Vance the Garden Guru

04/10/2026

Yesterday, I went on a drive to Tigard to see Hillery at Gardener's Choice Nursery. She used to be a wholesale driver at Egan Gardens. It sure was nice seeing and talking with her again.

While i was there. I explored this nursery in depth and discovered they had more than just plants. A huge building (formally a furniture store) located beyond their main sales building, offers one of the biggest garden center gift shops around. Surrounding the building on the outside, they displayed a huge collection of glazed and other types of pottery. I figure there were more pots there than any other nursery i have visited. . If you need a decorative pot, this definitely is the place to go.

Gardener's Choice Nursery
14240 SW Pacific Highway (99W) Tigard

04/10/2026

04/10/2026

After a 3.5 mile walk at Willamette Mission Park, I drove over to Bauman Farms to check out the 2026 GardenPalooza. It has been many years since I last attended. The event appears to much bigger than I remember. Due to my poor eyesight, I really didn't enjoy it very much and left after only a half hour. For people with better eyesight, the GardenPaloiza would be a great place to explore to find treasures for the garden.
The GardenPalooza runs today and Saturday

04/05/2026

04/03/2026

Question? Where is everyone getting their Zinnias since Egan Gardens Closed? I have a friend looking for a nursery that stocks a good selection of 4" plants.

04/03/2026

My wife and I went nursery hopping today. We visited Wavra Farms/Nursery, Fesslers Nursery, N&M Nursery and S&K Nursery.

I actually visited Wavra Nursery by myself on Wednesday to get Violas for my Church's planters. Today, I went back with my wife so she could get her Tomato starts.

At N&M in Hubbard, i picked up a bucket of Proven Winner's Water Soluble Fertilizer. Ellen got me hooked on that product and this nursery is the only one I have seen so far that carries it. If you like Proven Winner's Time released, they have it, too.

Since we weren't ready for Geraniums, we held off buying from Fesslers (Gervais) today. If you like Zonal Geraniums, this nursery grows them big and beautiful. Since we can't have Egan grown Geraniums anymore, Fesslers does a great job growing them, too. We will come back in a few weeks to get our Gerniums.

At S&K (Woodburn), we picked up a few odds and ends and I went around checking out my old wooden display tables that I built for Egan Gardens. (S&K bought them for their nursery after Egans closed down in 2023.)

03/31/2026

I have been spending a lot more time walkng/hiking this year than working in my garden. After being diagnosed with heart failure in 2025, I have been pretty diligent about walking a minimum of 20 miles a week ( even when the weather was not so favorable). As a result of this physical activity and a great diuretic that made me lose 80 pounds in less than a month, i have become much stronger and healthier. Being winded after walking only 10 feet is a distant memory now. Walking up hills is no problem for me these days. I go frequently to Willamette Mission State Park but also go to places like Silver Falls State Park and Baskett Slough NWF once a week to climb hills to get some cardio into my life.
Nowadays, walking has become so much more fun with all the spring flowers. I have included a few pictures of them in this post.

03/31/2026

I am looking forward to going here again. I like the size and quality of their plant materials.

03/20/2026

If you have not been to this nursery before, you may give it a try this spring. It is not a big place but seems to have a lot of cool stuff to warrant coming back again and again.. Egan Gardens used to buy herbs from them. It is located out in the "Boonies" west of Hubbard so make sure your GPS is handy to get to this nursery. I go once or twice a year and still need need an assist. If you go, have fun!

01/12/2026

Spring is coming early to our garden. How about yours?

12/23/2025

Best wishes to my "Guru" followers this Christmas season and throughout the new year.

This is a picture (press on the picture to fully open) of the native Snowberry bush (Symphoricarpus albus) taken at Willamette Mission State Park last week. The berries come on in late summer and persist well into winter after the deciduous leaves have fallen. (Please note: It is not a good plant to have in yards where children may be tempted to eat the toxic berries.)