Lower Marlboro Nursery is a small retail-only nursery specializing in perennials native to the Eastern U.S. and selected exotics, mostly East Asian, suitable to the same climate. Almost all of our plants are propagated and grown at the nursery; a few are grown locally. Rarely, some are "rescued", with permission, from land due to be cleared. Plants are grown outdoors, not in greenhouses, and with only occasional, very minimal use of pesticides. Because of these factors, plants from the nursery may not always be as lush and perfect as greenhouse-grown specimens, but will generally be tougher and easier to establish in average garden conditions.
Plants are normally shipped in their pots, which range in size from 3" squares to gallons, depending on the natural size of the plant--I prefer to fit the pot to the plant rather than the reverse. The occasional exceptions to this rule are shipped in plastic bags with peat moss. Plants shipped are generally young, often less than full size, because I firmly believe that younger, smaller plants suffer less transplant shock when planted out, but all are sufficiently mature to be planted immediately upon receipt. However, if immediate planting is not convenient, they can be held in their pots for an indefinite period, provided they are unpacked promptly and placed in a shady spot outdoors where they can be kept moist and protected from a hard freeze. Sometimes, and especially in fall, plants have to be cut back for shipping because their foliage is too delicate or has grown too long to withstand packing. Please don't panic if a plant arrives as a bare stalk--it's a temporary condition! Cutting back is also usually beneficial to the plant, as it encourages thicker new growth.
The goal of Lower Marlboro Nursery is to produce a wide variety of uncommon, high quality, regionally suitable plants at reasonable prices. Emphasis is on variety and quality, not on quantity, which in most cases is very limited. It is sometimes possible to grow larger quantities to order, subject to the necessary production time. Please inquire if interested. The catalog list changes seasonally, and specific plants may disappear for several seasons while new stock is being propagated. If using the printed catalog, please retain the Spring edition for reference, since the Fall edition offers less information. The catalog is kept as complete as possible, but all nurseries tend to have a few plants in insufficient quantities to list, or too large to ship at standard rates, or still in the experimental stage; so if there is something you are particularly interested in, please feel free to phone, fax, or e-mail me to inquire about it.
The nursery does not do online sales. To order plants from the online catalog, please click here to download and print an order form , for which you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader . To request a copy of the printed catalog, which contains an order form, please send a check for $2.00 to: Lower Marlboro Nursery, P. O. Box 1013, Dunkirk, MD 20754.
Since Lower Marlboro Nursery is dedicated to providing plants either native of or suited to our regional climate and growing conditions, I ship only to the continental United States east of the Mississippi River.
Please include payment with your order, in the form of a check or money order. I regret that I cannot accept credit cards or ship COD. If a plant ordered is unavailable I will send a refund check.
Plants will be shipped by UPS or an alternative carrier. Please be sure to include a full street address for delivery. Plants are packed in recycled cartons with biodegradable packing mateial for protection. Spring shipments will be made from late March through May; Fall shipments in September and October. If you have a preferred shipping date within those periods, please indicate it on the order form.
If your plant
subtotal (minus sales tax) is:
$50 or less, please add $10.00 for shipping.
$51 to $100, please add 20% for shipping.
$101 and up, please add 15%.
Plants listed in the catalog as "Larger sizes only" (1-gal. and above) can usually be shipped at the going UPS rate, which must be calculated for each order. Please call or e-mail for further information.
Plants are guaranteed to be true to name and to be healthy when they leave the nursery. I will not substitute varieties unless specifically requested to do so.
Please be aware that the USDA hardiness zones (e.g., z. 5-9) indicated for each plant are necessarily estimates. I cannot guarantee the suitability of a plant for your particular area.