Great Late-Summer Color!
Just because it's late summer doesn't mean you can't have fresh plants. We continue to receive regular deliveries of fresh perennials and shrubs for late summer and fall--check out some of the great color available now!
Beware Downy Mildew on Impatiens
I hate to even have to report this, but it appears that an ugly disease that has spent the last couple of years spreading westward across the country has reached the Pacific Northwest. It's called impatiens downy mildew, and it's quickly becoming the worst enemy of gardeners who love to grow impatiens. If you've struggled with growing impatiens this summer--or just want to be aware of what to watch for--here's [...]
Hydrangeas: When to Prune and How to Change Their Color
Macrophylla hydrangea -- the most common type It's late summer, and despite all the other fun activities you’re trying to squeeze in before fall, now is the time to prune many varieties of hydrangeas around your yard. If you’ve ever struggled with getting your hydrangeas to bloom right—or even if you want to change the color of your blooms—here are some basic tips that can make your [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
Three Reasons to Mulch Your Beds
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 [...]
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 [...]
Simple Solutions to Common Garden Problems
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 [...]
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 [...]
Grow Your Own Food
Yesterday a customer sampled some fresh cilantro as she purchased an herb starter plant--she was amazed at how much better it tasted than store-bought cilantro. Whether you've never grown a vegetable garden or are a veteran gardener, at Vander Giessen's we're here to help you out with growing your own food and discover the difference that fresh truly makes. Through spring we're fully stocked with vegetable starts, seeds and herb [...]