News

2/17/12 :: 2012 Plant Hardiness guidelines ::
We've been getting quite a few questions asked lately about the updated plant hardiness guidelines for 2012. While many areas of our country (including even our local communities) have changed a bit, it is really no cause for alarm or reason to change your plant choices. After all, the maps and updated zones are still only guidelines, and variable winter weather will always play a significant role in the success you have with your plants "overwintering." Still, a lot of research has gone into the new guidelines, so check them out yourself... you can find the new zones and maps here. And as always, you can contact us with any questions you have.

2/1/12 :: January Perennial of the Month ::
Not since March of 2005 have we stumped you all with our Perennial of the Month Contest, and even after some hints, no correct entries were submitted for last month's POTM.  The correct identification would have been Geranium 'Orion.'  Thank you to everyone who gave their best shot!  Let's try again... this time quite a bit simpler.

1/31/12 :: 2012 Perennial Plant of the Year ::
This past year the PPA (Perennial Plant Association) chose their Perennial Plant of the Year for 2012, and the winner is... Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' PP13859!  The PPA chooses a perennial plant each year which exhibits qualities exceeding those of most perennials.  Without a doubt, this variety of Brunnera is well-deserving of this award.  Its heart-shaped leaves are a bright silver marbled with deep green veining, which brighten up any partial-sun or shady area which Brunnera perform well in.  Add to that light blue flowers resembling Forget-Me-Nots appearing in late spring to early summer (May-June), and you have a very unique plant for any garden.  'Jack Frost' grows about 12-18" tall and has a tidy spread of around 18-24".  Give Brunnera 'Jack Frost' a try in your yard this year, especially if you have shade or only half-day sun... you will be impressed!  W.W. has carried this variety for many years, along with many other Brunnera, so stop in and check them all out this season.  (You can find past POTY nominations by clicking here, and you can visit PPA's site by clicking here.)

1/3/12 :: December Perennial of the Month ::
There were no correct entries submitted to our POTM this past month, so we're holding it over one last month to see if anyone can guess it.  Again, it is a hardy Geranium, but it is not Geranium 'Rozanne.'  So... Geranium '_____________'. Try one more time!

12/1/11 :: November Perennial of the Month ::
We had a few close entries this past month, but not quite close enough to announce a winner. Hint - it is a hardy Geranium, but it is not Geranium 'Rozanne.' It is a hybridized variety/cultivar, meaning it has no real clear-cut species, so the general species entries of last month really aren't correct either. We're just looking for the variety name... Geranium '_____________'. Let's try again!

11/23/11 :: Make holiday shopping easier ::
The holidays are upon us, and like it or not, shopping season has begun. Why not think Spring this holiday season and choose a W.W. Gift Card? They make a great gift for any gardener in your life, even if that gardener is YOU! 3 convenient ways to order... stop in anytime (normal office hours are M-F 9-4), call to order and we'll send the card(s) out (616.669.0134), or order online and we'll send the card(s) out. Give the gift of SPRING!

11/15/11 :: W.W. closes for 2011 ::
The time has come once again to shut our doors for the winter months and get ready for 2012. We appreciate the opportunity to serve all of you this past season, and look forward to next year! Keep an eye on our Facebook page and our website here for continued updates, photos, and new plants for 2012. And don't forget the holiday season approaching, as W.W. gift cards make a great gift... stop in anytime (normal office hours are M-F 9-4), call to order (616.669.0134), or order online. Thank you all again for your patronage, see you next April!

11/1/11 :: October Perennial of the Month ::
This past Perennial of the Month contest was a little tougher than usual, but congratulations goes to "murphysj64" for pretty much nailing it... Gentiana andrewsii. Our November POTM is now posted, and it should be an easy one to get close... but can you guess the exact variety?

10/19/11 :: Website update ::
Website appearance updates continue, thank you for your patience during this process. If you have any feedback, let us know!

10/6/11 :: Website upgrade ::
We are still in the process of upgrading our website, and we apologize for the last week or so when it has been down periodically during testing. Also, you may receive some security warnings when visiting secure areas of our site, as our security certificate is not yet registered with the updated domain. Contrary to the warnings, our site is secure and the certificate is working properly, and we should have the certificate finalized correctly within a week. Again, thank you for your patience. 

10/1/11 :: September Perennial of the Month ::
Only one close entry this past month, when we thought it would be easy. The POTM for September was Salvia nemorosa 'Snow Hill', and only one person was close with "Salvia." That entry winner's name needed to be withheld for privacy, but congratulations! A new POTM for October has been posted, this time maybe not so easy... take a guess.

10/1/11 :: October hours ::
Our October garden center hours remain the same as Sepetmber... Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-4pm, and closed Sunday. Mums are in their prime, along with grasses, fall-blooming perennials, and fal decorations like straw, pumpkins, and corn stalks.

9/1/11 :: September hours ::
Our September garden center hours remain the same as August... Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-4pm, and closed Sunday. We are planning to be open on Labor Day, 9am-3pm. Early-season mums are beginning to peak and we'll have many varieties to choose from throughout September and most of October, too. Stop in soon!

9/1/11 :: August Perennial of the Month ::
Many correct entries this past month with it being an easy one to guess, Dicentra spectablis. "hulsebus1" was the first to correctly answer (congratulations!) and a new POTM for September has been posted (another easy one)... check it out.

8/1/11 :: July Perennial of the Month ::
Quite a few close entries and a few were right on, but "j.isaacs" was the first person to correctly identify our POTM for July as Papaver nudicaule 'Summer Breeze Orange'. Congratulations! A VERY easy August POTM is now posted... give it a try.

8/1/11 :: August hours ::
Our August garden center hours will be Monday-Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-4pm, and closed Sunday. Lots of fresh perennials still being re-stocked, and our famous mums will be in color soon, too!

7/11/11 :: Online shopping closed for now ::
We usually shut down our online shopping during July and August as summer heat is not suitable for shipping plants reliably. We are also in the process of doing some upgrading to our store, and should be back in September with some fall items and 2012 offerings. Thank you for your patience...

7/7/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Sandy Sturm of Byron Center and Faye Russell of Grand Haven were picked as our 11th pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

7/1/11 :: June Perennial of the Month ::
Many correct (generic, but correct) responses to our June Perennial of the Month contest... it was a photo of an unknown old Tree Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) from our display gardens, so we were just looking for a genus and species. "HHHagger" was the first to enter a correct guess, congratulations! An easy July POTM is underway... check it out.

6/27/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Barb Veeneman of Nunica and Candice Greinke of Allendale were picked as our 10th pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

6/20/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Wayne Breuker of Hamilton and Carrie Sullivan of Hudsonville were picked as our 9th pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

6/13/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Erin DeBoer of Hudsonville and Denise Johnson of Zeeland were picked as our 8th pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

6/8/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Jennifer Haan of Hudsonville and Laurie Petroelje of Grand Rapids were picked as our 7th pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

6/1/11 :: May Perennial of the Month ::
An absolute ton of responses this month, thank you to all participated! "dgrass" was the first person to correctly identify our May Perennial of the Month as Caltha palustris, congratulations! Perhaps an easy one again for June, but maybe not... check it out.

5/31/11 :: June hours ::
Our June store hours will be Monday-Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, and closed Sunday.

5/31/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Val NyHof of Holland and Barb Bolkema of Grandville were picked as our 6th pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

5/26/11 :: Special Memorial Day hours ::
We will have special Memorial Day hours on Monday, May 30, from 9am to 6pm. We pay tribute to all of those who have served both past and present, and we hope you all have a great holiday weekend!

5/24/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Brenda Tower of Jenison and Shirley DeJonge of Holland were picked as our 5th pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

5/17/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Mickey Siebers of Jenison and Kathi Buma of Holland were picked as our 4th pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

5/9/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Judy DeJonge of Jenison and Paula Compagner of Hamilton were picked as our 3rd pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

5/3/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Barb Kiekover of Hudsonville and Ruth Gifford of Hudsonville were picked as our 2nd pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

5/1/11 :: April Perennial of the Month ::
"bloemermom" is our latest Perennial of the Month winner, congratulations! There were no truly correct entries as the actual variety shown was Buddleia davidii 'Pink Delight,' but we simply accepted "Buddleia." Easy one, right? We'll keep the easy ones going with our May POTM, check it out.

4/30/11 :: May hours ::
Our May store hours will be Monday-Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday 9am-8pm, and closed Sunday. We are tentatively planning special hours for Mother's Day on May 7 (8am-9pm), and Memorial Day (9am-6pm).

4/26/11 :: Weekly winners announced ::
Shelly Brenner of Hudsonville and Stena Kreger of Jenison were picked as our 1st pair of weekly winners, and they will each receive a $10 W.W. gift card. Visit our garden center in Hudsonville and register to win... new winners picked every week!

4/21/11 :: 2011 Spring Opening prize winners announced ::
The following names are the winners of the various prizes given away this past week for our 2011 Spring Opening. Thank you to all of our customers who participated, and congratulations to the winners!

New Garden Bench:
Ellen VandenBerg : Grandville

$10 gift cards to W.W. Greenhouses:
Deb Brandsen : Hudsonville
Sue Edwards : Zeeland
Therese Momber : Sand Lake
Jodee Smith : Rockford
Roger Terpstra : Zeeland

4/20/11 :: 2011 Perennial Listing revised ::
Over 900 varieties now, and still counting. Our 2011 Perennial Listing lists what we plan to carry this season. Some varieties are not yet ready for sale, some will be sold out quickly, and others are not listed which will be available as we add more and later in the season. Keep checking back for future updates...

4/15/11 :: Open for 2011! ::
W.W. has begun the 2011 season! Our April store hours will be Monday-Friday 9am-8pm, Saturdays 9am-5pm, and closed Sundays. We look forward to another great year serving you! Stay tuned for updated photos, prize winners, etc...

4/14/11 :: 2011 Perennial Listing revised ::
Almost 900 varieties and counting included in our 2011 Perennial Listing, which lists what we plan to carry this season. Some varieties are not yet ready for sale, some will be sold out quickly, and others are not listed which will be available as we add more and later in the season. Enjoy!

4/8/11 :: 2011 Annual listing posted online ::
We have also recently posted a quick and simple listing of the annuals we plan to carry for 2011. This is obviously not a complete list, nor will they all be ready at the beginning of our season. But it should give you an idea of the extensive offerings we plan to carry, from new varieties to all of your old favorites. Keep checking back as the list will change...

4/5/11 :: 2011 Perennial listing posted online ::
We have recently posted the first edition of our 2011 Perennial Listing, which lists what we plan to begin the 2011 season with. This is only a start (maybe 70% complete), but we felt it best for you to at least get a taste of what we plan to offer. Enjoy, and keep checking back as we continue to add varieties to this year's edition. Watch for a simple listing of our annuals on this page as well in the near future...

4/1/11 :: March Perennial of the Month ::
"Frazzled10" is our latest Perennial of the Month winner, being the first to correctly guess our March POTM (Physostegia virginiana 'Pink Bouquet'). Congratulations! Our April POTM is now online (another easy one!), check it out.

3/10/11 :: 2011 Spring Opening announced ::
Join us on April 15 and 16 for our annual Spring Opening, ushering in our 26th year of service to our community. Enjoy special discounts, prizes, refreshments, and a breath of fresh air and color at W.W.... see you there!

3/1/11 :: February Perennial of the Month ::
Congratulations goes to "michelle" for being the first person to correctly identify our February Perennial of the Month (Primula 'Green Lace'). Our March POTM is now online (easy one!), check it out.

2/1/11 :: January Perennial of the Month ::
We received numerous entries this past month, compared to December. "dayzluvr" was the first to correctly identify our Perennial of the Month for January (Chelone obliqua 'Hot Lips'). Congratulations, and for the rest of you, we have February's POTM now online for you to try out.

1/3/11 :: December Perennial of the Month ::
There were no correct entries for our December Perennial of the month, so we will hold this POTM over for January, with our gift card prize going from $20 to $25 for the first person correctly identify it. Take a guess!

1/2/11 :: 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year ::
The PPA (Perennial Plant Association) has chosen their Perennial Plant of the Year for 2011... Amsonia hubrichtii. As you may know, the PPA chooses a perennial plant each year which exhibits qualities exceeding those of most perennials. Amsonia hubrichtii is yet another one of those unique plants. This medium to large-scale plant is a southern native, and grows well in our northern climate too along with being very tolerant of any type soil. Valued for its golden fall foliage color, it produces star-shaped flowers that are light blue to white in color, during late spring and early summer (May-June). Amsonia hubrichtii grows about 30-36", and spreads by about the the same 30-36". It tolerates most light conditions, but needs at least a half-day of sun or more to be happy. If you have a spot in your garden or yard that needs something different, and also could use some unique fall color, give Amsonia hubrichtii a try. We'll have them available for you for our 2011 season. (You can find past POTY nominations by clicking here, and you can visit PPA's site by clicking here.)