One of our absolute favorite plants to decorate with during the holidays is the classic Winterberry variety Ilex verticillata commonly known as ‘Winter Red’. This native variety produces plump, bright red berries that look great either placed by themselves in a vase or paired with cut greens in any winter display. When the weather and landscape turn grey, Winterberry is a welcome pop of cheerful color this time of the year.

To take you back a few years, Bill Van Wilgen was having trouble finding a reliable vendor for winterberry and decided we should try growing it ourselves, so he planted it around the Christmas tree field, and ever since it has absolutely thrived! It did so well you can now find Winterberry all over the Van Wilgen’s property, and we use these plants to supply the Winterberry you buy in the store. Additionally, we sell this variety in the spring for you to plant, so you too can enjoy it year-round in your landscape!

The holiday season is upon us! We’re excited to kick off our favorite holiday traditions from baking cookies to decorating for the season. For many of us, nothing says the holidays more than the fragrant smell of a fresh-cut tree. Whether you’re a fan of pre-cut trees or you prefer to cut your own, we’re here to help!
You’ll find pre-cut trees within the black gates just off of the parking lot for easy access, and getting to our tree field is just a quick walk past our perennial department. From there, you can pick up one of our handy saws and start the hunt! With over 16 acres of trees to choose from, including a selection of Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir, Blue Spruce, and Turkish Fir, you’re sure to find the perfect tree.
As you’re searching, you’ll find our team circling the fields, always ready to help. Once you’ve chosen your tree, we’ll tag it and help you cut it down if you need a hand. We’ll transport your tree to our pickup area in the parking lot (no need to lug it around yourself). Simply pull up in one of the pickup lines and we’ll bale and tie your tree to your vehicle. Please note, in order to keep everyone safe, we kindly ask that you stay masked and remain in your vehicle unless otherwise instructed.
Whether you choose to cut your own or go with a pre-cut option, we’re certain the fresh smell of your tree will leave everyone with some good old-fashioned holiday spirit.

“Deer Daisy was here again. I caught Daisy and her friends leaping over the stone wall this morning after enjoying breakfast in my yard.” This is what my Poppy used to tell me all the time. He would act frustrated but secretly he enjoyed seeing them leap, white-tailed, one after the other at sunrise in the garden. As much as he got pleasure from Daisy’s morning shenanigans, he would have preferred if they did not feast on Meme’s favorite hydrangeas.

Poppy did not have all the deer repellents we now have available today. He tried all sorts of home remedies; mothballs, soap shavings, bags of human hair, and metal pie tins tied to stakes.

Maybe they helped for a few days but Daisy was soon back again with her gang to do some more plant damage. If only I knew then what I know now! I could have helped keep Daisy out of the garden and my Poppy could have enjoyed watching them forage in the neighbor’s yard. (tee hee)

Daisy and her herd were creatures of habit. They found a restaurant in my Poppy’s yard they loved to eat at and they went every day. They sometimes ordered different things off the menu and feasted on Meme’s rhododendrons instead of her hydrangeas. Deer are flexible and they will eat whatever is available, even if it is not part of their regular deer diet.

Most of you probably know this but I am going to pretend that I am telling you something groundbreaking. Here it is…since deer are creatures of habit, we need to stop their habit before it even starts. In other words, don’t let your yard become their favorite restaurant. Start applying repellents before the deer start their winter foraging. Deer are extra bold in the winter because their menu choices are limited. They no longer have green grasses and wildflowers to feed on so they need to turn to woody plants. This is when we start to see the damage to our trees and shrubs.

Poppy will be happy that I am protecting my Meme’s transplanted hydrangeas with effective deer repellents. The best deer repellents contain putrescent egg solids, garlic, peppers, oils, and dried blood. Delicious! The deer really do not like the smell or taste of these products and the dried blood tricks them into thinking there is a dangerous predator in the area. If applied to your most vulnerable plants before Daisy’s gang begins feeding this winter, you may not have any problem at all. That is a pretty big promise on my part. Maybe I should rephrase and say that you may have tolerable damage this winter. That’s better.

Here is another ground-breaking secret…use more than one product. I usually recommend a liquid product combined with a granular product. A delicious recipe for success is, Liquid Fence sprayed on the plants combined with granular Deer Scram sprinkled on the ground around the plants. Deer Scram can also be successfully combined with other liquid products such as Deer Stopper and Bobbex. Switch up the menu folks so deer don’t get too used to the repellents. Remember, just because one product worked last year, does not mean it will work again this year. Deer Stopper makes a very cool product called a Barrier Ribbon. This ribbon is 100 feet long and treated with repellent. If staked 30 inches high, this can be an excellent deterrent for deer even entering your yard.

Yes, “Deer Daisy” is beautiful but so is your yard and garden. Put up the “Restaurant is Closed for the Winter” sign on your yard before Daisy and her gang make this their regular eating spot.

Come see us at Van Wilgen’s. We would love to help!