Our Philosophy

"The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, water, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land" Aldo Leopold

Why are native plants so important?

Every native plant you add to your landscape increases its ecological benefit and function, contributing to the overall health and adaptability of our ecosystems and our larger communities. Diverse native plants provide food and shelter for birds, insects and other wildlife. Providing wildflower-rich habitat is the most significant action you can take to support native pollinators. Keystone species such as Oak, Maple, and Birch trees support hundreds of caterpillars, moths, birds and other animals.

Regionally Native plants....

We grow our plants organically and we do not use neonicotinoid insecticides

Pesticides, herbicides and insecticides are not selective... they also harm beneficial insects and pollinators. Native plants attract birds and beneficial insects that will help naturally control pest populations in your yard and garden. Restore the balance of our local ecosystems naturally.

Spicebush Swallowtail on Monarda Fistulosa, a beautiful native plant that is also important for pollinators

Providing wildflower-rich habitat on your property is the most significant action you can take to support native pollinators such as this Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly on Mondarda Fistulosa (Wild Bergamot).

Make your garden a safe haven for pollinators

"Make your garden a safe haven for pollinators by avoiding pesticide use. Insecticides including those used to control garden pests, tend to be broadly toxic to pollinators as well as to pests, and even some organic insecticides can pose a risk. Pollinators are exposed to insecticides in gardens through direct contact with spray and residues on flowers or ingestion of insecticide residues present in pollen, nectar or water. Pollinators can be killed outright by insecticidal exposure, but smaller, nonlethal doses can also be problematic. These lower doses can impair pollinators, altering their behavior, movement, growth, reproduction and immune response to parasites and pathogens. Insecticide exposure can reduce pollinator populations quickly, and recovery to pre-exposure levels can require years.

Some plants for purchase at [conventional] nurseries or home improvement stores have been treated with neonicotinoid insecticides during the production process. Neonicotinoids, a group of systemic chemicals, are long lasting in soil and within plants, and can be present in pollen and nectar of the flowers of treated plants long after you bring them home from the store. Even in small doses, neonicotinoids are harmful to pollinators."

[ source: "100 Plants to Feed the Bees" by Xerces Society ]

Read More (Our Recommended Books)

These excellent books will get you started:

Attracting Native Pollinators by Xerces Society
Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy
The Living Landscape by Doug Tallamy & Richard Darke
Wild Seed Project series + Planting for Climate Resilience

A Database of Plant Ecology: bplant.orgbplant.org is a website to help you learn about plants and their ecology, with an eye towards preserving, protecting, and restoring biodiversity.

For more detailed information about New England native plants, please visit the following websites (ranging from easy to advanced):

Bplant.org - a website to help you learn about plants and their ecology and distribution, with an eye towards preserving, protecting and restoring biodiversity.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Native Plants Database allows you to search native plants by scientific or common name or choose a particular family of plants.
GO BOTANY: Native Plant Trust - The Go Botany Dichotomous Key covers all 3,500 species, subspecies, and varieties of native and naturalized plants in New England, and is designed for experienced botanists.
Minnesota Wildflowers a field guide to the wildflowers of Minnesota (applies to North American flora) - Grasses, Sedges and Rushes.
The Biota of North America Program - BONAP maintains relatively complete phytogeographic and related botanical databases for all free-living vascular plants found in North America (north of Mexico).