April showers bring May flowers … and April brought us lots of showers.

May is the month of flowers in the greenhouse, and our greenhouse is bursting at the seams with more color this year than ever before!

As Mother’s Day approaches (Sunday, May 10th) it’s time to think big — just how big depends on you. Mother’s Day is a great day to spend with Mom walking around the greenhouse here at Van Wilgen’s where we have amazing combinations around every corner. Our woven rattan baskets are stunning this year, featuring new plant combinations along with new baskets. You have to check them out!

If you’re thinking bigger, let’s talk about making your own personal combo for Mom’s doorstep. Visit us in the custom container corner (in the front of our greenhouse) to create a combo that’s truly unique for her.

Flower combinations are a great way to have all your favorites in one pot. The best part? You don’t have to choose … you can have them all!

Our top-secret formula for keeping our planters and baskets looking hot all summer long… has been leaked!

It’s only mid-June, but already people are wondering what we do to keep our annual container mixes looking so good all season long. Are we constantly replanting with fresh annuals? Have we simply set the growth regulators to “Awesome?” Is it true what they say about singing to your plants? Let me assure you, with all the pots we have planted on the property the answer is MUCH simpler and much less ridiculous than any of those!

Whether we’re looking at one of our Super Bloom petunias or a more elaborate cone hanging basket overflowing with a variety of annuals, one key thing we’ve been doing since day one is even watering. This means watering more or less once a day, and not letting the plants dry out. If you’ve picked up some of our Slow Release All Purpose Fertilizer, the little black pellets, and you’ve added it to your annual container mixes, even watering also means that every time you water your plant it gets some fertilizer! Those little black pellets break down just a little bit each time you water. Your plants are alive just like you and me, and just like us, they need plant food! My philosophy with annuals, especially potted annuals, is that since they’re not coming back year after year, we want to enjoy them to the fullest extent while we still have them! So call me over the top, but not only do I put a slow-release fertilizer in all of my container mixes, but I follow up weekly with our Bloom Booster fertilizer. This combo is going to ensure you get the most bloom-for-your-buck out of your annual container mixes! With all the crazy floriferous new growth your annuals will be pushing out with this secret formula, you may find yourself having to cut them back around July. That’s right- just like your plants need food, they also need hair cuts. a little trim will promote more branching and more flowering- this translates into fuller bigger plants with even more flowers! Now that you’ve heard our secret for hot container mixes all summer long, try it for yourselves! Come see us in the greenhouse, Darlene loves demonstrating how to cut back annuals using my hair as a prop, and as always we are always more than happy to answer questions and help make sure your plants are the best they can be all season long!

We have the perfect little plant for Mothers’s Day. Spread the love with our ‘Queen of Hearts’! Take a close look and you’ll see there are five striking red hearts on each bloom. Blooming from early spring until late autumn, this spectacular petunia will perform its heart out in pots, baskets, and mixed containers. We have paired this sweet petunia with an I Love Mom cover pot, which makes the perfect gift. ‘Queen of Hearts’ has a semi-trailing habit that will transform your patio or terrace into a colorful summer haven.

Give the Mom in your life a flower that says it all with hearts. Queen of hearts petunia will surely make any Mom’s heart smile.

Darlene Granese, Greenhouse Manager