What's up at Vander Giessen's?

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!