January in the Pacific Northwest can present a challenge for gardeners caught in the “almost, but not yet.” As is often the case, we’re sitting square in the middle of a mild stretch of weather—not spring-warm, but not winter-cold, either. Lest we forget, though, winter in western Washington often arrives later in the season—so often, February brings cold and snow. As you anticipate the coming season, here are a [...]
Please note our upcoming holiday closure and modified winter hours. Changes are as follows: December 24: 9:00-12:00 December 25-January 12: Closed Beginning January 13: Winter Hours — Open Monday-Friday 9:00-4:30 Thank you for your business once again in 2024. We are deeply grateful for the trust and support of our local community and look forward to helping you in your lawn and garden projects again in 2025!
By and large, gardening is a forgiving hobby. Plant something too close to another plant? You can often dig it up and transplant it into a larger space. Prune a shrub wrong? Don’t worry, it will grow back. And maybe worst: put Roundup in your sprayer instead of lawn weed killer? Well, you can always reseed. The fact is, gardens are by nature works in progress; nothing is ever complete, [...]
Thank you to everyone who came out for our Christmas Open House! We enjoyed seeing so many faces--familiar and new--and were honored to be a part of your holiday celebrations. Have a wonderful Christmas season! It's that time of year once again--our Christmas open house at Vander Giessen's! For many of the 86 years we've been in business, we've hosted an open house to kick off the Christmas [...]
In today's fast, self-focused world, even the best of us often forget to say thank you. Gratitude is a long-since forgotten virtue in modern society--and if you need any convincing of that, just look at how Thanksgiving has been sidelined for the more commercialized holidays that flank it on the calendar, Halloween and Christmas. If anything, Thanksgiving is only recognized for the turkey and football, with little thought given [...]
As the last of autumn’s beauty succumbs to the effects of time and weather, we’re reminded that once again, the seasons are changing. With short, dark November days upon us, it’s time to wrap up the work around the yard and put your garden beds to sleep for the winter. In the short hours of daylight we have to work with this time of year, here are a few things [...]
Each year at the nursery we take questions from customers asking what type of soil we have--is it acidic, neutral or basic? Some people even go to the work of buying a pH test to determine for themselves just how acidic or basic their soil is. Frankly, though, it's hardly worth the money to have your soil professionally tested. Why? Our soil in the Northwest is notoriously acidic. Period. If [...]
Gardening is an exciting hobby if for no other reason than no two days spent outside are exactly alike. Although the changes from day to day are incremental, go away for a week and you’re sure to notice how much things have changed the minute you pull into your driveway. Likewise, the shift from summer to fall brings sweeping changes to the landscape and to the rhythms of this hobby [...]
All of our pumpkins are now sold out for the season. See details for other sale items below, and hurry in for best selection. Fall has arrived at the nursery! We're fully stocked with pumpkins, corn stalks, fall flowers and more for making your front porch look its best this season. With the weather shifting from summer to fall, now is the time to refresh your front porch [...]
In an old comic strip I read recently, the characters lamented the fact that even though the days of July and August are some of the longest of the year, the months seem the shortest. Indeed, summer’s balmy weather and long days are fading quickly, and as September ushers in the shortening of daylight hours and the beginning of a new season, it’s time to make the transition to early [...]
