Nursery-propogated native plants of the Eastern U.S. for home and community gardeners. We are a retail-only, mail-order nursery; no web sales. Purchases are by cash or check only; no credit cards accepted.
Spring 2008 Open House Weekends
Arbor Day Weekend
Friday, April 25 – 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday, April 26 – 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday, April 27 – 11 am to 4 pm
Mother's Day Weekend
Saturday, May 10 – 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday, May 11 – 11 am to 4 pm
Welcome Summer Weekend
Saturday, May 31 – 10 am to 5 pm
Sunday, June 1 – 11 am to 4 pm
The Nursery is located at 7011 South Flint Hill Road, Owings, MD 20736. For driving directions and further information, please contact us.
The Spring 2008 catalog is now available.
Please note that all sales are by cash or check only; no credit cards accepted.
Spring 2008 Newsletter
Dear Gardener,
Late January, and except for the dark sheen of the Hollies the view out my windows is mostly of brown leaves and gray tree trunks. It's dry; we've had little rain and almost no measurable snow so far this winter, and I'm wondering if it portends another dry year. My area of the mid-Atlantic, while nowhere near as badly stricken as parts of the interior Southeast, was still definitely in drought conditions in 2007.
Dry periods, sometimes lasting several years, are a part of our natural climate cycle and, having been gardening longer than I really care to think about, I've seen a number of them. However, longevity does at least give me the perspective to know that dry spells don't last forever, and also to recognize that most native species—and sometimes introduced plants from similar climates—have tremendous reserves for dealing with whatever adverse conditions they encounter in their native haunts. That's one of the many reasons I often prefer regional natives to improved cultivars and garden-bred hybrids—they seem to have better built-in coping skills. Still, the old adage, "Right plant, right place", is always worth following, and gardeners will have happier plants if their cultural needs are considered.
There are plenty of eastern natives that not only survive but thrive in dry conditions. Most of our large trees will probably do okay; once they are established it takes a deep, long-term drought to seriously harm them if their health isn't otherwise compromised. This is a good thing, since it's just not practical to water an 80' oak or tuliptree! Young, newly planted trees, however, must have extra water when it's dry--summer or winter—or they're unlikely to survive. And all trees will benefit from a 2"-3"-only layer of mulch, spread flat and not mounded up around their trunks.
Perennials and shrubs vary a great deal in their site preferences, specializing to fill different niches in the ecosystem. Over the years I've tried to observe what does well where, both on my own property and in landscapes around the region, and to plant accordingly. The results of my observations are often reflected in the catalog. Some of my current choices for taking a dry year in stride, even sited in full sun, include Agastache foeniculum, Amsonia hubrichtii, any of the Penstemons, the little Salvia lyrata, Senna marilandica, the lovely grass Panicum virgatum, and Parthenocissus quinquefolia—which just doesn't care. Dry shade can be even tougher, but I know from experience that Aquilegia canadensis, tiny Anemonella thalictroides, Phlox divaricata, and Sanguinaria canadensis will tolerate very dry conditions around the roots of deciduous trees, while Ageratina altissima, Anemone virginica, the grasses Carex pensylvanica and Chasmanthium latifolium, and the Epimediums will hold up sturdily in shaded spots. Among the shrubs, Hydrangea quercifolia is more tolerant of dry conditions than any other Hydrangea I'm familiar with, and Aronia arbutifolia and Morella cerifera (which don't mind the other extreme of wet soil either) and the Viburnums will usually shrug off drought.
I feel confident facing a dry year with any of these tough plants....but suppose it doesn't stay dry? One month's weather is rarely a good indicator of the next month's anywhere in the Eastern U.S., and seasons of flooding rains can follow hard on the heels of drought. I've always found it interesting that while many dry-adapted species will not tolerate extended wet conditions, many wetland species thrive quite happily with just average moisture. With few exceptions, the plants mentioned in the preceding paragraph don't mind a lot of rain if they have good drainage, but they don't like their roots to stay wet for very long. But there are numerous plants that grow naturally in mucky soil or even standing water that will do equally well in much drier garden conditions. These are choices par excellence for placing in runoff areas, low spots, drainage ditches, at the edges of ponds or streams—anywhere that water runs or pools regularly with a hard rain but which can dry to near concrete in between. Acorus and Hibiscus spp., the wetland Irises, Juncus effusus, the brilliant Lobelia cardinalis, Saururus cernuus, and the big shrubs Cephalanthus occidentalis and Sambucus canadensis are only a partial list.
And then there's the great majority of desirable plants that prefer conditions somewhere in between the extremes, and which make up the bulk of this catalog. They may not like either drought or flood, but they're well adapted to our climate and they'll tough it out given half a chance. The gardener's job is to site them thoughtfully, plant them carefully, provide a little TLC to get them started, and let the weather do its thing. It will anyway.
Happy gardening!
Mary-Stuart Sierra
Please note that I'm trying a new system for on-site sales this spring, which I hope will better accommodate your needs and my own activity schedule: There will be not one but three spring Open House weekends: April 25-27, May 10-11, and May 31/June 1. On those days I will keep regular business hours (See the Open House notice above for full details) and will be happy to have visitors at any time during them. If none of these days will fit your schedule, visits by appointment are still possible from April through June—give me a call or send an email with a little advance notice. The nursery is closed in July and August. Of course, mail ordering is always an option.
Note: unlike the paper catalog, trees and shrubs are not listed separately on-line. All plants are arranged alphabetically by scientific name.