A few spring pictures...

Tell Us What You Think

If you follow our blog with any regularity, you'll notice that we've recently updated the appearance of the blog; we haven't really changed any of the actual content--we simply gave the blog a fresh look.

That said, we're always looking to improve how we can serve you better, and our blog is no exception. So, tell us what you think! Please feel free to e-mail us at info@vandergiessennursery.com to let us know what you'd like to see more of (or less!) on our blog. Maybe it's plant suggestions for the northwest Washington region, maybe lawn or garden care tips...whatever it is, we'd like to be able to serve you better!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

David

Making a List, Checking it Twice

The last time I wrote, I noted the beautiful weather we'd been having, saying that you wouldn't know it's still winter. Well, since that time, we've had our fair share of crazy winter weather, with a couple dustings of snow and several nights of sub-freezing temperatures. With that kind of weather, you'd think Santa was on his way again!

But, fortunately, it looks like we're beyond the cold temperatures and snow--our typical spring rain appears to be here to stay (at least for awhile!). So, while you wait for temperatures to warm up a little bit more before you head out to your garden, now is the time to start making some lists.

When you have a moment, take some time to walk around your house and examine your shrubs and trees. This winter was particularly hard on many plants. Why? It's not uncommon for us to have cold temperatures or wind storms, but this year, we were hit with both--at the same time. The combination of cold and wind left many plants essentially freeze-dried. As you look around your house, you may notice several plants--especially those with a northeast exposure--damaged or dead. Those plants which are evergreen may look wilted or have crispy leaves; deciduous plants may have blackened stems or fail to produce new buds in the next couple weeks.

So, what should be on your "To Do" list this time of year? Here are a few items to plan for as you gear up for spring:

1. Prune your roses. For shrub roses (Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, Floribunda, etc.), prune back to 12-18 inches, assuming you already pruned them halfway back last fall. If you don't normally prune your roses back that far, use your best judgement for how much to prune, remembering to leave an open center. Roses don't like to have crowded canes (i.e. stems).
   
2. Apply a systemic insecticide with fertilizer to any Spruce or other evergreens that may be susceptible to insects or disease. Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub is an excellent, easy to use product that only requires application once a year.
   
3. Watch your deciduous shrubs and trees closely to see if they bud. Spring is coming a couple weeks later than usual this year, but you may need to replace some of your plants after the hard winter. Make notes of which plants you will need to consider replacing.
   
4. Prune any damaged-but-salvageable plants. Pruning before they put on their spring growth will allow them to rebuild the lost plant structure sooner than later.
   
5. Prepare to prune your topiaries! The best time of year to prune topiary form shrubs and trees is early spring, before they put out their new growth. If you're daunted by the prospect, give us a call--we can recommend a landscaper to trim them for you or schedule it ourselves.
   

Of course, you should also start to plan for your annuals and hanging baskets, but we'll save that for another day. In the meantime, dig out your gardening tools and prepare to start working in your garden--spring is coming!

Here we Grow Again!

Looking outside today, you wouldn't know it's still winter. The fact is, we have a month of winter left to go before we can ring in a new season. But who cares what the calendar tells us--spring is on the way! Hopefully--and we've got our fingers crossed--the beautiful weather we've been enjoying as of late is a harbinger of things to come!

That said, we at Vander Giessen Nursery are proud to have opened our doors for our 72nd season at 9:00 yesterday morning. We currently have primroses, pansies, Jackson and Perkins roses and deciduous trees in stock. Now is a great time to browse our rose selection and pick out the latest and best varieties! Check out the rose page on our website (www.vandergiessennursery.com) under "Plants" to see what we have to offer this season.

Now is also the time to visit our nursery and place your order for custom-planted hanging baskets. If you know what you want, why take the chance that we might not have it available when you come to shop later in the spring? We're happy to let you browse our selection of basket stuffers and pick out the custom mix you want!

So stop by, browse our newly-arriving selection of plants, and start to plan for what you'll do in your garden this year. Spring is in the air!

It's coming!

Valued Customer,

Thank you for your patronage of Vander Giessen Nursery in 2008. With your encouragement and requests, we expanded our product selection last season to include a wider and better selection of annuals and hanging baskets, as well as having more perennials and new varieties of shrubs and trees outdoors.

Spring 2009 is just around the corner, and we're busy working in our greenhouses, growing the high-quality bedding plants and hanging baskets you've come to expect; moreover, we're developing new color blends of Lynden Baskets and will be introducing other varieties of hanging baskets and basket stuffers never before seen in our greenhouses.

While we get started in our greenhouses, we will be closed to the public. If you have any questions or wish to speak with us about buying shrubs or trees, or if you would like to place a custom order for hanging baskets, please call the phone number below or e-mail us--we'll be happy to answer your questions or set up an appointment for you to visit the nursery!

Thanks again for your business in 2008 and we look forward to serving you once again in 2009--we'll be opening for business once again on February 16!

Phone: (360) 354-3097
E-mail: info@vandergiessennursery.com

For unto us...

The Christmas season will soon be drawing to a close--Christmas Day is just a night's sleep away. Soon we will be packing up the ornaments and decorations, throwing away the crumbled shreds of wrapping paper, finishing off the last of the cookies and fudge and gearing up for a new year. The holiday festivities will be over and we'll resume our daily routines once again.

But what do we have to learn from Christmas? Yes, we can rattle off the regular "peace on earth" and "joy to the world" jargon, but how do we live out the real meaning of the season? Maybe it should start at home--let's put Christmas into action with the ones we love. Let's practice giving--not just presents, but our time. In a world so fast-paced as ours today, let's make an effort to spend more time with our loved ones. Time is a precious commodity--spend it wisely.

Let's also practice giving to our communities. Our economy is suffering at the present time; one way we can help ourselves is to help those around us. As a local, family-owned business, we rely on the support of our surrounding community. In the coming year, we will strive more than ever to support the ones who support us, and that, too, is a gift we can all give--community support.

And let's share the good news. Christmas truly is a time of joy, and once again we have so much to be thankful for. There is a lot of suffering in the world, but we can still give thanks for the many blessings given to us. Christ has come to us, not in the surrounding of a lavish palace or royal estate, but in a smelly, noisy stable in Bethlehem. At this time of year, let's humble ourselves and be thankful for our blessings, for Salvation has come to earth.

"For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given..." --Isaiah 9:6

Kneeling at the manger with you,
David

Cold weather is a-coming!

We're still eight days away from the Winter Solstice, but step outside today and you'll know that winter is here. As I write this, the temperature is hovering right at freezing; add in the windchill and it feels more like the upper teens or low 20s!

The good news is that we're supposed to have sun for the next few days; the bad news is that it's supposed to stay cold--well below freezing--for several days. Cold temperatures like these can be very hard on any potted plants that you still have outdoors, so here are a few tips for gardeners:

First, if you have any potted plants still outside (many people have potted topiaries by their front door or in front of their garage), take note of their exposure to the wind. Particularly if the plants are exposed to the northeast wind, you will want to consider relocating them to a more sheltered area.

Second, move any exposed plants into your garage for the duration of the freezing temperatures. Don't have a garage? Move your pots under your eaves or into a sheltered corner next to your house. Moving plants next to your house can increase the temperature by 10 degrees or more.

Third, mulch around the surface of your pots to provide some insulation. For added benefit, wrap pots with old blankets to further protect the roots from freezing.

Follow these steps and you'll minimize or prevent any winter damage to your plants caused by freezing temperatures. And when you're finished moving and insulating your plants, be sure to get a cup of hot chocolate for yourself--you'll need it to warm up!