plants. 'Senetti' prefers cool weather and blooms heavily through late spring and again in early summer after a shearing.

At Vander Giessen's, we have three colors of Senetti coming into bloom right now. These are large annuals planted in 1-gallon pots. Other stores around the area have Senetti available for $8.00 or more each--ours are just $4.99!

Check out the colors of Senetti at the nursery and get started with planting today!

Hellebores for great early spring color

'Pink Frost' is a colorful newer hellebore variety

In recent years, advancements in plant breeding have made for some great introductions in the world of hellebores--also known as 'Winter Rose' or 'Lenten Rose.' One variety, 'Ivory Prince,' has noticeably more upright-facing flowers, an improvement over the drooping faces of older varieties. 'Pink Frost,' another variety with upward-facing blooms, boasts large flowers with deep rose tones.

And yet a third variety--brand new this year--is 'Snow Fever.' With it's greenish-white flowers, it's sure to add brightness to a shady garden. Most notable, however, is its variegated foliage--a totally unique characteristic in the world of hellebores. In the spring, the new leaves emerge with a pink blush over green and white. As they age, the leaves change to a bright green with flecks of white and cream through the leaf.

If you haven't recently checked out what hellebores have to offer your garden, it's worth a stop to see the beauty of these newer varieties. And for a limited time, all of our hellebores are on sale at $2.00 off!

Enrich Your Garden for a Successful Season

It’s that time of year again—the primroses you put out on your front porch in February are beginning to fade, but it’s still too early to get planting your summer annuals. In this “in-between” season, now is your best opportunity to enrich the soil of your flowerbeds, fertilize shrubs, and add compost to your vegetable garden for the season ahead. If you’re wondering what’s best for you, here are some easy tips.

First off, flowerbeds. Whether the beds around your house are home to a few simple shrubs, a cottage-style garden packed with perennials or some other mix you call your own, your plants will only perform their best with proper nutrition. As plants wake up from dormancy and begin to grow again, take time to feed them with a balanced slow-release fertilizer like Classicote. Produced by the same folks who make Jack’s Classic water-soluble fertilizer, Classicote is a superior alternative to Osmocote and is great for feeding many of the shrubs and perennials in your yard.

If you prefer a more natural fertilizer option for your plants, consider applying a layer of compost throughout your beds to serve as both nutritional supplement and moisture control. At Vander Giessen’s, we’ve been very pleased with the results Green Earth compost delivers especially to high-feeding plants like roses. Produced locally of yard debris and kitchen waste, this compost blend will beautify your flowerbeds with its nearly-black appearance; additionally, it holds moisture well, reducing the need to water during dry spells.

Regardless of your need to feed the plants in your flowerbeds, adding some sort of mulch will help control weeds and keep moisture in the soil. If your beds are currently bare dirt or it’s been several years since you’ve added anything, spread a three-inch layer of mulch. Fine and medium bark differ only in their appearance and both do well in suppressing weed growth. When planning for the amount of bark you’ll need, expect to spread one cubic yard of mulch over 100 square feet at a three-inch depth. Likewise, if you just need to freshen up your flowerbeds, one yard will cover 300 square feet at one inch deep.

At Vander Giessen’s, we offer fine and medium bark as well as Green Earth compost, all available either for pick-up at our store or delivery in Whatcom County. For beautification and ease of maintenance, bark or compost is an excellent way to add the finishing touch to your beds.

Enjoy a better garden with the right compost!

For growing vegetables or herbs, the best compost you can add to your garden is what we call mushroom compost. Made of aged chicken manure that’s been used in mushroom farming, this compost has enough nitrogen to satiate the needs of fast-growing vegetables and provide a harvest far more abundant than any other compost can. Because of its nitrogen content, however, you should avoid using it in the rest of your flowerbeds—unless you’re familiar with how to use it properly you can easily burn or kill tender perennials and shrubs.

Blending mushroom compost into your garden this month will not only prepare your soil for planting (which, I’ll explain in a moment, you can start anytime), it will also loosen clay soil and help sandy soils retain moisture more effectively. At Vander Giessen’s, we can help you determine how much mushroom compost your garden needs for the year ahead.

Finally, if you’re eager for planting, it is safe to get started with planting some of your vegetables, herbs and even flowers. Cool-weather crops like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cabbage and several others can be planted now. At Vander Giessen’s, we’ve gotten our first veggie starts in and can also recommend vegetables you can grow from seed at this time. Herbs like cilantro and basil should be saved for warmer weather but many others are safe to put out already.

In the realm of annuals, a relative newcomer to the gardening scene called ‘Senetti’ is a great option for

'Senetti' add great color for spring

early-season color. While other flowers are too tender to go out yet, 'Senetti' can handle cool days and cooler nights. With its rich blue or magenta daisy-like flowers, it will add great color to your garden through mid-spring and again in early summer. So if you’re struggling to wait any longer to plant, check out ‘Senetti’ at Vander Giessen’s today.

April is a month of transition, and as you’re gearing up for a summer full of color and fresh eating, take some time to amend your garden beds with the compost, bark and fertilizer they need for successful growing. With fewer weeds to deal with around the house and more fresh produce from your garden than you’ll know what to do with, you’ll thank yourself for the effort this summer!

Dwarf Conifers for Containers

Add year-round interest with dwarf conifers!

When it comes to container gardening, most people think of spring and summer annuals--and with good reason. Nothing adds quite the splash of color to a pot like trailing million bells or brightly-colored impatiens. Unfortunately, though, annuals alone in a pot are a fleeting pleasure--come winter, your pots stand empty.

If you've struggled with the "what-to-do-with-my-pots-in-winter" conundrum, have you ever considered dressing them up with some year-round interest? Of course, I'm talking about dwarf conifers!

'Jean's Dilly' Alberta Spruce

Often overlooked, dwarf and miniature conifers--the slow-growing cousins to many of your typical evergreen shrubs and trees--are an excellent choice for the centerpiece of just about any container garden. They can even be used in combination with one another to form a completely evergreen container garden.

With a wide variety of colors, shapes and textures, there are plenty of options to match just about any setting
or preference. One of my favorite dwarf conifers is 'Jean's Dilly' (pronounced 'John's Dilly') dwarf Alberta spruce. Like the traditional dwarf Alberta spruce, it has a narrow, upright form. Unique, however, is its incredibly slow growth rate--just an inch or two a year--and its ultimate size of 3-4 feet tall. Because it's so cold-hardy, it's an excellent selection for pots you plan to leave outside year-round.

'Blue Moon' Boulevard Cypress

Another great dwarf conifer is 'Blue Moon' boulevard cypress. This beautiful evergreen has silvery-blue foliage year-round but is especially vibrant in mid- to late spring with its flush of new growth. Standard boulevard cypress grow to 8-10 feet tall; 'Blue Moon,' however, stays incredibly small, filling out to an ultimate size of just 2 feet tall and wide--without pruning.

I'll continue my review of dwarf conifers for container gardens next month with more great options for your pots. In the meantime, stop in to Vander Giessen's to see what excellent dwarf and miniature conifers we have to fill your containers this season. You'll love them for years to come!

Welcome Spring with New Plants

Simply put, I love new plants. Whether it’s a different flower color, dwarf version of a classic favorite or a hybrid that’s produced some other interesting characteristic, new plants are just fun. With spring weather upon us (it may not be all sun, but it is spring!), it’s time to get outside. And what’s more fun to look forward to in the garden than new plants? As you get started in your yard, here are a few of my favorite plants this spring. 

'Pistachio' hydrangea

In recent years, hydrangea growers have debuted dozens of great new varieties, and while they all have unique characteristics, none is quite like ‘Pistachio.’ This new dwarf hydrangea tops out at three to four feet tall and about as wide, so it’s much more compact than older varieties.

‘Pistachio’ is a re-blooming variety, so you don’t have to worry about when to prune it. But most interesting is the flower color: mottled lime green and hot pink. Had I not seen one last summer at a nursery trade show, I wouldn’t have believed the pictures I saw—the color combination is simply stunning. Plant it where it receives morning sun and afternoon shade and you’ll enjoy attention-grabbing flowers for years to come. 

A second great new plant—and one already in bloom if you’re eager for color—is ‘Snow Fever’ hellebore. Breeding breakthroughs in recent years have produced hellebores with upright (rather than drooping) flowers. ‘Ivory Prince’ is a great example of one such variety. But what makes ‘Snow Fever’ so great is its unique variegated foliage to complement the greenish-white flowers. Each leaf is speckled with cream coloring on a green background like paint splattered on a canvas. Hellebores are great for shade, so bring more year-round color to a dark spot in your yard with this great new introduction. 

'Ketchup & Mustard' floribunda rose

My third pick this spring is not a single plant but rather an entire category: roses. With the demise of Jackson & Perkins a couple of years ago, the entire rose industry has changed, so if you haven’t looked at roses recently, look again! One great new introduction this year is ‘Twilight Zone,’ a fragrant deep purple grandiflora variety. Another relatively new rose sure to be popular again this year is ‘Ketchup & Mustard,’ a floribunda boasting bold red flowers with a distinct mustard-yellow reverse. 

Whether you’re planting roses or fruit trees, now is a great time to plant them bareroot. Not only will you save money buying bareroot at your local nursery, your new plants will make the move into your yard with nearly zero transplant stress. 

As you gear up for a new season of gardening this month, don’t forget to take care of the basics, either. Now is the time to kill moss with ferrous sulfate as well as spread lime on your lawn to discourage moss re-growth. Additionally, when you finish up your spring pruning, spread a fresh layer of bark mulch throughout your flowerbeds. Not only will it create a perfect backdrop to set off your shrubs and trees, it will keep moisture in the ground and weeds out all year long. 

Finally, take some time this month to fertilize the plants in your yard. While most shrubs and trees aren’t as nutrient-hungry as annuals, they’ll benefit from a balanced slow-release fertilizer like Jack’s Classicote.

With spring upon us, now is a great time to stop in at Vander Giessen's and check out what’s new for the upcoming year. Chances are you’ll find something perfect for your yard to enjoy for years to come!

Bareroot Fruit Trees on Sale

Next week, spring officially arrives, but after a mild winter in our corner of the world, in reality it's already here. As you get started with working in your yard this spring, right now is a great time to plant fruit trees and shrubs.

To help you get started, right now we're offering our entire selection of fruit trees $10 off when you buy them bareroot. From apples and pears to cherries and plums, we have varieties well-suited for your yard--and since they're all grown on semi-dwarf rootstocks, they're great for any size space.

Stop in soon to pick up bareroot fruit trees for yourself--this sale is only on for a limited time!