Just in time for spring break to be over, nice weather has arrived—and timing notwithstanding, what a welcome sight to see so much sun and pleasant temperatures in the forecast! As the ground begins to warm, tulips burst into bloom, and spring-flowering trees steal the show, now is the time to enjoy spending time planting in the garden. Let’s dig in! First, the early days of warm spring weather can [...]
No matter how many times you’ve experienced it, there is something always thrilling about spring. Whether it’s the longer days, new life bursting from once-barren flowerbeds, or the smell of blooming lilacs, spring stirs the hearts of young and old, gardeners or not. As you take advantage of sunny, brisk early spring days, here are some suggestions to start a new season of gardening on the right foot. First, early [...]
For anyone who has paid attention to the weather over at least the last several years, it seems like our winter here in the Pacific Northwest often happens in the latter half of the season. Although we had a mild start to winter, recent weather has brought us some bitter cold, northeast wind, and snow--Pacific Northwest winter in its truest form. For those of us who love to garden, this [...]
I love gardening, and chances are if you’re reading this, you do too. Unique among many hobbies is gardening’s accessibility—just about anyone of any age with any amount of skill living in any sort of home can exercise their green thumb and discover the joy of growing something. Along with successes come challenges, though, and I’m not immune to the failures we all experience in the garden. With hopes that [...]
I love Christmas songs—and frankly, with the year we’ve had, I think we could all use the extra joy that a good old-fashioned Christmas carol brings. Although not really a Christmas song, “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music has somehow worked its way into standard radio Christmas repertoire, and hearing it lately has gotten me to think of some of my favorite things in gardening over the [...]
To put it simply, thank you. 2020 has brought challenges none of us could have anticipated or properly prepared for, and while so many continue to struggle with the loss of jobs or school along with the worry about when we’ll ever get back to “normal” life, we count ourselves so blessed here at Vander Giessen’s. In the midst of everything that happened this spring and has continued throughout [...]
As Thanksgiving approaches, outdoor gardening takes a backseat to indoor activities. And with good reason—short days and cold, wet weather test the mettle of even the hardiest of us webbed-foot Washingtonian gardeners. Although our winters are more mild than many areas of the country, windstorms from the northeast are particularly damaging not so much for the cold they bring as for the drying effect of the wind, which can leave [...]
Falling leaves, soaking rains and shorter days—October has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. While it’s easy to think that gardening is finished for the season, there is still plenty to do, albeit tasks somewhat devoid of instant gratification. But good things come to those who wait, so catch a break between showers, put on your grubby clothes, and embrace autumn gardening! First, October is just about the perfect time [...]
Puffy white clouds in a bright blue sky, tassled sweet corn beginning to mature, and dahlias in full bloom—this is summer in the Pacific Northwest. After a delayed start to the warm weather this year, we’ve finally enjoyed some real summer temperatures and sunny days in the last month. As your garden offers the best of its summer glory before the decline into autumn, here are some tips to [...]
I don’t mean to be a complainer, but is it too much to ask for just something about 2020 to be normal? After the coolest start to summer since 2002, we’ve finally turned a corner into a good stretch of sunny, warm weather. But with so much cool, damp weather to start the season, some aspects of gardening have proven challenging and may require extra attention on your part. As [...]
