An old proverb states that “the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is now.” Although well-suited for applications from investing in your retirement fund to repairing broken relationships, the gardening application is not to be missed, either. Yes, spring is when most gardeners get excited about planting, but for so many of the aspects of gardening, a head-start months before spring in [...]
Early autumn in Pacific Northwest is arguably the best time of year–cool, crisp mornings, warm sunny afternoons, and the return of occasional rains to help water the garden as you enjoy the waning days of harvest and summer’s final wave of blooms. Additionally, early autumn is the best time of year to plant, whether shrubs, trees, or perennials, and offers the opportunity to refresh your planters for a new season. [...]
Fresh produce from the vegetable garden, warm summer sun, and the sweet aroma of raspberries hanging in the air: this is summer in Whatcom County. While there’s so much to love about this month, July can bring a number of challenges to your garden success if you’re not paying attention. To ensure your plants continue to thrive, here are a few tips for this month in the garden. First, this [...]
Although not explicitly a Christmas song, “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music has long been associated with Christmas, regularly playing on radio during the holiday season. Truth be told, for us gardeners, the spring season holds more than a few of our favorite things never mentioned in the classic song. As we enjoy a gloriously sunny break from the wet weather that dominated March, here are a few [...]
For the home gardener, nothing is quite as rewarding as harvesting fresh, ripe produce from the garden. Growing your own food is one of life's special joys, and 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 [...]
The late Robin Williams famously said, “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’” For gardeners, it’s easy to understand the sentiment—with bulbs bursting into bloom, flowering cherries and forsythia showing off their bright spring colors, and a kaleidoscope of other spring flowers soon to come into bloom, the fun time of year in the garden is just beginning. As you start working around your yard this month, here are [...]
A piece I read in a magazine the other day encouraged me to change my attitude about the things on my to-do list—to see the work not as a chore but as an opportunity and a blessing. As we look at our final gardening tasks for the season, let’s “switch the O to an E”: focus not on the things we’ve “got” to do, but on the things we “get” [...]
Josephine Neuse is credited with saying that contrary to those who say that gardening begins in spring, “gardening begins in January with a dream.” While I appreciate the sentiment—and often dream of spring in the cold, dark days of winter—I would argue that for many aspects of gardening, the adventure begins in autumn. With mild temperatures, blue skies, and that crisp fall morning air, this “second spring” is the perfect [...]
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 [...]
When our son was three, he used to get excited when he would hear a “fever bird”—chickadee, to the rest of us—singing its spring melody. With a call that to the anticipating ear does sound like a sweetly-spoken “fee-ver,” the chickadee’s song reminds me now each spring of the excitement I feel as the new season arrives. As spring begins, let’s consider a few of the tasks to get started [...]
© 2026 Vander Giessen Nursery, Inc. • All rights reserved • 401 E. Grover St, Lynden WA 98264
