A Highly Underrated Perennial

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we're blessed to live in a mild climate--our winters are anything but harsh and our summers are rarely what most of the rest of the country would call "hot." Because of our mild weather, we can grow just about anything our green thumbs would desire; in the glut of plants we have at our disposal, however, we often forget about one of the most forgiving, adaptable and beautiful perennials we could plant: the daylily.

'Mighty Chestnut' daylily

In both the cold winters of the midwest and the hot, dry summers of central California, you'll find daylilies thriving. In fact, two growers I know of come to mind: Walters Gardens, one of our main perennial suppliers for the nursery, grows a beautiful selection of daylilies in the harsh conditions of western Michigan. On the other end of the climate spectrum, the Amador Flower Farm in the arid Sierra foothills of California grows nearly 1000 varieties of the perennial in hot, dry summers.

If you're picky about what colors of flowers you plant in your garden, you have no excuse with daylilies--with literally hundreds of varieties available, there's a color or texture for every taste. One of my favorites this year is a new variety called 'Mighty Chestnut.' Just released last year, this variety boasts huge, deep orange flowers set above the vibrant green foliage.

Of course, the longest-blooming and most popular variety of daylily is 'Stella D'Oro,' a classic yellow variety that blooms repeatedly all summer long. But if you're looking for something that blooms with a different color yet still has the great characteristics of 'Stella,' try 'Purple D'Oro.' With rich purple flowers, it's a great compliment to its golden cousin.

Daylilies are truly an underrated plant--they'll adapt to just about any soil type and once established, need little moisture. They bloom prolifically and only need to be divided--free plants!--every few years. If you have a sunny spot in your garden that could use an extra burst of summer color, consider planting a daylily. You'll love how easy it is to grow and soon understand why in other parts of the country it's so admired.

Perennials on Sale!

In Search of The Perfect Plant

Heuchera 'Marmalade'

There’s something I call “The Perfect Plant.” It has colorful evergreen leaves—maybe variegated—blooms for an extended period of time, needs very little maintenance, only grows to be knee-high and does equally well in sun or shade. Unfortunately, “The Perfect Plant” isn’t quite a reality. Helping gardeners choose plants for their yards, I’m often approached with those criteria, and while there isn’t an exact match to fit the bill, there is a plant that comes close: heuchera. 

First, let me help you with pronunciation. I hate nothing more than going into a store and not being able to intelligently articulate what I’m looking for. While there are plenty of pronunciations that can be considered acceptable, you’ll sound smartest pronouncing the name “HEW-ker-a” or “HOO-ker-a.” Or, if you really feel uncomfortable, just call it by its common name: ‘coral bells.’

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with heuchera, you’ve probably seen it around and just didn’t know what it was. The leaves of the plant emerge directly from the crown—the top of the root mass—like leaves do on a hosta. Although there are a wide variety of leaf textures among heucheras, all types have a leaf shaped similarly to that of a common maple tree. 

So, how do heucheras come close to fitting the description of “The Perfect Plant?” First, heucheras come in nearly every color of the rainbow. Just five to ten years ago, you’d be lucky if you could walk into a nursery and find both green- and purple-leafed varieties. And even the purple could look washed-out. But recent breeding breakthroughs have produced an abundance of vividly-colored varieties like ‘Peach Flambé,’ an iridescent peachy-orange with hues of pink. ‘Obsidian’ grabs your eye with deep plum-purple leaves and ‘Marmalade’ will make you do a double-take when you see its tan-colored foliage with a near-purple underside. 

From oranges and purples to lime-green and two-tone variegated coloring, heucheras can fit any color palette you may have in your landscape. As for flowers, heucheras do bloom, but you likely won’t buy them for the flower. Heucheras are prized mostly for their foliage, and while varieties like ‘Paris’ have rich pink flowers all summer long, most varieties’ flowers are a pale cream or white.

Regarding maintenance, heucheras are about as easy-going as you could expect of a plant. Their foliage is evergreen, so you can enjoy the colorful leaves year-round. To keep the plants in my yard looking fresh, I prune the previous year’s leaves off after the worst chance of a deep freeze is past and I can see new buds developing—typically early March. 

If you’ve tried growing heucheras before and have found them to be hard to grow, it’s possible you planted them too deep. Heucheras need the crown of the plant to be free from any standing water, and especially if you have poorly-draining soil, they should be planted at least an inch above the existing grade of your flowerbed. 

Heuchera 'Lime Marmalade'

Finally, heucheras are incredibly versatile in the landscape—most varieties do well in sun or shade. Lighter-hued types like ‘Lime Marmalade’ can adapt to full sun but will do best with at least partial shade; similarly, those with purple leaves will have the best color in full sun. However, I’ve found heuchera to grow well in any amount of sun or shade around my yard. 

If you’ve never discovered the beauty that heucheras can bring to your landscape—or if it’s been several years since you tried to grow one—now is a great time to check out the incredible variety of colorful, vigorous plants that are available at Vander Giessen's. With so many sought-after characteristics, heuchera is hard to ignore—and it just might be what you’d call “The Perfect Plant.”

Three Reasons to Mulch Your Beds

Mulching does more than add curb appeal!

Spreading bark mulch or compost on the flower beds around your house can really add to your curb appeal.
The uniform appearance of bark around your landscaping does well to set off the treasures you've planted, pruned and watered. But bark or compost does far more than just look pretty. If your flowerbeds are currently bare dirt or it's been several years since you last applied a fresh layer of mulch, here are three great reasons to grab your gloves and a wheelbarrow and get to work.

First, bark is great for regulating soil temperature. Bare dirt heats up quickly on sunny days and freezes quickly on cold winter days. By adding a layer of mulch to your beds, you can help insulate the ground from the dramatic temperature swings that might stress or damage your plants.

Second, mulch helps to retain moisture in your flowerbeds, meaning you'll have less watering to do. When exposed to the sun, bare dirt tends to dry out quickly. With a good layer of mulch to protect it, however, it retains moisture much better on warm days when it counts.

Third--and maybe of most value to you--bark mulch greatly controls weeds. Bare dirt is just an invitation for weeds (and lots of work to follow), but bark will keep most of those weeds from germinating--and stifle many weed seeds already present in the soil. This is where compost has to play second fiddle, though; compost certainly can help with weed control, but because it's nutrient-rich, weed seeds that blow in will be more likely to germinate in it than bark. 

With warm, dry weather coming, now is a great time to spread bark or compost in your flowerbeds to keep your plants' roots cooler and the soil more moist. But how much to spread? If you don't currently have any mulch in your beds, plan to build up a base layer of three inches this go-around. In future years, you can spread an inch or two to freshen things up, but you'll achieve the best results with a deeper initial layer.

One of the most common questions we get at Vander Giessen's is, "How much bark do I need?" As a good rule of thumb, plan to spread one cubic yard over 100 square feet at three inches deep. Or, if you just need to freshen things up, a yard covers 300 square feet at an inch deep. At Vander Giessen's, we sell bark and compost in bags and by the cubic yard--and we deliver, too, if you'd rather leave that part of the job to us.

It's summer time, the season when we like to kick back and enjoy a break from the busy pace of the rest of the year. If your flowerbeds could use some fresh mulch, you'll eliminate a lot of work and stress on your plants for the rest of the year with a little time invested now. This weekend, enlist your family members to help spread some bark or compost in your beds. With less needed watering and fewer weeds for the rest of the year, you'll be glad you did!

Four Generations

Four of the now five generations of family business!

At Vander Giessen Nursery, we're celebrating 75 years of family-owned and operated business. Back in 1938, James Vander Giessen opened his first greenhouse in his backyard, and this year marks three-quarters of a century since he made the leap from backyard hobby into business.

While James never lived to see the business develop into what it is today--he passed away in the early 1950s--we're proud to now be in the third and fourth generations of family ownership and operation. We're incredibly thankful for our loyal customers, many of whom are in their third and fourth generation of patronage. Without such good customers, we would have faded away years ago--and if you're a relatively new customer to the nursery, we're thankful for you too! It's a joy to help each and every customer who comes through the door, and with your support, we look forward to serving our community for years to come.

So while we're proud of our four--and now five--generations of our family who have either owned, operated or simply grown up around the business, it's you, our customers, who we have to thank. We've worked hard over these years to serve your wants and needs, and as we look to the years ahead, we'll keep at it, always looking for ways to serve you better!

Simple Solutions to Common Garden Problems

Keep your lawn looking its best with a few easy steps!

Your flowers are planted, vacations are starting, and warmer days are becoming more and more frequent—in short, summer is on its way. As you sit back and watch things grow, you’ve probably also started to notice some problems showing up in your lawn and garden. Not to worry—for most garden problems, many people have faced the same battles and there are likely simple fixes. Here are a few of the most common problems and their solutions.

First off, a common lawn disease that begins to show up this time of year: red thread. Characterized by pinkish-brown patches throughout a lawn, red thread is a fungus that shows up most often in warm, humid conditions. With just enough warm, moist days lately, we’re getting perfect conditions for fungi to spread. 

Red thread rarely does more than just aesthetic damage, but you can control it with a couple of simple steps. First, water your lawn in the morning rather than at night. It’s easiest to think about watering after work, but that leaves your grass wet (can you say “humid”?) all night, opening the door to disease problems. 

Secondly, fertilize. Using a high-nitrogen fertilizer like Scotts Super Turf Builder will usually eradicate the symptoms of red thread, turning your lawn a vibrant green once again. If it’s been more than six weeks since you last fertilized, it’s time to do it anyway, regardless of what diseases your lawn might have. 

Finally, if you’re really concerned about red thread in your lawn, be sure that you collect your grass with each mowing instead of mulching it back into your lawn. Mulching has the benefit of returning the nutrient of grass clippings back to the soil, but it can also spread fungal spores around your lawn with each mowing. 

Powdery mildew on rose leaves

In your flowerbeds, a common problem that begins to show up this time of year is powdery mildew. True to name (most common plant disease names are very self-explanatory!), powdery mildew shows up as a white film on the leaves of many plants around the yard. Similarly, black spot (another no-brainer name) is starting to rear its ugly head, particularly on rose bushes. Like red thread, these diseases show up most commonly in moist and mild weather. 

For both of these diseases, there are easy steps you can take to prevent your plants from becoming disfigured or dying. Spray shrubs and perennials with Bayer Insect, Disease & Mite Control to stop the disease from progressing. Then remove any badly-damaged leaves and fertilize your plants to encourage new growth. Be sure to clean up any fallen leaves from around the base of your plants to prevent the disease from spreading later on. 

Lastly, you’ve probably noticed that many varieties of weeds are starting to spread in your lawn. For the best results, skip the “weed & feed” fertilizers—they typically aren’t very effective in weed control—and opt for an easy-to-use spray. Now, it may seem like a great idea to check “kill weeds” off your list right after mowing this weekend, but the best time to kill weeds is at least a few days after mowing—it gives the weeds a chance to grow and gives you more leaf surface area to hit with the spray. A product like Bayer All-in-One Lawn Weed & Crabgrass Killer will kill most common lawn weeds for our area, or, for once-and-done treatment, choose Bayer Season Long, a weed killer that also prevents weeds from returning up to six months after spraying. 

Summer is a great time for relaxation and fun, so don’t stress over reinventing the wheel as you deal with problems around your yard. Stop in at a local independent nursery for easy solutions to the issues you’re facing—chances are, someone there can help you out and get you back to your summer fun in no time.

75th Anniversary Open House!

All year long, we're celebrating 75 years in business--spanning four generations of family ownership and operation. Join us this Saturday, June 15, for our 75th Anniversary Open House! Everything throughout the store will be on sale one day only, so you won't want to miss it.

Some of the big items on sale include our entire selection of fountains--the only other day they go on sale is during our Christmas open house--as well as all of our famous Lynden Baskets! Of course, everything else will be on sale, too, so whether you're looking for a perennial to fill a space in your garden or need to redo your entire yard, Saturday is the day to save big.

While you're here on Saturday, enjoy free refreshments while you shop--and be sure to enter for your chance to win a free fountain!


We're eager to celebrate 75 years this coming Saturday, and we'd love to have you join us!