The Christmas season is well underway: lights are up, Christmas music fills the radio waves and December calendars are packed with parties and family get-togethers. While gardening may not be foremost in your mind this month, there are plenty of gift-worthy items you’ll find at Vander Giessen's that you can give to your favorite gardener—or add to your own wishlist—this Christmas season. For most gardeners, one of the most-used tools [...]
From the football field to a game of chess, a successful player or team anticipates its opponent’s moves and prevents the rival from advancing. In gardening, the same rules apply, and while November isn’t always the most pleasant time for yard work, it’s a crucial time for a few final tasks around the yard and garden to avoid playing catch-up next spring. First, now is the time to put your [...]
By all accounts, autumn has arrived. Although we continue to see unseasonably warm weather, rain has returned, leaves are falling, and plants are beginning to go dormant. Although your mindset for the yard may be one of winding down, here are some easy tasks to accomplish before the season passes you by. 1. October is still a great time to plant shrubs, trees, and perennials as well as colorful, hardy [...]
In the spirit of all things weather-related in 2015, it’s looking like we're starting autumn earlier than normal this year. Sure, September rarely passes without good stretches of nice weather, but after the rain and stormy weather that came at the end of August, you’ve likely seen a lot of your plants starting to show the weariness of a season nearly over. As you gear up for autumn, here are [...]
As anyone who follows us or shops at our nursery knows, we're sold on Jack's Classic water-soluble fertilizer for making your annuals and hanging baskets thrive. And a lot of our customers have taken our advice, with spectacular results. In fact, we've never yet met a customer who was disappointed in Jack's and switched back to what they used before. Now, here's a quick quiz: what's the best type [...]
I love the month of August for many reasons—the upcoming Northwest Washington Fair, late-summer perennials full of color in the garden, and the slight change in the air that signals a new season drawing near. This year, as we anticipate the arrival of autumn (perhaps more eagerly than usual after a long, hot season!), we have much to look forward to. As you seek to revive a summer-weary garden, here [...]
What a summer it’s turning out to be—and there's still plenty of it left! While long-term forecasts can be wildly off, if this summer’s dry weather pattern holds, it may be awhile before we see any worthwhile amount of rain. So, as you take care of your yard and garden, what can you do to keep things green while also being water-wise? First, remember that it’s almost always better to [...]
It’s June, and although the warm, dry weather feels more like late July, summer is only just begun. By now, your garden is likely planted, your flowers are growing and you’re beginning to see the fruits of your labors as plants do what they do best: look beautiful! With the new season upon us, here are a few tips to keeping your garden looking its best and a couple of [...]
As a gardener, I’m always looking for new and exciting plants. And I know I’m not alone—many gardeners I meet are constantly on the lookout for what’s different and exciting. With spring now well underway and the planting season for flowers upon us, here are a few of my favorite unique annuals to enjoy all summer long. The first of my favorite plants is a climber, ideal for pots situated [...]
Think you have crabgrass in your lawn? Let me be blunt: you're wrong. Here in the Pacific Northwest, crabgrass is rarely a significant problem in lawns; in fact, even when it is you won't notice it showing up until summer heat sets in. The fact is, if you think you have crabgrass in your lawn during the cooler spring months, it's not crabgrass at all. It's poa. Somewhere back [...]
