Prepare Now for a Successful Spring

Fall colors this year have been beautiful,
but don't let fallen leaves ruin your lawn!

From the football field to a game of chess, a successful player or team anticipates its opponent’s moves and prevents the rival from advancing. In gardening, the same rules apply, and while November isn’t always the most pleasant time for yard work, it’s a crucial time for a few final tasks around the yard and garden to avoid playing catch-up next spring.

First, now is the time to put your lawn to bed. Leaves are falling, and whether you choose to rake your leaves or suck them up with your lawn mower, be sure to remove them before winter sets in. With the crazy year we’ve had, some trees lost their leaves weeks ago while others are strangely still green. At whatever stage your trees are now, don’t forget to check your lawn for leaves after the last have fallen as any leaves left on grass over winter will smother and kill those areas. 

Now is also the time to prevent insect damage to your turf. Mild, wet weather provides perfect conditions for night crawlers to get active again, and while they can be good for aerating your soil, left unchecked they can turn a smooth lawn into a lumpy, uneven mess. Spread Sevin insecticide now for control of night crawlers and other damaging insects, particularly cranefly larvae, which eat grass roots over winter, killing it by mid-spring.

Another step you can take now to ensure a healthy winter lawn is moss control. While it’s been awhile since we’ve had moss issues, undoubtedly it’s starting to creep back into your lawn now that the rains have returned. Spread ferrous sulfate moss killer to knock it down--available at Vander Giessen's--then, if you haven’t yet applied your Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard fertilizer, do so a week or two after you apply the moss killer to encourage the lawn to fill in over winter, further discouraging moss growth. 

Next, take time to inspect the plants in your flowerbeds. While you’re cleaning leaves out from around your shrubs and perennials, look for any insect damage or the insects themselves. The change in weather has knocked back a lot of the aphids and other insects you might have battled earlier in the year, but if you still see evidence of bugs, it’s wise to spray them now. If we end up with another mild winter this year, a lot of insects will overwinter, so avoid the frustration of damaged plants at the outset of next year by controlling the population now. At Vander Giessen's, we can recommend the best spray or dust to control your bug problems. 

Beautiful daffodils will provide years of reliable,
deer-resistant color in pots or planted in the garden.

Lastly, it’s still prime time to plant bulbs for spring color. Well worth the time spent planting, bulbs brighten up your yard at just the right time when you’re sick of the gray days of late winter and early spring. As a bonus, all of the bulbs at Vander Giessen's are now on sale!

One common frustration I hear from customers who like their flowerbeds to look tidy is the amount of time it takes for bulbs to die down after they bloom. To avoid the “messy” look of dying bulbs, plant clusters of bulbs in black plastic nursery pots (most garden centers will sell you surplus pots), then bury the pots in the ground. 

When the flowers are finished, simply pull the pots out of the ground and move them to a back corner of your yard where the bulbs can die back properly. Not only does this keep your yard looking nice, it allows you to keep better track of where your bulbs are should you choose to replant with different colors or want to divide the bulbs you have.

As you wind down your gardening endeavors for winter, take the proper steps now to ensure a good start to next spring.

50% off Trees, Shrubs & Perennials

It's the last week of our fall clearance sale at the nursery, and we've made one last markdown on our selection of plants. Through Saturday, October 31 save 50% off nearly all of the plants in-stock at the nursery.

Exclusions include the following:

25% off only

• All topiaries
• Monkey puzzle trees
• Mountian hemlock trees

Not on sale

• All winter & Cool Wave pansies
• Emerald Green arborvitae
• House plants 

Take advantage of the deep discounts on our plants while they last and get some planting done yet this fall. Sale ends October 31.

Four Garden Tasks for Fall

Check out the great selection of bulbs
in stock at Vander Giessen's and enjoy
spring color for years to come!

By all accounts, autumn has arrived. Although we continue to see unseasonably warm weather, rain has returned, leaves are falling, and plants are beginning to go dormant. Although your mindset for the yard may be one of winding down, here are some easy tasks to accomplish before the season passes you by.

1. October is still a great time to plant shrubs, trees, and perennials as well as colorful, hardy winter pansies. This summer proved particularly challenging in the watering department, and if you lost a few shrubs or trees, don’t feel too bad—you’re certainly not alone. 

As you work in your yard this month, use the more regular rains we’re getting to your benefit and replace your lost shrubs and trees. Given the continued warm weather, our soil temperatures remain high enough to allow for good root development. In other words, whatever you choose to plant should get nicely established before winter arrives.

When you plant, keep in mind that while you don’t need to fertilize your plants this time of year, you should treat whatever you plant with a transplant solution like Superthrive. Doing so will encourage healthy root development without forcing additional plant growth. 

2. Mid-autumn is the perfect time to plant bulbs for a great show of spring color. Admittedly, in our instant-gratification society, bulbs are a bit of letdown—after all, you’ll leave the nursery with some packages of rather ugly, brown bulbs—but oh, are they worth the wait!

Depending on what types of bulbs you plant, you can look forward to your bulbs multiplying and returning year after year, called ‘naturalizing’. Daffodils (which, by the way, are deer-resistant) are especially good at naturalizing, but many other types will naturalize easily as well. If tulips are your thing, Darwin Hybrid varieties will naturalize the best. Check out the selection of bulbs available at Vander Giessen Nursery and let us help you choose the best, most colorful bulbs for your setting.

When you plant your bulbs, throw some bone meal in the hole before you plant; if you already have existing garden areas or pots with bulbs from last year, now is also the time to sprinkle some bone meal on the soil surface. Simply scratch it in lightly and let the rains wash it into the soil to feed your bulbs as they gear up for next spring. 

Apply Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard
in late October or November for a
healthy lawn this winter

3. Now is the time to begin preparing your lawn for winter. Our dry summer stopped most moss growth, but as the rains return, you’ll likely see moss begin to reestablish itself in your lawn. If some of the forecasts I’ve seen are right, we’re in for another mild winter, and that makes for ideal moss-growing conditions. 

Head off any future moss problems now by applying Super Sweet lime to your yard. Not only will moss problems be minimized, your grass will be better able to utilize the fertilizer you apply. Late this month or sometime next month—after your last mowing of the year—feed your lawn with Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard to keep your grass healthy through winter and ensure a quick green-up in spring. 

4. Keep your winter and trailing Cool Wave pansies looking their best with a couple feedings of Jack’s Classic Petunia Feed this fall and winter. While formulated for petunias, this fertilizer has the extra iron pansies need to keep dark green leaves and large flowers. Don’t worry about feeding as regularly as you do your summer flowers, but if you remember to fertilize even once a month, you’ll see a marked improvement in how your plants look.

As you begin to put your yard to bed this month, take the opportunity to plant for spring and keep your yard looking its best—and enjoy the chance to savor autumn’s beauty!

40% off Shrubs, Trees & Perennials!

Fall is in the air! With cooler temperatures, shorter days and more regular rains, there's no doubt that autumn is in full swing. And right now, the fall clearance sale at Vander Giessen's is in full swing as well!

Through October 31, the remaining shrubs, trees and perennials at Vander Giessen Nursery are on sale at 40% off. Exclusions include the following (applicable to all fall clearance coupons as well):

25% off only

• All topiaries
• Monkey puzzle trees
• Mountian hemlock trees

Not on sale

• Fall flowers
• Emerald Green arborvitae
• House plants

Included in this sale are many hard-to-find conifers, gorgeous blooming shrubs and a great selection of perennials--among plenty of other plants as well. Supply is limited, though, and once it's gone, it's gone until next spring, so stop in soon for best selection.

It's Time to Renew Your Yard

It's time to overseed to fill bare and dead patches in
your lawn. Image courtesy bobvila.com

In the spirit of all things weather-related in 2015, it’s looking like we're starting autumn earlier than normal this year. Sure, September rarely passes without good stretches of nice weather, but after the rain and stormy weather that came at the end of August, you’ve likely seen a lot of your plants starting to show the weariness of a season nearly over. As you gear up for autumn, here are some tasks to set about doing around the yard and garden.

First, it’s time to show your lawn a little love. Whether you’ve let your grass go brown over summer or kept it somewhat green with regular watering, now is the time to feed. Especially if you haven’t fed your lawn since spring, once your grass starts to grow again this fall, it’s going to be hungry!

Chances are, you’ll soon start to see ads for winterizing fertilizer, but like I’ve written before, it’s still way too early for that. Right now, your lawn is waking up from summer dormancy, so give it a hearty feeding with Scotts Turf Builder or Turf Builder with Moss Control. Later this fall—anytime from late October until early December—you can apply winterizing fertilizer, but given the stress of this summer, your grass needs the extra nutrients that a spring and summer fertilizer like Turf Builder offers. 

Second, September is the time to overseed your lawn to fill in bare, dead or thin spots. Typically, homeowners who choose not to water their grass during summer still have healthy lawns come fall; even during dry summers we usually get enough rain to sustain a lawn’s root system. This year was different, however, and as your lawn starts to green up with the milder, wet weather, you might be surprised to see areas of your lawn that don’t come back. 

If entire swaths of your yard stay brown this fall, you may have to consider replacing your lawn altogether. If the brown spots are minimal, though, you can overseed. In those areas, use a stiff landscape rake to remove as much of the dead grass as possible and expose some soil. Spread grass seed and starter fertilizer and then crumble a light layer of peat moss over top to hold in moisture. Lightly water the areas you’ve seeded regularly to avoid wide swings between wet and dry and in approximately a week you should see grass sprouting. 

At Vander Giessen's, we carry all the supplies you need for reseeding your lawn, including our own Vander Giessen Mix grass seed blend, as well as starter fertilizer, peat moss, and if you need it, topsoil. And if you're planning to redo your yard entirely, we rent out large landscape rakes and lawn rollers to help you get the job done right. 

As autumn approaches, now is also the time to start planting shrubs, trees and perennials around your yard. Autumn’s cooler weather is ideal for transplanting just about anything into your yard, so take advantage of the changing seasons to get some new plants in the ground. 

Whatever you’re planting, remember that the soil you plant in will make a huge difference in the longevity of your plants. Whether you have heavier clay soil or very sandy soil, your plants will benefit from some organic compost or Black Gold soil conditioner mixed in the hole around each plant. Both compost and soil conditioner help to loosen clay soils and hold moisture in sandy, porous soil.

'Cool Wave' pansies come in several colors and with their
impressive trailing habit bloom all winter long

Finally, add some fresh color to your porch or patio! If you’ve kept your flowers going strong through the heat of summer, kudos to you, but even the best care is no match for a windstorm or heavy rains like we’ve had. Replant your pots with winter pansies—or better yet, Cool Wave trailing pansies—and be rewarded with an abundance of flowers through fall, winter and well into next spring.

At Vander Giessen's, our greenhouse is full of fresh color for autumn, whether you're looking for pansies, mums, asters, cabbage, kale or ornamental grasses. Stop in, pick out a pot and let us help you fill it to make your front porch look beautiful.

A new season is upon us, so make the most of it this fall and enjoy the opportunity to work in the yard and garden without the risk of heatstroke!  

Fall Clearance Sale!

Autumn is traditionally regarded as the best time of year to plant, and that may be especially true this year after the hot, dry summer we've had. Unlike spring and summer planting, autumn planting comes with the benefits of regular rains to help ease watering, cooler temperatures to reduce transplant stress and the natural habit of plants to go dormant in the coming weeks and months, further easing the shock of transplanting.

Right now, nearly the entire selection of plants at Vander Giessen Nursery is on sale at 25% off! The only exclusions from this sale are our 'Emerald Green' arborvitae, fall flowers and house plants.

Now is also the time to begin planting bulbs in your garden for beautiful color come next spring. Check out our great selection of bulbs from Netherland Bulb Company. Grown in Holland, these bulbs will give you a great show next spring and for years to come. Stop in to see our selection of tulips, deer-resistant daffodils, hyacinths and crocus.

After a very dry summer, now is the time to take stock of what plants need to be replaced in your yard--and with cooler weather here to stay, it's time to start planting shrubs, trees and perennials once again. Stop in to see what we have that would suit your yard and save 25% off today!