Garden Blog

Fall Plant Sale: 30% off Shrubs, Trees & Perennials!
Fall Plant Sale: 30% off Shrubs, Trees & Perennials!

Fall Plant Sale: 30% off Shrubs, Trees & Perennials!

Early autumn in the Pacific Northwest is perfect for planting--soil warmed by summer's heat encourages rapid root development while shorter daylight hours and the arrival of cooler weather minimize stress on plants as they root out and get established. No matter what you want to plant, autumn's cooler, wetter weather make for easy transplant for your shrubs, trees, and perennials--and with regular rains arriving later this fall, you soon [...]

David2025-09-05T15:27:21+00:00September 4th, 2025|Sale|2 Comments

Gardening is A Fantastic Word
Gardening is A Fantastic Word

Gardening is A Fantastic Word

Years ago, one of my friends commented on what a wonderful verb “gardening” is. I couldn’t agree more—for those of us who love the smell of freshly cultivated dirt, the warmth of the sun on our skin, and the taste of a freshly-picked carrot, gardening is a fantastic word. As your gardening efforts come to fruition in these summer months, here are a few things to tend to in late [...]

David2025-08-14T21:35:26+00:00August 14th, 2025|Edibles, Fall, Fertilizer, Hot Plants, Insect Control, Perennials, Plant Care, Summer Bloomers, Vegetables|1 Comment

Perennial Hibiscus to Steal the Show
Perennial Hibiscus to Steal the Show

Perennial Hibiscus to Steal the Show

Hibiscus Bloom Update 8/25/25: All varieties of perennial hibiscus are now in bloom and looking spectacular! Stop in to check out their amazing blooms and pick out the perfect plants you can enjoy year after year. If I had to pick one plant that's guaranteed to stop people in their tracks--slack-jawed with wonder at its beauty--that plant would have to be perennial hibiscus. Each year in late summer [...]

David2025-08-25T13:45:45+00:00July 29th, 2025|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Summer 2025 Japanese Maples
Summer 2025 Japanese Maples

Summer 2025 Japanese Maples

Every well-designed garden space includes a variety of different plants, beginning with trees. With an incredible variety of textures, sizes, and leaf shapes and colors, Japanese maples are one of our go-to plants for adding structure--the so-called "bones"--a landscape needs. Whether you have a sprawling acreage with wide, flowing garden beds or garden on a small city lot with neighbors just feet away from your back patio, there are [...]

David2025-08-21T03:35:14+00:00July 10th, 2025|Trees|0 Comments

Five Garden Tips for Summer Success
Five Garden Tips for Summer Success

Five Garden Tips for Summer Success

Warm days, blue skies, and the joyful shrieks of kids splashing in the pool or running through a sprinkler—this is summer in the Pacific Northwest. As you enjoy long evenings spent on the deck or out in the garden, summer is a time to watch your spring plantings grow and thrive. While you tend to your plants this month, here are a few key tips to ensure success in your [...]

David2025-07-10T20:33:40+00:00July 10th, 2025|Insect Control, Plant Care, Pruning|0 Comments

Greenhouse Clearance: Buy 1, Get 2 FREE
Greenhouse Clearance: Buy 1, Get 2 FREE

Greenhouse Clearance: Buy 1, Get 2 FREE

Summer is here, and now is the time to finish planting the pots, hanging baskets and flowerbeds around your house. To help your gardening budget go further, nearly all of our annuals in the greenhouse are now on sale Buy 1, Get 2 FREE! Included in our sale are the following items: 4.5" Basket Stuffers 6-Pack Annuals 4" Premium Annuals 6" Regal Geraniums 6" Papyrus 6" Black-Eyed Susan Vines [...]

David2025-06-24T12:31:09+00:00June 23rd, 2025|Uncategorized|2 Comments

Make Your Backyard a Tropical Oasis
Make Your Backyard a Tropical Oasis

Make Your Backyard a Tropical Oasis

With school buses making their final rounds for the school year and last weekend’s short heat wave, my mindset is shifting to enjoying summer in the Pacific Northwest. Our region boasts some of the most gorgeous scenery and comfortable climate you’ll find anywhere in the summer, but one thing it’s not: the tropics. Whether you’re staying home this summer and want to make the most of your backyard spaces or [...]

David2025-06-13T04:08:14+00:00June 13th, 2025|Annuals, Container Gardening, Creative, Hot Plants, Perennials, Plant List, Shade, Shrubs, Summer Bloomers|0 Comments

In the Garden, God’s Colors Don’t Clash
In the Garden, God’s Colors Don’t Clash

In the Garden, God’s Colors Don’t Clash

My Grandma Vos—long-time owner of Vander Giessen's and gardener par excellence—often advised her customers that “God’s colors don’t clash” when picking out flowers. Her point in offering such advice was to encourage customers to plant what looked good to them; after all, gardening is meant to be fun, so why stress over what plants “work”? Whether you like bold, saturated colors in your containers or prefer the muted elegance [...]

David2025-05-19T17:38:13+00:00May 19th, 2025|Annuals, Container Gardening, Container gardens, Design, Hot Plants, Summer Bloomers|0 Comments

Tomato Days 2025!
Tomato Days 2025!

Tomato Days 2025!

As you may have discovered in the last several years--or at least gained a fresh appreciation for--growing your own food is both enjoyable and rewarding. Whether you're a first time gardener or have shopped with us for years, we're excited to help make your gardening budget go further with Tomato Days! Each year, in late April or early May, we offer a selection of some of our most popular [...]

David2025-04-28T14:12:17+00:00April 23rd, 2025|Edibles, Fertilizer, Sale, Vegetables|2 Comments

Four Must-Haves for a Complete Landscape
Four Must-Haves for a Complete Landscape

Four Must-Haves for a Complete Landscape

Gardening in April requires maximum flexibility: a day’s forecast may run the gamut of rain, wind, a chance of thunder—and hopefully, sun. This is nothing unique to the Pacific Northwest, either; just be glad we don’t typically have to add snow showers to that forecast! Whether you’re finally getting around to landscaping the new home you bought a few years ago or just need to replace some overgrown plants around [...]

David2025-04-11T14:16:57+00:00April 11th, 2025|Annuals, Bulbs, Conifers, Design, Perennials, Planting, Trees|0 Comments

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