We have all heard the phrase ‘April Showers bring May Flowers’ but there are a few things we need to do to freshen up our gardens. April is the perfect time for spring clean-up! Start with simple raking and going for a clean slate in the garden. Prune any broken branches, and fix any uneven ground by adding Van Wilgen’s Topsoil or Compost.

Next, is the all-important new layer of mulch. Mulching is a great way to start off your garden for the season and give it a refresh. Apply a 2-3” layer of mulch to the base of your plants. Be sure to keep the mulch at least 3’’ away from the stem of any plant. Not only does mulch help to settle in the roots, but it also provides warmth, holds in moisture, suppresses weeds, encourages growth, and makes your beds look beautiful!

We understand that everyone has their own personal style when it comes to mulch. Whether it’s the classic look of Black Mulch, a fragrant Cedar Mulch or something in between, Van Wilgen’s has something just right for your landscape. One of the biggest questions we get is “How much mulch do I need?” Make sure you know the dimensions of your bed and how thick you would like it, and our mulch calculator will do the work for you! Plus, you can order mulch online and schedule delivery right to your home.

Not quite sure what you are looking for and need a visual to get your creative juices flowing? Stop by the store to see a sample of our mulches. Need a bag or two to finish up a big project? Our Van Wilgen’s bagged mulch is a perfect match for our bulk mulches. Choose from our Cedar, New England Pine Bark, Hemlock, Black, and Dark Bark mulches.

You’d be amazed at what a fresh application can do for your landscape. Once applied, it’ll look like you have a whole new garden.

Shop Bulk Mulch

It shouldn’t come as a surprise when visiting the “stinky” department at Van Wilgens that some of our team LOVE fertilizer! We “Fertilize, Mulch and Preen” which rhymes with a “1-2-3 routine”

Fertilize
We love fertilizer because it can be so helpful to our plants and the environment; veggie gardens will give you a much greater yield; annuals will push out more bloom; trees will establish deeper root systems, and shrubs will be less prone to disease.

Should I Fertilize?
In a nutshell…Yes!

What kind of Fertilizer do I need?
There is a fertilizer for every seed, every plant, and for every time of the year, so there are different categories of fertilizers:

Tone bags

Mulch
Mulching is considered one of the most beneficial things you can do for your soil and your plants. It is a vital step in keeping your plants healthy and thriving. A layer of mulch will help prevent the germination of many weed seeds, reducing the need for cultivation or use of herbicides. Over time, mulches made from organic materials break down and increase your soil’s structure and fertility. Mulches help moderate the soil temperature and retain moisture during dry weather, reducing the need for watering. Mulch also protects the soil from the impact of raindrops that can cause crusting.

Preen
Nope, this isn’t how bird’s keep their feather neat, it’s a granular pre-emergent put down after mulching, in early Spring, to prevent weed seeds from germinating

We have all heard the phrase ‘April Showers bring May Flowers’ but it turns out there are few things we need to do to freshen up our gardens. April is the perfect time for spring clean-up! Starting with simple raking and going for a clean slate in the garden, prune any broken branches, and fix any uneven ground by adding Van Wilgen’s Topsoil or Compost. Next is the all-important new layer of mulch. Mulching is the perfect way to get your garden off to a great start. Not only does it help settle in the roots, but it will provide warmth, hold in moisture, suppress weeds, encourage growth, and make your beds look all around beautiful.

We understand that everyone has their own style when it comes to mulch. Whether it’s the classic look of Black Mulch or Van Wilgen’s favorite Pine Bark Mulch we have one that’s just right for your landscape. Probably the biggest question we get is “how much mulch do I need?”, no problem, visit VANWILGENS.COM click on the mulch tab and we have a handy mulch calculator. Pop in the dimensions of your bed and how thick you would like it and we do the work for you! Would you rather have your mulch delivered? We just made that a little easier for you, you can also order mulch online and schedule delivery right to your home. Easy peasy!

Not quite sure what you are looking for and need a visual to get your creative juices flowing? Our North Branford store has several display gardens for you to walk through, sometimes seeing it in person is just what you need for inspiration. We hope to see you soon!

Jason Scire, Nursery Manager

Big or small, that patch of earth in your backyard is a part of the planet we live on. Celebrate Earth Day by being kind to it. Like you, all of us at the garden center enjoy digging in the dirt and outdoor living. Here are a few of our favorite ways to “go green” this week and year-round.

• Plant a Tree. So for us, this is a no-brainer. Aside from the fact that we love beautiful the green canopy they create, they produce the oxygen we breathe. The amount produced by an individual tree is dependent on its species, maturity, and health. They also assist in filtering pollution from the air, and in reducing erosion.

• Mulch your Garden. Applying a layer of mulch to your flower beds not only limits erosion, but it also reduces the need to water. Mulching also means less weeding, and that’s a win/win

• Plant Milkweed and Fill a Planter with Annuals. Though it may be a weed to some, this plant is the only food eaten by the kind of caterpillars that become monarch butterflies. While you’re at it, fill one of your annual planters with flowers that welcome pollinators. The results will be beautiful and beneficial!

• Grow Your Own. Nothing tastes like vegetables that you’ve grown yourself. Whether you just grow a pot of tomatoes on the patio or you expand your large vegetable garden, you’ll be able to say, “I grew this, and it’s delicious!” ​

These are all kinds of practical ways to be kind to the earth 365 times a year. In the Garden is a great place to start.