Vander Giessen's Garden Blog

Trusted Knowledge & Inspiration to Help Your Garden Thrive

Delayed-Gratification Gardening–Worth the Wait

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 [...]

2024-12-13T04:16:56+00:00October 15th, 2020|Bulbs, Lawn Care|0 Comments

Making the Most of Your Late Summer Garden

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 [...]

Gardening in a Summer That’s Finally Arrived

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 [...]

Battling the Effects of June Gloom

To say that this year has been unusual is in so many areas of life an understatement. And although the cool, damp weather we’ve had the last several weeks seems unusual, it’s not unprecedented—after all, Washingtonians are the ones who coined terms like “June gloom” and my favorite, “June-uary.” While the last few years have brought us beautiful weather in June, it’s not uncommon for gloomy weather to hang [...]

A Welcome to New Gardeners

In the last two months, as the world has adjusted to the reality of COVID-19, more people than ever before have taken up gardening. Deemed essential businesses in most states, nurseries and garden stores are open to sell vegetable seeds and starts, flowers--and hope. Gardening is a hobby that relieves stress and gives you reason to get outside, so if you’re new to the hobby, welcome! This month, I’d [...]

2021-06-22T18:31:45+00:00May 13th, 2020|Edibles, Fertilizer, Planting, Vegetables|0 Comments

Grow Your Own in Your Happy Place

Given all the seismic shifts to our way of life in March, it feels like far longer than a month ago I last sat down to write about gardening. And while much has changed over the last month, spring flowers continue to bloom, grass is still growing, and gardens are bursting back to life right on schedule. Gardening, unlike many events in our world today, is not cancelled—and for multiple [...]

2020-04-24T03:18:57+00:00April 14th, 2020|Edibles, Insect Control, Vegetables|0 Comments

Making the Most of Spring Gardening

Rudyard Kipling once wrote, “Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade.” To be fair, this hobby we call gardening can be downright hard work sometimes, but what joy to see a garden flourish and know that you played some small part in refining its beauty. With spring officially here, it's time to enjoy working the soil once again. As you start gardening [...]

2020-03-25T04:10:11+00:00March 12th, 2020|Disease Control, Fertilizer, Lawn Care, Plant Care, Shrubs|0 Comments

Rain or Shine, Get Ready for Spring

Like most Washingtonians, I love a good rain—at least the first few of the season. But frankly, I think even the most enthusiastic pluviophiles among us (extra points if you don’t have to look it up!) are ready for a good stretch of sunny, dry weather. As you gear up for early spring in the garden, here are a few can’t-miss tasks to make time for this month. First, before [...]

2020-02-14T04:13:52+00:00February 14th, 2020|Fruit, Lawn Care, Plant Care, Pruning, Roses, Shrubs|2 Comments

Preparing Your Plants for a Winter Wallop

Mild though it’s been so far, winter in the Pacific Northwest doesn’t typically arrive until about the time we start thinking about spring. After last February’s bitter cold winds and blowing snow, remember that there is plenty of potential for winter weather for at least the next six weeks, and maybe as soon as this weekend if forecasters are correct. As you prepare for whatever winter weather may soon arrive, [...]

Best of Lynden — Thank you!

To all who voted for us as 'Best Nursery' in the Best of Lynden contest in 2019, we wish to say thank you! We're honored to have your vote again this year and appreciate the affirmation this award brings. Having served our community for 82 years in 2020, we're ever mindful of the fact that we wouldn't have lasted the better part of a century without the consistent support [...]

2020-01-09T17:42:36+00:00January 5th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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