Explore every episode of the podcast Valley Nursery Plantcast

You can stop staring out the window and start getting dirty folks - gardening season is upon us. This list of what you CAN do in the garden is much longer than what you can't. In this episode, we help navigate what tasks to tackle first in this episode. Bareroot shrubs are here and our fruit tree selection is plentiful and now is the perfect time to plant them all. Lots of things are starting to produce buds and some of those budding plants would benefit from pruning (we'll guide you toward who and how). We are always happy to help guide you in the direction of gardening success and joy and this episode is no exception!

There are plants in the ground at Valley older than the hosts of the podcast and nearly as beautiful (but certainly not as charismatic). The trees work to enhance the property and serve as examples to what plants purchased here can grow to be. On this episode - we highlight seven of those legacy trees planted years ago and describe how customers can find success with them in their own landscapes. 

We already believe that our nursery is something special. Our team of Certified Professional Horticulturists elevate our ability to serve our customers with their extensive plant knowledge. Their willingness to help folks diagnose problems or plan for planting or troubleshooting and sometimes even celebrate is that little extra that we are so proud to offer. We dive into what it takes to become a horticulturist with Holly Osborne, the director of the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association on this episode AND we chat with two of our own horticulturists about what they actually DO here at Valley. And yes, it's more than just watering. 

We chat with Katie Miller from Saltwater Seeds about cultivating seeds specifically for our Maritime Northwest climate. Valley offers more than 60 varieties of seeds from this local producer and talking with Katie about the work and responsibility of being a steward of seeds is an inspiration to anyone interested in having a successful vegetable garden this year (and yes! they have flower seeds too!).

You've pruned for shape and air and light, now it's time to focus the fruit tree's energy on what they are made for ... fruit. Fan favorite Sam is back for another insightful interview on this episode. 

January is synonymous with new beginnings - let it be so with your garden. Planning, pruning, prepping are all past times to indulge in during these cold winter days. Pops of color and early bloomers (hello hellebores) are also in and ready to plant. Find out how you can set your self up for a successful 2025 garden with Justin and Erin's tips in this episode!

Christmas Trees may be the granddaddies of Christmas decor but wreaths and poinsettias are stalwarts of holiday tradition. Both classic symbols have rich history and we tell their stories on this episode as well as offering tips on how to keep them bright, fresh and full of cheer as the season continues to brighten your homes. Merry, holly and jolly ... fa la la. 

Christmas shopping got you all a twitter? Still searching for that perfect something? Want to find unique treasures for everyone on your list - regardless of the color of their thumb? We've got you friend. Our resident gift giving expert Bailey sits down with us to chat about items we have to wow even the trickiest recipient on your list this holiday season. 

Baring survival of impending bomb cyclons and atmospheric rivers, there's not a whole lot to do as the rain sets in. What there is to do we are happy to tell you about with candor and rays of light shooting from our eyes. Intrigued? Always. 

The soil your plants are in determines their health and there is no one in Kitsap County with more passion for soil health than Nick Penovich. Justin and Erin had the pleasure of chatting with the founder of Soil Science Products about what you can be doing in your garden right now to create optimal soil conditions for exceptional growth year round. 

Staring at the rain - wishing you had something bright to focus on and help the gloom seem a little less ... gloomy? Want something to pop in the ground and add some interest to your garden this winter? Well loyal listener (or newfound friend) look no further than this podcast! Justin and Erin chat about shrubs that bloom after all the summer petals have fallen and the big dark has descended. Fall is the ideal time to put these darlings in the ground and the nursery has them in stock now!

We've told you once and we'll tell you again - proper planning prevents poor performance. That's especially true as the temperatures dip into the 40s and below. Your tender new plants, your beloved seasonal delights, your hoses - all of it needs a little special attention as the nights lengthen and the temps drop. This episode is chock full of helpful reminders that will get your garden safely put to bed for winter. It's coming. 

Spending time outdoors makes you healthier. Spending time in nature reduces stress. Growing plants is good for your health. The lack of sunlight and colder temperatures make us all want to tuck inside and cozy up in our sweaters and inhale pumpkin spiced everything. Your cohosts want to keep you healthy so in this episode - they chat about how continuing to garden outside right now and adding houseplants to your home is fantastic for your overall wellbeing. 

Admiring the stunning fall color is not the only thing you can do in your garden right now friends - you can mulch! Okay - you can always mulch - but now is a great time to do that and many other things. Guest host Maria joins Erin to chat about what you can do in your gardens right now. The gals also detail how to save some of your favorite summer annuals as tender perennials ... like your favorite tuberous begonias and those geraniums that just brought you endless joy all summer. Stretch those gardening muscles through the cold months with some over-wintering experiments!

L Looking for Halloween decorations that go beyond the classic pumpkin vibe more organically awesome? Look here friends. Justin and Erin discuss plants with spooky names, spooky habits and spooky vibes to get your porch or landscape or even inside your house festive for Halloween.. 

Have a listen and find out why trees and shrubs put out such magnificent color every fall ... 

Little trees can have big color. When you're on the hunt for a tree to fit into a smaller landscape or even in a pot and want something that is going to wow you as the season changes - hunt no further! We have some fantastic suggestions for small showstoppers - just in time for the tree sale! 

You can do it all! September is a fantastic time to do just about anything in your garden. Plant trees! Plant shrubs! Plant bulbs! Plant veggies! Propagate roses! Cohosts Justin and Erin chat about what to do to transition your summer garden into a productive and beautiful autumnal garden. Possibilities abound! 

Just because summer is slipping away doesn't mean our gardens have to go with it. Cooler temperatures are ideal for revitalizing your lawn (I know - lawns again) but we don't dwell on grasses too long this episode! Maria joins us to let us in on some fresh ideas for fall containers to brighten up your porches and keep the growing going. ha-za!

Ugh - summer is almost over but your vegetable gardening prowess doesn't have to end with the change of seasons. There are several things you can plant now for harvest in the fall, winter and even in the spring. Have a listen to find out what will work in our maritime northwest gardens for an extended vegetable harvest. 

As summer winds down and prime fall planting conditions grow closer, now is the time to consider how you can remedy a slope in need of a little attention. Summer drought conditions and removal of unwanted invasion species or even just earth moving may have created an area that will be prone to erosion once the rains resume. Fear not friends - there are loads of options for what you can do so slow down the slip of slopes and enhance the beauty of your landscape. As ever, we are full of suggestions. 

Technically - you did everything right, we know. Nature has thrown a stick in your spokes and something is wrong with your vegetables. Don't fret friend. We are here to help. This episode is dedicated to solutions for common vegetable garden problems. Abundance will prevail! 

If you've been collecting your plant rewards for the last 11 months - now is the time to cash in. Our annual incentive sale is going on right now! Erin and Maria chat about options for big-ticket items customers can save on right now. It's also a great time to experiment in the garden ... fill those holes, try something different! Plant bucks ends Aug. 25 so don't delay!

Got ground that needs to be covered? We got you covered. Our selection is fantastic and can help you craft the look that is as varied or monotonous (in a good way!) as you want it to be. Hosts Justin and Erin discuss a few options for different growing habits to help you decide what groundcover solution is best for your yard. 

Our extra special guest host introduces tips on how to make that beautiful bouquet you grew or picked or bought last and last and last. We bring the flowers inside to add a little beauty in the home fand this episode will give you the advice you need to keep them that way! 

The trip is booked and the garden is bountiful - will they both just be fond memories when the vacation is over? They don't have to be. You planned ahead for the vacation - now plan ahead for your garden to survive in your absence. It's not hard and we have a few tips, as we always do, to set you up for success. You've done all this work to make your garden beautiful, you deserve that hard-earned vacation ... so go. But listen to us before you go so everything will still be beautiful upon your return. 

Watering is paramount this time of year - rain feels like a distant memory as the thermostat rises and the sky stays brilliantly blue. This episode is a retooled rebroadcast of our watering episode from 2023 - the information is completely applicable to today. Erin and Justin talk about how to water everything in your yard - new plants, established plants, vegetables ... all of it. Pop in your earbuds, grab the hose and have a listen. 

Shayne Chandler is a celebrated plantsman, international plant collector and landscape designer from Kingston. Erin and Justin chat with him about how to create a garden that integrates the unusual and unexpected into an existing garden space. He talks about his experience creating a classic Provencial French garden on a massive scale. 

You want to know what is really trending in the gardening world? 
Gardens. 
Specifically, your garden. Being a little wild, trying something different, trying anything - that is what gardening gurus are encouraging. And so are we. 
Justin and Erin discusshow to create a meadow garden and embrace what they're best at - trying and offer advice for how can try too. 

Maple trees are not the basic bobs of the garden - there are more than 150 varieties worldwide and here in the PNW they are majestic pops of color in the fall, reliable shade havens in the summer and a lovely addition to your yard because they come in sizes, shapes and colors that suit pretty much any of your needs. Seriously. Listen. We'll tell you all about them. 

Cold and wet are not ideal conditions for growing tomatoes and that was the hand we were dealt this spring. As it is finally starting to warm up, we diagnose a few common tomato problems and help you move forward to juicy, abundant tomato success. 

All day, every day, we are inundated with questions from customers. We have great plants, we have great people and it makes sense that folks come here seeking answers about the former from the latter. With the help of a few of their co-workers, Erin and Justin share the most frequent questions asked by customers on this episode of the Valley Nursery Plantcast. 

Hydrangeas are happy in the Northwest ... their blooms are showy and vibrant. The variety is at its best right now at Valley. Justin and Erin chat about how to make them thrive in your landscape with tips on watering, fertilizing and placement. They even dabble in shade shifting and propagating ... crazy, right?

The warm wonderful days we have been waiting for are finally here! What are you supposed to be doing in the garden right now? Duh! Everything! We have the tips on what to prioritize and how to keep things looking incredible as you bring them home and add them to your landscape. We also chat briefly about lawn care (is yours growing like crazy?), how to amend questionable soil and what to plant to bring those precious pollinators to your yard. 

There comes a time in our gardening journey when we want to try something new, something harder. Adding a zone pusher is exactly what you CAN do add a plant that will reward you for your TLC simply by surviving and being cool. Justin and Erin discuss a few of the plants that need more attention and will draw more attention to your landscape. Go ahead. Get advanced. You're ready. 

Here's the description: Shade is more common than bright sunny spots in these parts. Let that NOT be a hinderance to you having a successful vegetable garden. If you have a spot big enough for a pot that gets more than 4 hours of direct sunlight (when the sun shines) then YOU TOO can grow vegetables. No, you can't have tomatoes or cucumbers, but you can have other delicious and nutritious and satisfying vegetables. Find out how by having a little listen. 

So many plants, such little time. Not to worry listeners, we chat with our resident horticulturalist and very talented plant picker Taylor about some easy perennials you can add to your garden and pretty much leave alone. She and Erin talk about a couple plants that love the sun, others that prefer shade and all that will leave you feeling like you are capable of making things beautiful with just a little effort. 

Look quickly because ephemerals are Spring's here today gone tomorrow darlings. They bloom beautifully and briefly and can be a real challenge to grow. On this episode, we talk about how to bring some of these elusive lovelies into your own garden and help them flourish for years to come. 

It's the perfect time to do everything! April is a glorious month to be the garden, days are longer, weather is warmer and the garden center is full of everything you need, want and dream of to improve and reshape your own landscape. Within this episode, we help you prioritize action items for your garden and give you some tips for saving time and energy later in the season. 

Not all grass is created equal. All lawns are grass but not all grass is lawns. Ornamental grasses need care (albeit minimally) and your lawns need the right kind of attention at the right time. This is the season taking care of all of them and we talk about what to do to what to ensure your grasses grow!

Merrily we sale along! As spring officiallybegins, we barrel into the second weekend of the Spring Sale with more specials and a restock of thousands of plants for your home! On this episode, Erin chats with the folks responsible for ordering and maintaining the different sections of the nursery about what they are featuring during the sale and other exciting plants and goods you should look for while you are here. 

It's the SALE of the year! Our annual spring sale is an incredible time to jump start your garden for 2024. We have daily in-store specials on plants, we've got week-long 20% sales on a huge variety of other plants and you have that coupon in your mailbox (or on the kitchen counter) that gives you 30% one item! Use it! On this episode we talk about the deals and why it's a great time to get those sale plants into the ground. So much awesomeness and so many reasons to use exclamation points!!!

Them pesky vermins everywhere buddy and ain't nothing you gonna do about it - or is there?
This episode is full of tips to keep the unwanted visitors out of your beloved garden. And really only one of the ideas is ridiculous. Erin and Justin also discuss what you can plant that they'll shy away from or maybe just eat once.

At Valley Nursery, a huge selection of our product is grown by ... us. It started as a small endeavor but over the last 10 years, our Valley Grown program has increased so much that we even employ a pig to help out. Justin and Erin chat with the head grower at our greenhouse in Port Gamble about what it takes to run the greenhouse that feeds our awesome nursery.

February is a mixed bag - you get snow, you get sun and now you can get pretty much anything that you're looking for to have an incredible garden this spring. This week Justin and Erin chat about new arrivals and a few of the things you can do in the garden right now. With new deliveries arriving weekly the nursery is bursting with options to fuel your garden dreams.

Valentine's Day isn't the only day we should appreciate hearts. There are a plethora of plants with heart shaped leaves that make great additions to your garden or house plant collection ANY time of the year. Justin and Erin chat about some of their favorite perennials, trees and house plants with heart shaped leaves.

For our 100th episode we invited PNW gardening legend Cisco Morris into our Poulsbo studio for a jovial conversation about gardening. He gave us tips on how to prepare for spring and suggested hacks all gardeners should implement. This renowned horticultural hoot has energy and enthusiasm for all things plants that are infectious. He teaches us how to bring the joy of gardening into everyone's life. Ooh la la indeed!

Take advantage of pockets of dry and mild weather between our wet squalls to get a jump start on planting for spring! Take inventory of what you have, what you want, what you need and be ready to make your garden better than ever. Super special guest host Maria helps us all remember proper planning prevents poor performance :)

For nearly 40 years, Valley has brought in bareroot fruit trees, shade trees and shrubs from Biringer Nursery in Mount Vernon. On this episode, Erin & Justin chat with Joe Biringer Jr. about this family's business and how you can successfully grow fruit trees and home.

When it's this cold, all we can do is plan our gardens. Why not plan on adding edible berries? Our nursery is stocked with a big variety of edibles right now and we discuss the differences in the types of berries that will add flavor and color to your landscape! Plan on grasshopper!