Resources and Links
North Creek's collection of perennials, grasses, sedges, ferns, and vines. In addition to comprehensive product descriptions, this publication contains an expanded resource guide focused on solution-based gardening including plant suggestions for green roofs, rain gardens, deer resistant plants, salt tolerant plants, soil stabilizers, no-mow solutions, and more!
Visit North Creek Nurseries Wholesale Product & Resource GuidePeople plant native wildflowers for a variety of reasons, including supporting wildlife, filtering pollution, and reducing flooding. This week, we explore areas that have benefited from wildflower plantings and highlight their positive impact on the environment—don’t miss out!
Happy Thanksgiving! As we eflect on the blessings in our lives, let’s also remember those in our community who are facing hardship. Let’s give Robert, his team, and their dream the support they need. Thank you for your generosity, and may your Thanksgiving be filled with love, hope, and community spirit. 505;
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4824: Gratitude, Community, and HopeKeep in mind that some native perennials don’t adapt well to being transplanted. These stubborn movers often develop long taproots or robust feeder roots, specially evolved to draw moisture from deep within the soil. While it’s not impossible to relocate them, doing so requires careful handling and diligent care. We're here to give some helpful tips if you're up to the challenge!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4724: Resentful MoversOur limited-time offers won’t be around forever. It's first come, first serve! So, we thought we’d spotlight a few unique options we’re featuring right now. Take a look, try something new, and don’t be afraid to color outside the lines!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4524: Limited OfferingsAs devoted fans of hauntingly beautiful fall perennials, we’re thrilled to help landscape professionals summon the ideal plants to make outdoor spaces truly eerie-sistible. Take a peek if you dare!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4424: Fall ShadeInterested in collecting rainwater or having a water feature be a part of your garden? Watch out! Wildlife will be attracted to it (which is a lovely thing!). But it's important to add a safe entry and exit point for these curious visitors. Take a look for inspo and ideas!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4324: Wildlife RampsChilly nights, leaves changing colors, and the return of pumpkin spice lattes. The seasoin brings changes! So, for landscape professionals seeking options beyond the typical garden mum and seasonal kale, we have a tip or two to freshen up that garden bed! Happy fall y'all!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4224: Fall FlowersHappy Spooky Season! Goth gardening is making waves on social media, and it's fantastic to see people tapping into their mysterious side—not just for Halloween. Enter if you dare... and obtain inspiration for your landscape needs!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4024: Goth GardensMotivated by a post from Rebecca McMackin on social media, we reviewed recent scientific studies to provide the best possible habitat for our Monarch friends! Dive into this week's blog to learn about how you can make your landscape a welcoming beacon for these beautiful Monarchs.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3924: How You Plant Matters!Give these giants some love! These impressive plants reach over 60 inches tall in ideal conditions within a single season! We know what you're thinking... "What if they're too unruly for my home?", which is a valid point, but don't overlook these giants! Discover how wonderful these friendly giants can be.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3824: Big Friendly GiantsFall is approaching with warm days and cool nights. An opportune time to finish planting! As garden beds seem to head into a deep sleep for the cool season(s) to come, our tasks are not finished at North Creek! Look inside to see what fall jobs our Trial Gardens team works on.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3724: Fall DutiesHead in a stump when trying to figure out what's deer resistant, dry shade, and low maintenance? Sometimes, we have to take a walk and discover the answers given to us by nature itself. Take a peek on what nature has to say!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3624: Dry Shade & Deer Resistant PlantsStarting September 30, world renowned educators and plantsmen, Dr. Noel Kingsbury, Cassian Schmidt, and University of Sheffield Professor, Nigel Dunnett, will embark on a 10-session online course focusing on the ins and outs of naturalistic planting. Click link in article to register -- with North Creek's 25% discount code!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3524: Naturalistic Planting Design CourseAfter dealing with harsh weather conditions, from heavy rainfall to periods of drought, landscapes all over are starting to appear weary. But it doesn't have to be this way! Read all about the methods used by Mt. Cuba Center and The High Line NYC, so you can utilize these techniques for your landscapes!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3424: Midsummer RejuvenationIn spring and early summer, delightful fragrances welcome you... You notice the alluring, lovely plant drawing you closer... STOP! You've stumbled upon an invasive honeysuckle!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3324: Not as Sweet as HoneyEmpty areas in our planting design can appear barren and lead to soil erosion. SOS! This fall planting season, it's crucial to fill those bare spots with plants capable of withstanding the upcoming cold weather to prevent erosion.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3224: Cool Season GrassesLove our selection of Rudbeckia, but unsure which one best suits your needs? Take a peek at this week's blog to learn more about our 11 varieties!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3124: Which Rudbeckia is for you?Over the past twenty years, we have had the honor of collaborating with Mt. Cuba, which has led to the unveiling of six selections in our Mt. Cuba Collection!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 3024: Introducing the Mt. Cuba Collection®Want to add blue flowers to your landscape that's also a native perennial? Look no further! Sisyrinchium captivates with its striking blue flowers featuring yellow centers, blooming profusely from late spring to early summer.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 2924: Spotlight on SisyrinchiumMany people aim to improve their landscape to better support native wildlife. One way to accomplish this is by integrating a behavioral ecology concept, such as Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT), into your planting design.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 2824: Optimal Foraging TheoryFerns, frequently underestimated, make an excellent low-maintenance choice for shaded areas in both residential and commercial settings. They embody a delicate beauty that is as tough as nails. Explore their resilience and lush green colors as we delve into the advantages of including them in gardens and the various types we have in our collection.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 2624: Layering FernsWhile on a recent tour of the Swarthmore Traffic Circle gravel plantings with Jeff Jabco, Director of Grounds and Coordinator of Horticulture at The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, a group of us inspected these revolutionary gardens. Learn more about gravel gardens in this week's edition of The Plug©.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 2524: Gravel GardensSince 1990, the Perennial Plant Association has unveiled an herbaceous perennial to be the Perennial Plant of the Year. Take a peek at some of our favorites!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 1924: PPA Plant of the YearWe’re deep into Iris season and about to enter the time when our native blueflag (Iris versicolor) is in its full splendor. If you’ve not worked with this emergent aquatic, this spring might be the perfect time to add Iris versicolor to your next planting design. Learn more about this beauty in this week's issue of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 1824: All Hail Iris
In this week's edition of The Plug©, take a trip with us through Little Island and learn 3 great take-home lessons from this creative, futuristic, and ultimately just plain cool addition to the New York City Parks system!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 1624: The Little Island That CouldNearly thirty years ago, Prof Joan Iverson Nassauer of the University of Minnesota wrote a landmark white paper, “Messy Ecosystems, Orderly Frames,” that shook up how landscape architects and designers thought of how to meet form and function in a landscape. Prof. Nassauer posits a good framework, like that of a frame to a Jackson Pollock painting, can contain and give context to a robust, effusive, ecologically healthy landscape. Although this paper may have a couple of decades under its belt, it's still as relevant today as when it was first published. Read along in this issue of The Plug©!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 1524: Cue to CareAre you looking to swap out ubiquitous Liriope with native Carex species to boost diversity and support wildlife in the garden? After years of working with Carex and observing how Liriope is typically used in garden design, we have learned the trick to substituting Carex for Liriope. Complete list, just this way!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 1424: Liriope SwapWith all this rain, we think it’s time to consider a very special habitat - the edges along wet areas - from wet meadows to the basin of rain gardens to lake and pond edges. These plants like their feet moist and can withstand periods of inundation like a champ. Learn more in this edition of The Plug©!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 1324: Emergent Wet MeadowsIn areas where minimal or reduced maintenance levels are necessitated by limited resources of time or funds, choosing plants with low maintenance requirements and robust longevity can be a tool for meeting maintenance time constraints and aesthetic standards. Read more in this week's edition of The Plug©!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 1124: Plant Longevity as a Strategy for Lessening MaintenanceOur new cast of Shady Characters™ are reliable performers with multiple seasons of interest, perfect for customers who want more from their gardens. As an addition to your shade perennial offerings, this cast makes the shade garden a place your customers want to hang out in instead of a forgotten corner. Everything from feathery, soft foliage for effervescent groundcovers to exciting new native hybrids, we’ve got seven plants to tempt you. Do you and your clients a favor—embrace the shadier side!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 1024: Made for the ShadeOne of the best design tips we’ve come across recently is to include at least one filler perennial in a garden arrangement. What’s a filler, one might inquire? Well, we’re glad you asked! Read along to find out!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 0924: Unsung Garden HerosLet’s make a step towards change, together! We’d like to encourage a step in the right direction through offering suggestions for potential native plant material that could be beautifully planted in an HOA community while meeting community exterior guidelines. Read along in this week's edition of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 0824: Native Plant Solutions for HOAsNorth Creek’s hype-man, Steve Castorani, sat in as special guest on the Native Plants, Healthy Planet podcast! Brought to you by our dear friends, plant enthusiasts, horticultural educators extraordinaire—Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick—of New Jersey-based Pinelands Native Plant Nursery.
Visit THE PLUG©Week 0724: Native Plants Healthy Planet Podcast Episode 195Originally brought to North America in the 1700s as an ornamental shade plant by European colonists, English ivy has overstayed its welcome and needs to be gone once and for all! Read up on how to remove this nuisance plant in our most recent installment of our Space Invaders series!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 0624: Space Invaders: English IvyFiguring out bloom time for a garden design and then subsequently layering blooms are two of the most important skills a designer can have in their toolbox. It is an oft-asked garden design requisite, and a well-layered bloom sequence creates a long-lasting, pleasing display for clients. But where, prey tell, is the specific bloom time information on the plant tag?! Read along to find out!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 0524: Layering Bloom TimeWhen we heard of the newly updated USDA Hardiness Zone map (catch yourself up HERE), we thought it was high time to address two other challenges on a plant tag that people ask us about all the time: sun preference and bloom time. This week, we’re delving into the sunny side of plant life—buckle up and throw on those shades!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 0424: Sun ToleranceHold onto your hats, folks. This week's installment of The Plug® provides the North Creek Notes on the recently revised USDA hardiness zone map. The last update was published in 2012—needless to say, there’s been considerable and meaningful chatter about the new map designations—read along to learn the facts!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 0324: New USDA Hardiness ZonesWelcome back to Part II of our peek into new selections hitting availability in 2024! Read along to learn more about these beautiful additons to our product offering!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 0224: Garden Worthy Selections for 2024 PART IILast week’s installment took us down the garden path of all items Landscape Plug™ worthy, as we unveiled straight species items now available from North Creek. Today, in Part I of our Garden Worthy Selections series, we’ll introduce you to standout selections that have been turning heads and making a name for themselves—over the span of several years and varied seasonal experiences in our trial gardens—the kind of name that has added NEW to their station on our product availability!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 5123: Garden Worthy Selections for 2024!Coming straight outta our greenhouses and jumping right into your solution-driven landscape designs—if 2024 is poised to bring the heat, North Creek’s got your back! Our crew of straight species plugs are robust & rugged with a splash of whimsy & wonder—all of which can be counted on to run the garden game, no matter your heat index.
These items are tough, coming out swinging, and bound to go yard—tried and true straight species that are now available from North Creek!
Japanese stilt grass, or Microstegium vimineum, is a big problem in moist woodlands throughout Pennsylvania. From afar, it’s lush and green, picturesque on the forest floor. But Japanese stilt grass is no joke - it quickly chokes out all other woodland species. Learn how to properly ID and remove stiltgrass from your property & projects in this special Space Invaders segment of this week's edition of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4923: Space Invaders: Japanese StiltgrassIt's that time of year! If you're looking for something for the gardener in your life, here are items we find useful—have no fear, we don't get any kickbacks from product promotion—we simply hope to pass on the good word, share what we’ve found garden worthy, and inspire you with your holiday gift-giving!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4823: Naughty or Nice List: Gift Guide for the HorticulturistLast time we met on our series The Power Behind our Perennials, we were behind the scenes meeting our growers based in Oxford at Bluestem Farm. Now, we’re zeroing in on the growers who start our plant’s journey at our propagation nursery in Landenberg, PA at North Creek's World Headquarters. We're proud to introduce Kassie, Pancho, Isabel, Charles and Lalo!
We’re deep into Scorpio season and think it’s a great time to explore unusual shade plants to set the mood all year round. Everyone knows about the typical cast of shady characters—Hosta and our fabulous fronds the ferns—but why not design with more unique colorways and textures beyond the traditional shades of green?
Join us for a peek at 11 unusual perennials for the shade garden!
Better Together! As plant people, we love to go out and explore nature. While out, one can’t help but notice the beauty on display all around. Explore naturally occuring plant communities in this week's edition of The Plug©!
Visit THE PLUG©Week 4423: Won't You Be My Neighbor?October 24-31 is Bat Week!—very fitting considering their association with all things spooky. But what we find truly spooky is the notion of not having bats around.
Don't let your garden go bat-free, learn how to create a bat-friendly garden through the power of perennials!
The tawny hues and subtle tones of seedheads may be more muted than the typical bold floral display, but these quieter qualities crescendo in the late summer and fall, when their melody can be most appreciated accompanying the fading landscape. Enjoy all things SEED in this week's edition of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4223: Smitten with SeedWe direct the spotlight of this week’s edition of The Plug®: The Power Behind our Perennials, towards North Creek’s Fab 5 Oxford Growing Team: Casey Bremer, Ryan (Butch) Butcher, Olivia DiFilippo, Cindy Goss, and Joanne Gumaer—the next generation of Bluestem Growers!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4023: The Power Behind our Perennials, Oxford GrowersYou’ve probably seen it along roadsides, spilling luxuriantly over fences, seeming to decorate trees—a vine covered with fragrant, fuzzy white flowers. This vine is evocative of fall and inarguably beautiful…but quite invasive. Read more about sweet autumn clematis, Clematis terniflora, in this weeks Space Invaders edition of The Plug!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3923: Space Invaders: Sweet Autumn ClematisWorld Wasp Day is September 24th—mark your calendar!
Typically regarded as intimidating, wasps get a bad rap due to potentially unpleasant encounters with humans. However sharp the sting—those associated with such zaps are social wasps—which actually comprise very few of the world's wasp population. Discover the benefits of wasps in this edition of The Plug®!
Asters are inarguably excellent plants for the landscape. These fall flowering favorites are profuse bloomers, providing ample nectar for pollinators late into the season. Today we're doing a deep dive into all things Aster by featuring North Creek’s aster offering in Landscape Plugs™.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3723: All About AstersAbsolute perfection. Is there anything better than masses of pink muhly grass blooming in the fall?
Autumn is when we notice the planning done by garden designers as they weave magic with perennials and grasses to evoke romance in the landscape. The winning combination of fine-textured foliage with a screening of delicate flowers creates a gentle atmosphere. Hazy plant combinations become more than a mass planting—they become a mood.
To add romance to a garden, weave groupings of hazy flowering perennials and grasses between your shrubs or bold foliage selections. The airiness of the flower heads softens the landscape, making the viewer pause and slow down. The abundance of flowers and stems countered with the delicate texture gives a screening effect to the light, especially backlit by the golden setting sun. The key is to site these plants where they receive gentle breezes for movement, especially in areas that look out on long borrowed views.
Hummingbirds bring so much color and are full of personality—well worth a little extra planning to make them feel welcome. You can make the hummingbird garden of your client’s dreams with great design and a little preparation.
Annual mums, potted cabbage, and ornamental grasses deck patios everywhere in the fall, but we'd like to explore wonderful native plant alternatives as the season approaches. A lot of times, suggested native plant swaps lose something in translation from the original annual display plants—in timing, habit, flower form, or color.
While native plants won't be identical to their ever-accessible counterparts, part of swapping out with native plants is encouraging people to think differently about their landscapes and making native plants easy for them to try. Customers may not even know that there's a native plant alternative to garden mums, native plants that are bred to be the right scale for their home and garden containers. These substitutions won't be a compromise in beauty or function for the gardeners weaving more native plants into their designs.
Scent in the garden is a classic way to heighten enjoyment of a space and to encourage relaxation. Layering texture, scent, color, and sound deepens the sensory experience. While roses, jasmine, and honeysuckle are traditionally the first plants that spring to mind when considering scent, there also are native plants that are delightfully aromatic.
Scent is part of a plant’s strategy to entice pollinators—attracting bees, moths, butterflies, and flies. But scent doesn’t just attract pollinators, it is attractive to us, too!
A majority of the scent profiles associated with the native plants represented in this article have a deep, musky sweetness to them—most noticeable at dawn and dusk through the summer months. Weave these beautiful native plants in and around the perennial border to increase your clients’ enjoyment of their space.
In the heat and humidity of late summer, you may notice perennial meltdowns. A summer meltdown—when generally hardy plants begin to succumb to high humidity and high daytime and nighttime temperatures—can happen to the best of gardeners.
Even the most reliable performers can get hit by a particularly bad year when consistent rains and high evening temperatures increase the prevalence of mold, mildew, and rot. As usual, we echo the mantra of right plant, right place. Choosing a plant from your locality or similar conditions is the best bet for success. However, Mother Nature is unpredictable.
In this week's Plug, we give tips on maximizing the humidity tolerance of your plants for right now, where they are planted.
This year's exceptional spring shipping season brought to you by: North Creek's Shipping Team!
This team does it all! Staying on top of everything during the busy season requires attention to detail, perseverance, and teamwork, and this team has what it takes. Their impressive work is instrumental to the business we do—ensuring that our plugs arrive happy and healthy to our customers.
After an excellent shipping season, we wanted to take a deep dive into our shipping process and thank the hardworking team that makes it happen.
Bring out your fluffiest antennae—we are beyond excited to celebrate MOTH WEEK!
It’s the 12th Annual National Moth Week, July 22-30, 2023. A worldwide celebration of moths, Moth Week is a global citizen science project—a totally volunteer-run initiative to admire, learn about, and appreciate moths. With 160,000 species of moths in the world, we’ve got a lot to celebrate!
In honor of Moth Week, we’d like to highlight 3 interesting moths—with three plant suggestions to support them. By planting native plants, you can support moths throughout their life cycle.
Get to know our Resource Guide! In addition to our complete product listing with detailed plant descriptions, cultural information, and photos, this comprehensive publication includes plant lists for practical applications.
If you find yourself with a challenging site, it's helpful to have a place to start when selecting plants. This guide addresses a variety of common site conditions, listing plants from our product offering that serve these needs.
Perhaps you're looking for design solutions to outfit a green roof, or extend your season of interest. In addition to lists that address challenging site conditions, our Resource Guide also includes lists for inspiration for specific types of projects—we've got you covered.
Offered in Landscape Plug™ sizes LP32 or LP50, our plants are well-rooted and ready to take on your site.
Beebalm are a beloved class of native perennials belonging to the mint family. They are high impact perennials when grown in large masses, producing many flowers. Bright, colorful tubular flowers attract bees and hummingbirds while the herbal foliage deters deer and rabbits. Blooming through the summer, Monarda is a pest-proof genus and a delightful addition to the client’s garden. Read more about Monarda, including a handy bloom chart, in this week's The Plug!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2823: Monarda in the GardenIn celebration of Pollinator Week (June 19-25), we inquired about how our customers and readership support pollinators, raise awareness and build support around this international celebration. As usual, you delivered! This week's edition of The Plug® features your valued feedback—from rooftops to public parks—you all are working hard and we appreciate your dedication! We hope you are enjoying the holiday week, and we also hope these earnest efforts and stories provide inspiration for your next plan of action for pollinators!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2723: Buzzing with Ideas to Support PollinatorsWorld Firefly Day is the first Saturday in July every year. This year, it will be on July 1st. Join us in celebrating this whimsical insect as we continue to shine a light on our pollinators.
Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are beloved insects to all of us who live in the moist environments of temperate and tropical regions worldwide. Their cheery blinking bioluminescent light elicits warm feelings of nostalgia as we remember evenings in summers past—making the firefly is a perfect representative for the call to action to protect habitat. Read more about how you can attract and keep fireflies in your outdoor spaces in this week's edition of The Plug®!
June is Pollinator Month. Next week is Pollinator Week. We're pumped because here at North Creek, we're potting for pollinators 365 days a year!
With everyone buzzing about pollinators, it's the perfect time to feature one of our favorite pollinator powerhouses, Pycnanthemum.
The name Pycnanthemum comes from the Greek pyknos, meaning dense, and anthos, meaning flower, so you know what that means—many flowers and insects! Plants in this genus are known for their aromatic foliage, attractiveness to insects, and ability to tolerate even the toughest of conditions.
The following three Pycnanthemum are offered in our Landscape Plug™ collection, guaranteed to come to you in (mountain) mint condition—rooted and ready to take on your next project. Here are our top Pycs for Pollinator Month!
Leaces of three, let it be? Not if you're Umar Mycka.
As the owner and founder of Poison Ivy Horticulturist, Inc, Umar Mycka is the man to call if you find yourself in a potentially itchy situation. You see, Umar has made it his life’s mission to eradicate poison ivy (PI) from commercial and residential landscapes in and around southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and northern Delaware—wherever the distress calls come in from! In step with his skilled team of poison ivy technicians, Umar has masterful expertise in dealing with poison ivy infestations.
Read more about Umar and his favorite plant in this week's edition of The Plug®!
Welcome to our newest segment of The Plug® Community Connections. In this series, we will be featuring community-based projects striving to positively impact the health of pollinators, habitats, and humans—passionate citizens of the Brandywine Valley (and surrounding areas!) that are thinking globally and acting locally.
Our first spotlight for Community Connections is the tremendous work being done just 7 miles away in Kennett Square, PA—allow us to introduce the Meadowitos Initiative!
An exciting undertaking of the Kennett Library, Meadowitos is transforming small urban spaces in Kennett Square into pollinator gardens while providing excellent ecological function for the environment and educational opportunities to borough and township residents and visitors from near and far.
We were honored to host the celebration of the 2nd Annual PA Native Species Day last Thursday, May 18th. This year's press conference was held on a beautiful day in North Creek's gardens and featured speakers from agencies highlighting the importance of taking action to conserve Pennsylvania's native species and eradicate invasive species. Thank you to the PA Governor's Invasive Species Council for this opportunity! Read more and view the press conference in this week's edition of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2123: PA Native Species Day at North Creek NurseriesToday, May 18th, marks the second annual PA Native Species Day—a day founded to recognize and celebrate the critical role our native plants, trees, insects, fish, birds, and mammals afford the over 46,000 square miles within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Instituted on June 17, 2022, by the Governor’s Invasive Species Council, PA Native Species Day serves to educate and encourage citizens of the Keystone State to take action to sustain the wonders of Pennsylvania’s biodiverse ecosystems while in chorus with stressing the importance of reducing the occurrence of invasive species.
In concordance with PA Native Species Day and World Bee Day (occurring Saturday, May 20th), today’s issue of The Plug® will pay homage to three species from North Creek’s tried and true plant palette with PA provenance, pollinator appeal, and pure beauty.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1823: Dry Shade Solutions
Our Plant Trials and Gardens team has a lot on their plate—an entire living laboratory—over three acres of garden space dedicated to evaluating our catalogue offering and potential new plant introduction genetics brought in front plant breeders, industry suppliers, and native plant enthusiasts. Through these evaluations, plant material goes through a vigorous vetting process and must meet the standards of the New Plant Principles—the plant is garden worthy, does not assert aggressive or invasive tendencies, and requires minimal additional inputs once established—in order to be considered for introduction. Speaking of introductions, we'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our wonderful team! We hope you enjoy getting to know the muscle and might behind our collection of display and trial gardens.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1723: The Power Behind Our PerennialsAt this time of year, customers are likely to receive a combination of dormant and fresh material from North Creek—don’t fret, everything is just fine!
In winter and early spring, deliveries arriving from North Creek will contain dormant plugs, fresh plugs, or a combination of the two. Both have a mature, established root system; however, dormant plugs have little-to-no visible top growth while fresh plugs have lush green visible top growth. Newly arrived dormant material requires different care than fresh material. Learn more in this week's edition of The Plug®!
In honor of World Water Day, we here at North Creek want to raise awareness about this essential natural resource. We can all help improve our water systems by changing the way we use, consume, and manage water in our daily lives. The challenges our water systems face impel us to create inventive solutions to support biodiversity, navigate stormwater runoff more successfully, and ultimately increase resilience. Read more in this week's edition of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1223: World Water DayInvasive species can evoke both frustration and terror in the hearts of gardeners. Noxious and obnoxious, these pernicious plants can be caught encroaching into your beloved garden beds, taking territory heedlessly as they go...but fear not, there is a period when these plants are particularly exposed and can be dealt with, and the time is now! This time of year, before most of our deciduous native trees and shrubs leaf out, is an opportune time to spot (and zap!) invasive species in the landscape. One such species we are tackling now is the destructive and despicable Rosa multiflora. This week's edition of The Plug® is brought to you by Arden Pontasch, Plant Trials Manager here at the Creek!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1023: Space Invaders: Multiflora RoseLooking to replace turf lawn with a native plant alternative?
It can be intimidating for homeowners to make a leap of faith into the unknown - to tear out familiar lawn and replace it with "native plant alternatives." If you're trying to convince clients about the benefits of native plant lawn replacements, here are some great reasons.
For more information, read this week's edition of The Plug®!
Time for cutting back the garden is on the horizon! Today, we’re exploring our favorite tools for getting this big job done. We’re looking at what’s the fastest, what’s the most efficient, and what’s the most precise. Depending on what you need for your client’s space, you may need different tools for the job. Read along with this installment of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0823: Tools of the TradeRight now, trees are being planted in record numbers. Farmer's fields are converting to suburban home sites to meet growing housing needs. In cities, we’re creating more and taller buildings that often shade urban environments. As shade increases in our built-up areas, so does the demand for shade-tolerant plants to fill these understory spaces. Read along as we shed a little light on tough perennials for woodland spaces, enjoy!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0723: Shady Groundhuggers™Carex is quickly becoming a garden favorite for designers and homeowners alike. The humble appearance of the grass-like sedges blends well with any garden scheme and provides much needed texture, wildlife food and habitat, erosion control, and winter presence. If you’ve never experimented with sedges before, let this be your sign to give it a try!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0623: Solution Driven SedgesEvergreen plants provide habitat cover and forage for overwintering wildlife, help control soil erosion with active roots, and prevent winter weed seed germination by covering the ground. That’s a lot of bang for your buck. Let’s give the winter landscape more attention—here is our list of 20 evergreen forbs you can plant for winter interest!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0523: Native Evergreen Forbs for Winter InterestAre you ready to dive into Part II of our New Products overview for 2023? Last week we rolled out the new Landscape Plug™ items we've added to our availability—this week we'll zero in on our new 72 & 50-plug tray liners for your upcoming growing season.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0323: New Items for Growers & GardenersOur 2023 growing season offers an assortment of selections perfect for blanketing your garden space with a touch of vegetative relaxation. From seed-grown North American species geared to provide garden solutions to low-maintenance marvels with a touch of coziness and comfort—you can depend on North Creek’s plant palette to solve problem areas while delivering impact. Follow along here!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0223: New Landscape Plugs™ for 2023Woman owned company supplying native plants for the homeowner, landscaper, schools, organizations, and anyone trying to make a difference! Choose plants native to Long Island, NY, the Northeast, Eastern US and North America. The Native Plant Pickup Yard™ is open April-December for browse and purchase. Can’t find what you are looking for? Ask me and I will find it!
Address: 104 Main Avenue, Lake Grove, NY 11755
Starting November 21st, world renowned educators and plantsmen, Dr. Noel Kingsbury and University of Sheffield Professor, Nigel Dunnett, will embark on an 8-session online course focusing on the ins and outs of naturalistic planting. Click link in article to register -- with North Creek's 20% discount code!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4222: Garden Master ClassPart III of our series entitled, Building Climate Resilience in the Landscape, covered soils, water, flora and the bigger picture. Moving into the fourth and final segment we will present some of the best plants for the job, provide a case scenario, and conclude with next steps for all of us to consider. Enjoy!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4122: Climate Resilient Landscapes Part IVIn Part III of our blog post focused on Building Climate Resilience in the Landscape, we'll dig into soil, water, flora and the big picture. If you missed Part(s) I & II, click links below to start from the beginning of this lengthy conversation. Enjoy!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3922: Climate Resilient Landscapes Part IIIMuch of our land has undergone large changes that have degraded its natural productivity and ecosystem processes. How do we take land that has been degraded and return it to higher functioning levels? First, we must know what conditions create a functioning landscape.
In Part II of our blog post focused on Building Climate Resilience in the Landscape, we'll take a peek at the components that make up a functioning ecosystem.
In the face of increasing climate irregularities, there has been a call to action for those working with the natural world to build systems that are adaptive and resilient. Only a few decades ago, it was permissible for a garden to be merely “pretty.” However, with the mounting evidence of the drastic effects of climate change resulting in unexpected droughts, fires, floods, and stronger-than-ever storms, our landscapes are challenged with doing more.
Over the next few weeks, our THE PLUG posts will cover the hot topic of gardening for climate resilient gardens and how to build them. Enjoy!
Grasses are so ubiquitous that they’re assumed to be present in a landscape without conscious thought and when they’re not there, the landscape can feel like it lacks something. In Part II of Whimsical Warm Season Grasses we'll take a peek at some reliable species for pocket prairie type settings where height needs to be kept in check, and also a few species well suited for areas where room to spread out and put on a show is a must!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3622: Stealing the Show Part IIOften overlooked and underappreciated, warm-season grasses are the glue that holds the landscape together. Our 2-part series entitled Whimsical Warm Season Grasses, we'll dive into some standout selections for residential applications, short-height pocket prairie environments, and selections suited for larger garden spaces.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3522: Stealing the ShowWhile many of us shudder at the idea of living in what sounds like an oven, people who live in hot areas acclimate to the conditions and thrive. What do desert lovers have to do with plants?
Our native plants come from different climates and environments. Depending on the environment they are from will tell you what conditions they are acclimated to and tolerate well.
Learn more about hot & humid conditions vs. hot & dry conditions in this week's The Plug®!
You may have noticed this latest addition on our website plant descriptions? We’ve added technical information for growers! Learn more about how to get the most out of this information from The Plug® Technically Speaking!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3322: Technically SpeakingThese Plants of Merit are great additions to a garden design, adding much-needed late season color and pollinator support. We even have an entire section of groundcovers for sunny or shady garden locations, perfect to suppress weeds and to plant along garden edges. Read along in this week's edition of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2822: Plants of MeritCultivate is just around the corner—this week's edition of The Plug® will highlight items we'll be rolling out for the 2022 & 2023 growing seasons!
These selections range from new to the industry and straight species goodness to meet particular customer needs to customer requests that are new additions to our catalog and a couple of hard-to-find favorites that we are growing again! Check out what we’re growing for you, tried and tested garden-worthy plants perfect for your retail bench or new garden installation!
Dicentra eximia is a cornerstone of our American eastern woodland garden in the spring. Learn more about this woodland beauty in this edition of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2622: Wild Bleeding HeartAsters from North America are enjoyed the world over. This week's The Plug® explores the beauty of Asters!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2522: Beyond AstersThe third week of June marks Pollinator Week -- a week-long celebration which works to educate people about the diverse world of pollinators. Read along and learn how you can help!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2422: Pollinator Week 2022!Giving Back to our Community with help from American Beauties Native Plants, learn more about this new pollinator garden at Ziegler Elementary School in northeast Philadelphia!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2322: Ziegler Elementary Pollinator GardenYou guys know we love our native plants—it’s kind of our thing—but let me tell you, we’re not the only ones! Our bees love them too, and we love our partnership with Stormbustin' Honey!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2222: Stormbustin' HoneyPart II of Support our Pollinators highlights specific plants that support very specific insects - those that are now rare and federally endangered.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2122: Support our Pollinators Part IIIn addition to planting milkweed to help the Monarchs, this installment of The Plug® sheds light on specialist pollinators out there that are facing dramatic population losses, and what you can plant to help!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2022: Support our PollinatorsFriendly reminder to be on the lookout for the return of Spotted Lanternfly nymphs!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1822: Spotted Lanternfly ReminderNow is the time of year to divide your warm-season grasses! Learn how to with this week's issue of The Plug®!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1722: Dividing Warm Season GrasesBeyond basil, dill and thyme -- consider some of these wonderful native perennials for your herb garden!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1622: Perennial Herb GardenLearn how to ID the the ootheca (egg case) of native and invasive praying mantises.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1522: Praying Mantis IDNative or InvasiveWe're proud to announce our partnership with Mt. Cuba Center in bringing their native plant selections to the gardening world!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1422: Meet the Mt. Cuba CollectionTop 3 tips to ensure you receive your order just how you want it!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1322: How to OrderRock your garden designs with 6 tricks on how to know and use your plants to create a more dynamic garden design. Over our 30 years worth of experience, we've seen our plants in lots of different situations. We want to show you how different amounts of soil moisture, how you cut back a plant, and even whether it is from seed or from plug can change how a plant performs in your garden designs.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1122: Grow it to Know itAs winter comes to a close, this is a perfect time to consider sedges in your spring garden! Come learn about our favorite 7 Carex to add to your shade garden designs.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1022: Spring is for SedgesIt's that time of year again! Spring is coming and plant shipments are arriving to your worksite. Learn the differences in the plant material arriving at your door - from vernalized dormant material, emerging, or fresh growth from the greenhouse and when to plant them and how to take care of them in this week's The Plug.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0922: DormancyUtilize a plant survival adaptation for your garden designs! We explore evergreen basal rosettes - why they exist, how they benefit your garden designs, and our favorite plants in this week's The Plug.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0822: Evergreen Basal LeavesPeople talk about winter interest all the time but what about plants that still are holding their own against Ol' Man Winter even late in the season of February or March? Here is our list of plants that are still providing interest in the garden even after the winter rains, snows, winds, and general dreariness.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0722: Winter InterestEstablished in 2005, Plant Paradise Country Gardens is an award-winning organic perennial nursery, botanical garden & destination garden centre in Caledon, Ontario Canada. We specialize in growing and selling unique, hard-to-find perennials & native plants. We have a very large catalog of perennials and native plants and are always testing them in the 24 acre botanical garden at Plant Paradise Country Gardens. Our growing practices benefit the whole environment, including the pollinators and beneficial insects. We only use organic gardening methods to grow high-quality, well-rooted plants. We do not use pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers.
Address: 16258 Humber Station Road, Caledon Ontario, Canada | Phone: 905-880-9090
Visit CANADA - Plant Paradise Country GardensBig ideas to GROW your native plant business! In this week's The Plug, we consider the obstacles that are in the average garden customer's path to growing native plants and what WE can do to make it easier for them!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0622: Grow your Native Plant Business!Salt-tolerant plants! A list of plants that are salt-tolerant for you as winter rolls on and salt piles up in the roadsides and sidewalks. By selecting tough plants for those areas, you can ensure a long-lasting planting design enjoyed for many seasons to come!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0522: Salt-Tolerant PlantsA great resource on how to build your own butterfly gardens at home! Suggested by Olivia from Mr. Fuller's class
Visit Grow Your Own Butterfly Garden - BillyOhThe off-season is the perfect time to test your soil! For better soil health and planting design, knowing your soil is crucial. Learn the how and why as well as how to choose the best plants for your soil conditions.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0422: Soil TestingCollins Nursery offers container-grown perennials, grasses, ferns, vines, shrubs, and trees that are native to the Mid-Atlantic region. The nursery is located at historic Edgehill Castle in Glenside and is open by appointment. Plants are also available for online orders and curbside pickup
Address: 773 Roslyn Avenue Glenside, PA 19038 | Phone: (215) 715-3439
Visit PA - Collins NurseryWant your client's garden budget to go further? Try our planting tip - mix your container sizes! Learn how and where to apply this strategy in a client's garden installation to create instant impact AND have enough plants.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0122: Mixing SizesNow is the time for working on your winter chore list! First up? Cleaning your hand tools. We go through how, step-by-step, to help you during the winter downtime.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 5021: Caring for your Hand ToolsFlower farmers - looking to expand perennial crops in your cut flower fields? Wanting to add native plants to increase the diversity of offerings and attract wildlife? Read our top 10 best native plants for cut flowers (cut flower trials performed by NC State extension).
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4921: Top 10 Native Perennials for Cut FlowersSeedheads: the original bird feeders! If you're looking to attract birds to your garden in winter, here are our top 6 perennial genera that support the birds.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4821: Top 6 Perennials for Winter BirdsDelayed fall planting project? Here is how to protect your plants until the site is ready for installation.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4621: Delayed Fall ProjectsOur top 3 tips for strategies to extend the fall in the garden - a multi-pronged garden planning adaptation to changing weather in the face of climate change.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4521: Extending the SeasonWinter chore list? Check your new plantings for frost heave. Learn more about it in this week's The Plug!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4421: Frost HeaveNow is the time to order your plants for spring!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4321: Spring OrdersTreating leaves as a resource in the garden instead of trash is a shift in perspective. Educating your customers about the precious resources in their own backyards can be difficult which is why it's good to have some straightforward points!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4221: Educating Customers #leavetheleavesInstead of garden mums and cabbage, spice up your fall display with perennial native plants that give you more bang for your buck with the ability to come back year after year and support our native pollinators!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4121: 5 Native Plant Swaps for FallDon't be alarmed! The plants aren't dead! Inside your boxes arriving in fall, there may be some flats with active growth and some going into dormancy. Learn what this means for the plants and your planting schedule in this week's The Plug!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4021: Mixed boxes with fall dormancyHave rabbits in the garden munching all of your plants? Here is a list of plants that deter rabbits from eating them in this week's The Plug©.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3921: Rabbit-Resistant PlantsWe're living through another fern craze! Come see why this plant is back in fashion (tl;dr - it's low maintenance!) and our lists for all the ferns for conditions your garden designs are frequently handling.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3821: Fern Craze!Royalties, patents - what's the deal? If you work in the plant world, these are the nitty-gritty details that affect the pocketbook. We explain the details of these plant protections and how it affects you in this week's The Plug©.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3721: Royalties and PatentsOne of the most common questions we receive is about how to take care of large landscapes and the timing around each task. In this week's The Plug, we explore the importance of caring for large-scale landscape projects and the timing of what job should be done when. Included are three free downloads that can help you and your team schedule maintenance and care for your projects.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3521: Large-Scale Maintenance ManagementTaxonomic name changes - if we ignore them, will they go away? There's been a shakedown by taxonomists in several different plant groups and we go through and explore who has been changed and how we're responding in this week's The Plug™.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3321: Taxonomic Name ChangesWhat should you get planting now in August? Warm-season grasses, that's what! Give these plants, and several other varieties, the rooting time they require in the landscape before a fall frost. Learn more about what to plant now!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3221: Time to get warm-season grasses in!Meet our smooth ox-eye collection! A great addition to the summer perennial border, this plant shines in late summer as other perennials begin to fade. Learn more about Heliopsis helianthoides and some great cultivars to use in your next project.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3121: Meet Heliopsis!Drought stress at this time of year is very common. For best success with your plantings, we help you identify drought stress signs in the field and give you ways to remedy this problem for now and for the future.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3021: Common Drought Stress SignsIn between the spring season bursting with flower power and the summer where the heat triggers another flush of heat-loving perennials, is the "bridge" period. Typically in late May to early July, this period can be a quiet period in the garden. Bridge the gap between seasons with perennials that flower during this time period.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2821: Plants that Bridge the GapOur final installment about our propagation series, we explore how we use divisions and cuttings as a propagating type for our plants. We interview our stock grower and find out how it's done and what are some of our greatest challenges.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2721: Divisions and CuttingsMore than 200 species of high-quality native plants—including perennial wildflowers, vines, ferns, shrubs, and trees—are offered for sale at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve throughout the growing season. Most perennial species we sell are propagated in our nursery from our plant collections by our nursery manager and a dedicated team of volunteers.
The proceeds of our plant sales are cycled back into our propagation program. This enables us to both fund our informative educational programs and supports one of our primary missions—enhancing the biodiversity of our local ecosystem by placing more native plants in gardens like yours.
Address: 1635 River Road, New Hope, PA 18938 | Phone: (215)862-2924
Visit PA - Bowman's Hill Wildflower PreserverAfter spring and early summer perennials are finished blooming and their foliage begins to look tired, now is the perfect time to get in a client's garden and do some summer maintenance! We go through examples of plants that do well with a trim now and tips on how to do it.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2521: June CutbacksThe plants in this shade garden look scrawny and not like the catalog image - what's going on? In this week's The Plug©, we go through the different types of shade and why that's important to your garden design success.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2421: Scrawny Plants in a Shade GardenFor the question we receive often - for your newly installed Landscape Plugs™, when to water, how often, and for how long. This is a thorough exploration of this topic and we hope it gives you the answers you're seeking.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2321: WateringLet's get behind the scenes and learn about our most frequently asked about propagation type - tissue culture!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2221: Tissue CultureLearn about our Floating Treatment Wetlands, under evaluation by our Plant Trials and Gardens team, as a way of mitigating algal bloom in our stormwater system and ponds.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2121: Floating Treatment WetlandsLearn about how North Creek propagates plant material using seed. We go through the benefits, drawbacks, and challenges to give a more rounded picture of growing with seed!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2021: Seed PropagationFor seasonal bloom events, we go through 15 of our favorite self-sowing perennials that can be layered into a garden design for maximum flower power.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1921: 15 Favorite Self-Sowing PerennialsWhy reinvent the wheel? We go through a list of native plants that contain toxic alkaloids that prevent herbivory to help YOU design the deer + rabbit -proof garden of your dreams!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1821: DEADLY PlantsWe are a retail/small wholesale nursery that specializes exclusively in plants native to the Mid-Atlantic region. We are open Wednesday-Sunday, 10-4, April-November.
Address: 2237 Second Street Pike, Newtown PA, 18940 | Phone: (267)750-9042
Visit PA - Gino's NurseryIs mulch necessary in a landscape? This week, we explore the reasons why mulch is and can be used, the different kinds of mulch and their pros and cons, and how North Creek uses mulch in our landscape.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1721: Mulch = crime against horticulture??We frequently receive questions about what is the best way to remove our Landscape Plugs™ from their plug trays. We hear you! So, for those new to working with North Creek - here is the way we remove Landscape Plugs™ from their tray, don't search the box! No special tools are required!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1621: Removing LPs from their trays - NO SPECIAL TOOLS REQUIRED!Do you have a retail garden center or small business that sells native plants?
Then we want to hear from YOU!
We're updating the Retail Sources page on our website and would love to feature North Creek customers growing native plants for retail. We frequently have homeowners who come across our social media or website when they're looking for native plant nurseries in their area. We wish to direct these native plant enthusiasts to the retail garden center selling native plants in their area—aka YOUR BUSINESS!
We are a family-owned nursery and Garden Center servicing Bowie and the surrounding areas. In addition to plants, garden decor, and lawn and garden products, we also offer design and landscape services to our customers.
Address: 2410 North Crain Highway, Bowie, MD 20716 | Phone: (301) 218-4769
Visit MD - Patuxent NurseryJenkins Arboretum & Gardens is one of the region’s great horticultural and environmental assets. As a botanical garden, Jenkins maintains a collection of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns in a tranquil, naturalistic landscape. In addition, Jenkins features an accredited, world-class collection of rhododendrons and azaleas from across the globe. Jenkins is open daily and is always free of an admission fee.
After enjoying a walk through the arboretum, stop by The Garden Shop at Jenkins! The Garden Shop is open daily from 9 am – 3:30 pm, mid-April through early October. Choose from over 300 plants including a wide selection of native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees as well as houseplants and nature-inspired gifts.
Address: 631 Berwyn Baptist Rd., Devon, PA 19333 | Phone: (610)647-8870
Visit PA - Jenkins Arboretum & GardensUwharrie Mountain Native Plant Farm is a small family nursery in central North Carolina. Natives of the southeastern United States are the specialty. Plants range from 4" to 3 gallon containers, depending on the type of plant and stage of growth. Please request a copy of our available inventory by emailing uwharrienatives@yahoo.com. Nursery visits are by appointment only, and sales are made on site, meetup or delivery.
Address: Uwharrie Mountain Native Plant Farm Troy, NC | Phone: (910) 975-2373
Visit NC - Uwharrie Mountain Native Plant FarmProduction nursery open by appointment providing a wide array of native azaleas, ferns and woodland plants - stop by or order online. Thank you for checking us out!
Address: 10 Log Gap Road, Fairview, NC 28730 | Phone: (828) 222-2189
Visit NC - Mountain Mist NurseryGroff's is a family owned retail garden center that has been growing quality plants for 30 years. We specialize in hard to find and native perennials, shrubs and interesting annuals. We have a wide selection of both new ad heirloom herbs and vegetable starts for your kitchen garden as well.
Address: 6128 Street Rd, Kirkwood, PA 17536 | Phone: (717) 529-3001
Visit PA - Groff's Plant FarmYew Dell is a botanical garden dedicated to collection, evaluation, display and sales of the best plants the horticulture industry has to offer. With more than 30 acres of garden and arboretum displays set among historic buildings created by legendary plantsman Theodore Klein, Yew Dell offers sales year round through its online marketplace and seasonally on site. Offerings include woody and herbaceous, hardy and tropical plants, as well as edibles. We grow and sell both native and exotic plants. Our philosophy is that we love plants that are attractive, adaptable, non-invasive and that require a minimum of external inputs for success – no matter where they evolved.
Yew Dell is a preservation partner project of The Garden Conservancy and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is located just outside Louisville, Kentucky in USDA cold hardiness zone 6.
Address: 6220 Old LaGrange Rd., Crestwood, KY 40014 | Phone: (502) 241-4788
Visit KY - Yew Dell Botanical GardensWe offer the largest collection of Native Plants in Southern Delaware. We offer a large selection of straight species, as well as nativars, many that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Our plant inventory includes trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, succulents, tropicals, vegetables, herbs, and annuals. We carefully curate our selection of plants to guarantee the best quality plant material. Our knowledgeable staff can help you choose plants that are pollinator-friendly, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and rain garden-friendly. We also have education and outreach programs teaching the values of Natives, Pollinators, and Biodiversity, and the problems of Habitat Loss. We also feature local artists, and have a small gallery with beautiful creations.
Address: 38320 Muddy Neck Rd, Frankford DE, 19945 | Phone: (302) 539-1839
Visit DE - Inland Bays Garden CenterNH NATIVE PERENNIALS is a small growing plant nursery nestled in the foothills of the White Mountains in New hampshire. We sell mostly native plants, but also include a few 'not native but nice' selections as well!
Address: 730 High Street, Madison, NH 03875 | Phone: (603) 210-4288
Visit NH - New Hampshire Native PerennialsColesville’s business philosophy is to sell the best possible plants while providing the best possible service!This has been accomplished through the hard work and dedication of many people throughout the years continued in present day. We carry a vast array of plants, from native trees to obscure perennials. We are known for having several options available all year long, no matter the season!
Address: 14011 Nursery Rd, Ashland, VA 23005 | Phone: (804) 798-5472
Visit VA - Colesville NurseryAll-natural, environmentally friendly lawn and garden products for the modern gardener. No matter what your gardening needs may be, Gardens Alive has just what you are looking for. We proudly offer a wide range of seeds and plants to create a diverse, edible garden or texturally interesting ornamental landscape display.
Phone: (513) 354-1482
Visit ONLINE - Gardens Alive®Since 1900, our family has been growing beautiful bulbs in Gloucester, Virginia. Our journey started with Brent’s grandfather, a devoted lover of the Daffodil, moved to the area to start his farm. Since then, we’ve evolved to offer high-quality bulbs of all kinds, tropicals, perennials, annuals, supplements, books, and gifts.
Address: 7900 Daffodil Lane, Gloucester, VA 23061 | Phone: (877) 661-285
Visit ONLINE - Brent & Becky's BulbsAt the LGS Native Plant Nursery, we carry a variety of native and locally grown perennials, shrubs, and trees. Our goal is to be a resource for native plant enthusiasts! You can use our Native Plant Library to research and plan your garden, shop for native plants online, or visit us in-person to shop and ask questions of our knowledgeable staff. We love to share our passion for supporting pollinators with responsible and sustainable gardening practices. We offer both in-person shopping, as well as contactless pick-up at our location in Ellicott City, MD.
Address: 13554 Triadelphia Rd, Ellicott City, MD 21042 | Phone: (410) 461-2535
Visit MD - LGS Native Plant NurseryIt's that time of year again! Time for dividing perennials, grasses, and ferns. We explore why you should add this activity to your spring maintenance schedules, what plants to divide, when to do it, and how to do it - all in this post! Whew.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1421: Spring Division as a Part of MaintenanceWe've updated and IMPROVED our search function on our website! See what's new and how to utilize our search options to select plants best suited for your garden projects.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1221: Wetland Indicator Status Search Function!Learn garden maintenance strategies for your cool-season grasses and sedges - if they need a winter cutback, how hard it should be, and when to do it - in this week's The Plug®.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1121: Cool Season Grass CutbacksPlants are arriving to your projects in different stages of growth. Learn about the different stages and how to take care of them until you are able to plant the material into the ground for your projects.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1021: Dormant, Emerging, GreenIt's the season for cutbacks in the garden for spring! We go over what tools we use, how we do it, and our timing as well as overview other methods so you can pick the perfect maintenance plan for your project needs.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0921: Spring CutbacksCome see the restoration of the Lost Garden of Hagley in Wilmington, Delaware (right in our own backyard!).
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0821: The Lost Garden of HagleyWe're melting! Here is our list (and two garden ideas!) for our native (and some non-native) plants that are tolerant of heat and humidity, especially great for gardens in the southeast United States.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0721: Heat and Humidity tolerant PlantsSpecial Bulletin: North Creek Nurseries has decided to pull Carex flacca and its cultivars from our offerings due to invasive plant concerns. Read more here about this plant and how we've come to this decision.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0521: SPECIAL BULLETIN on Carex flaccaDo you have voles causing mayhem in your plant designs? Learn more about this garden creature and our thoughts on care for the garden in this week's The Plug.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0621: Vole DamageBrrr! Here is our list (and two garden ideas!) for our native plants that are tolerant of cold! We look at plants in USDA Zone 2-5 and show that while it may be cold, these tough plants can more than handle it!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0421: Plants for Cold ClimatesGet the scoop about working with North Creek! We answer customer's Top 6 questions about how to order plant material and how our shipping works on this week's The Plug.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0321: Your Top 6 FAQsThe increased interest in gardening, brought about by the stay-at-home orders for COVID-19, is going strong for spring 2021. We go into the state of the industry trends from 2020.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0221: Book now for spring and summer plantingTwo new species Baptisia added for spring 2021! Lots of requests have been made for straight species Baptisia - you asked, we listened.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0121: Meet our new Baptisias!A holiday gift guide for gardeners with gift ideas* for under $40. (We asked around - these are gifts that gardeners ACTUALLY want).
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 5120: Holiday Gift GuideWhat's the best way to get rid of invasive plants? To use 'em up! We're making holiday wreaths, boughs, floral arrangements, and baskets from foraged invasive plants in our woods. Double the seasonal cheer by creating something beautiful while cleaning up your local ecosystem!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 5020: Invasive plants for Holiday DecorJoin Dr. Doug Tallamy's movement towards increasing biodiversity and reconnecting ecosystems by getting on the map for Homegrown National Park!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4920: Homegrown National ParkLet's talk about good roots! If the ground is still workable where you are, consider doing a late-season planting with Landscape Plugs going into dormancy!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4820: Good roots, dormant plantsContinuing on the conversation around seed grown crops, we dive into the question of seed cultivars and genetic diversity.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4720: Seed CultivarsLeave the stems and spent flower heads to the insects and wildlife for habitat! Use this pleasant weather for better things - getting a headstart on those cool season weeds! Learn about the most common kinds of cool season weeds and how to get rid of them.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4620: Fall WeedsThinking about replacing your non-native turf with a native lawn? We give our top plants for the job and how to get rid of your old lawn to increase it's beauty and it's function, for you and the wildlife!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4420: Lawn AlternativesWe love milkweed (Asclepias sp.) for their natural beauty and because they help the endangered Monarch butterfly but is there a whole new reason to plant this native perennial in your garden?
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4320: Milkweed kills Spotted Lanternfly!Learn all about Chelone - from the best place to plant them to what native insects they support - on this week's The Plug. We go in-depth of all the varieties we offer so you can choose the best one for your garden.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4120: Exploring CheloneSeed-grown plants have a wonderful dearth of genetic diversity in each little seed. Sometimes, this results in differences in flower color or form. We explore plants we sell grown from seed that regularly have color variation.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4020: Variation in seed grown cropsStep-by-step on the best way to remove our Landscape Plugs from their trays and information about LP specifications for siting!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3920: How to remove a Landscape PlugRemoving a Landscape Plug from its tray is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Learn about our Landscape Plugs! How to plant, why they are good for your project, and their detailed specifications!
Choosing a goldenrod for a project? With so many Solidago species and cultivars available, we go through what we offer and their differences to help you make the best selection for your site.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3820: Selecting a SolidagoWhy North Creek grows what it grows - a grower's perspective on why certain native plants are hard to find in the marketplace.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3620: Why don't you grow this?Save time and money by utilizing our shipping racks delivered directly to your job site. Don't know what you need to qualify? Read on to learn!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3520: Shipping RacksA contentious subject - what to use for a project? Native plants? Cultivars? Nativars? We explore the different takes on this topic.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3420: What is a nativar?Is fall the best time to plant? Get the scoop on the pros and cons of installing plants in the fall.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3320: Fall PlantingPlants for modern garden design - elevate your aesthetic with modern, sculptural plant selections
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3220: Modern FlowersDrought and disease in late summer - what to look for in the garden and how to fix it
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3120: Drought + DiseaseWe're in the middle of summer and boy is it hot! We have a list of plants that not only tolerate the heat and humidity but relish it!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3020: Plants for Heat + HumidityWhat to plant for beautiful blooms in June, July, and August. Design your gardens knowing what's in flower when!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2920: Flower Power ASAPWhile a low height is preferred, what truly makes a plant a groundcover is the way it expands to form solid, interconnected mats of foliage. Their ability to form dense leaf cover smothers and eliminates weeds naturally, while providing multiple seasons of interest from flower to foliage. Here are our top picks for moist sun, dry sun, moist shade and dry shade.
Visit NCN Groundcover CollectionNotoriously considered one of the most challenging sites in the garden; dry shade locations can be a test to even the most experienced gardener. In such competitive conditions, many shade perennials fail to thrive—but with the right plants, proper establishment, and care during periods of drought—dry shade gardens can be a showpiece! Blooming early spring through fall, here are a few of our favorite plants for dry shade.
Visit NCN Dry Shade CollectionHow is your plant palette poised to keep native plants, pollinator health, and the health of our environment at the forefront of market demand? Are you ready to meet the needs of your customer? Bees and other pollinators need pollen, nectar, and shelter all season, from early spring through late fall—North Creek’s Pollinator Collection will help you achieve just that!
Visit NCN Pollinator CollectionCities have become large areas devoid of plants and therefore devoid of the benefits derived from plants. Green roofs, when properly specified and maintained, can deliver some of those lost ecosystem services of stormwater management, nectar supply, aesthetics, and habitat that were there before the city was formed. —Ed Snodgrass
Visit NCN Green Roof CollectionOur Carex Collection offers a selection of sedges working as verdant groundcovers adaptable to a wide variety of site conditions. From obligate to upland conditions, sedges thrive in as assortment of environments, help to control erosion, provide habitat, and are an excellent native alternative to Liriope and Mondo grass. Discover the power of this versatile genus!
Visit NCN Carex CollectionPerfect for challenging sites, ferns are low-maintenance, lush, and inviting. There is a fern for all garden locations—from dry shade to moist sunny spots. In addition to texture, some species of ferns provide architectural appeal such as Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis and Adiantum pedatum; while others, such as Polystichum acrostichoides and Matteuccia struthiopteris can help stabilize soil erosion.
Visit NCN Fern CollectionIMPROVED plant search with new features and additional search requirements help you navigate our 400+ plants to find exactly what you need for each project. Get tips on how to utilize our plant search and what's new.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2820: Improved Plant SearchIt's hot out there! New plantings can be stressed as temperatures rise and precipation wanes. We give you the signs of drought stress and how often you should water in high summer.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2720: Drought StressMeet our Panicum collection! Learn about the switchgrass varieties we offer, the differences between them, and what these warm-season grasses do for the environment and local wildlife.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2620: PanicumLooking for simple ways to elevate a client's garden? A list of perennials that can use summer maintenance to take the garden from good to great.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2520: Garden Perennial Maintenance that ElevatesHome of Cavano's Perennials Nursery with online ordering and curbside pick-up or delivery available.
Address: 6845 Sunshine Avenue, Kingsville, MD 21087 | Phone: (410) 592-8077
Visit MD - Cavano's PerennialsThey're Ba-AAACK! A PSA on Spotted Lanternfly.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2420: PSA on Spotted LanternflyAfter a couple of decades of experience working with Landscape Plugs™, here are 5 things we wish we knew when we first started using them for installation projects.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2220: 5 things I wish I knew before I started using LPsWho CHOPPED my plants?! (We did.) Here are the reasons we trim your plants before we ship them.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2120: Trim Before ShippingOur tips and methods to prepare a new planting site, just in time for spring installations.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2020: Preparing a New Planting SiteEarly-season weeds are a bane to every spring garden. We round up our favorite strategies to eliminate or lessen your weed labor, making it easier for you and your garden maintenance.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1920: Surviving Early-Season WeedsWe've partnered with Kind Earth Growers to bring you more wetland plants! Learn what new plants we offer and get a complete plant list of water-loving favorites for your next installation.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1819: Working with Kind Earth GrowersOn the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, we reflect on our mission - to provide plants to improve the connection between humans and the natural environment.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1720: Earth Day 2020Virginia bluebells are ready to ship! This woodland favorites are a beautiful spring ephemeral that we only carry for a short time. Find out why and what other spring plants grow great with them on this week's The Plug.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1520: Spring EphemeralsWant to add wildlife value to your kitchen and herb garden? Herb gardens are a wonderful way to add fresh taste and nutrition to your food but with these native plants, you can also provide more diverse offerings to pollinators while boosting your health!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1420: Native plants in the herb gardenFor when you can't get to your local garden center, here is our list of reputable online plant dealers that ship directly to your door. Everything from hard-to-find plants, vegetables, herbs, flowers, shrubs, and even trees! It's all here and it ain't Amazon.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1320: Where to order plants onlineHere it is. Beautiful plant goodness for when you're stuck inside. So, whether you're self-isolating or because of bad weather, we've got our favorite shows, podcasts, and books to help you get through this!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1220: Gardener's Quarantine Survival KitNow is the perfect time to order ferns in time for spring and early summer planting. We'll tell you why they're available for only a short window and teach you when is the best time to plant them.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1120: The Power of FernsAre you transitioning a monoculture of lawn into a diverse pollinator haven? We're with you! In this post, we're giving you some of our favorite resources in how to add more wildlife value to your landscape. Together, we can create victory gardens for our pollinators!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1020: Ecologically-minded GardensNew to working with North Creek Nurseries? We've made a step-by-step tutorial on how to use our availability and order with us.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0920: New to North Creek? How to use our AvailabilityVirginia wild-rye (Elymus virginicus) is now only available through custom-grow. Learn why this plant, and some others, have been taken off our current availability but can still be grown for your landscape projects.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0820: Virginia Wild-RyeIt's here! It's online! See our online 2020 catalog + resource guide - full of our plants and lists for everything from what's deer-resistant to what's good to plant in a green roof. Not just a catalog - so much more!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0720: 2020 Catalog + Resource GuideTalking new plants and new products - what they are, how we choose them, and what's the next big thing on the horizon - with Brigitte Crawford, our New Products Manager.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0620: Talking new plantsThree native sedges that cover bare ground FAST after extensive ground restoration work
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0520: Hit the ground runningEasy native plant ideas to bolster the ecological benefits to your tropical garden
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0420: Beat the winter blues12 easy native substitutes for common non-native plants in the garden
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0320: Plant this, NOT that!We've hit the road! Find out where the Creekers are heading for the 2020 season
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0220: We're on the RoadNew North Creek plant introductions for the coming year!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 5219: Welcome 2020 with new plants!We've introduced trial offerings! What is it and what does this mean for you?
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 5019: Trial OfferingsNeed some inspiration for winter outdoor decor? Planters, containers, and a tree just for the wildlife are explored for this holiday season!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4819: Winter Holiday Project IdeasAs the season winds down, we reflect on some of our favorite conferences, symposia, and tradeshows to network, increase our knowledge, and gather inspiration.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4719: Continuing Education OpporunitiesOur customer service team's best tips on how to protect your plants if your fall planting project is delayed
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4619: Delayed Fall ProjectsMaintenance for green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) - ensure longevity with proper care
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4519: GSI MaintenanceOur top native plant picks to use an alternative to lawn
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4419: Rethinking the lawnAre they dying?! Nope, plants shipping now are just going to sleep!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4319: Entering DormancyFiguring out how and why a plant didn't perform in garden design
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4119: Plant failures in garden designHere's how to bring birds into the garden with the best native perennial plants to provide food + shelter.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4019: Gardening is for the birds!Increase your garden plants easily - now is an excellent time to look out for ripening seed. What to look for and our lazy gardener hacks on the easiest ways to grow natives from seed!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3919: Lookout for seed!I got 99 problems but a chipmunk ain't one! Keeping chipmunks, rabbits, and other small animals out of your garden!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3819: Rodent IssuesMore than vinca... beautiful colors and textures to use in low-maintenance shady spots!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3719: Shade GroundcoversPlants for a foundation planting that are low-maintenance, easy, and beautiful!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3619: Classic Foundation PlantingsEverything you need to know on what to do to prevent deer pressure in the garden!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3519: Deer TolerancePerennials that can take a beating and stay on top. Flower power that doesn't just WOW but helps local insects. We're taking a look at some late-season native champions for a fall show.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3419: Late-Blooming WinnersFrom swamps to hillsides, there's a Coreopsis for every garden!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3319: Exploring CoreopsisWhen should you plant our Landscape Plugs? Here are the advantages and disadvantages to each time frame in the growing season to figure out your ideal planting window.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3219: Planting WindowsDo you have a black walnut tree removed from your garden site recently? Here are our top picks for full-sun perennials tolerant of black walnut to put in your garden, a continuation from Plug post.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3019: Full-Sun Perennials around Black WalnutSee our Landscape Plugs in action by checking out plants in public spaces! Here are some recommendations for great public gardens to visit, state-by-state.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3119: Visit a Public Garden!Rare Roots is perennial plant mail order company owned and operated by women. We have been growing perennials for over 30 years in central Virginia.
Phone: (804) 296-6592
Visit ONLINE - Rare RootsHow to protect your newly-installed landscape from persistent waterfowl pests
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2919: Bird ProtectionWhy use prairie plants? Grow deeper as we explore the benefits of natives with deep roots and how they can boost your garden and its design.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2819: Deeply RootedHow to irrigate your newly planted Landscape Plugs through the summer, the signs of drought stress and an overview of different forms of irrigation to decide what is best for you and your site.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2719: Summer IrrigationA month-by-month list of our favorite perennials to create a massive seasonal bloom event in the garden!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2619: Massive Flower Bloom!A deeper look into scheduling large landscape maintenance with two free downloadable documents to help you plan!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2519: Maintenance Schedules Pt 2Utilizing Aster-relatives for filling the perennial garden with durable blooms all summer long.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2419: Beyond AstersA look into the calendar year for maintenance and care of large landscapes to plan and schedule weed controls methods
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2319: Maintenance SchedulesA guide to the Geraniums we offer and when they bloom
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2119: Geranium BloomsJoin us, as part of the Native Plants in the Landscape Conference, in using plants to tune into the power of green infrastructure!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2019: Hands-on Landscape Plug WorkshopFor the humid heat and acidic clay soils of The South, we give a list of 100+ native plants that can survive even the swampiest of weather!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1919: Plants for the SouthInstalling hundreds of Landscape Plugs™ but short on time? We introduce you to our favorite spring planting tool, the 3" auger.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1819: Using an AugerWhat to do if your installation date is delayed...
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1719: Installation Date DelayedControlled burns as a landscape management tool
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1619: SET IT ALL ON FIRE!Why are Virginia bluebells only available in spring? What about Celandine poppy?
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1519: Mertensia viriginica only available in springNew to working with North Creek? Here is what to expect with our Landscape Plugs™
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1419: What to expect with your Landscape Plugs™Things are growing again...! But they're mostly weeds. A look at weed control timing.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1319: Cool-Season Weed ControlUsing what's there- utilizing a plant's characteristics for design + function
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1219: Evergreen Basal RosettesMonitoring your new Landscape Plugs™
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 2318: After InstallationTo mulch or not to mulch? The use of mulch in the landscape
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3018: The Value of MulchHow long should I water? The importance of irrigating newly-installed plugs in your landscape
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3118: IrrigationWant to try something new? Here are 4 other plants to try beyond Pennsylvania sedge, Carex pensylvanica
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3218: Sedge SwapWhat's a little rain? Checking in with our 3-year-old rain garden and learning how rain gardens help with flooding after a storm
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3518: Rain GardensThe first step to weed management is properly identifying common weeds. Here are some of the most common weeds found in the Mid-Atlantic with recommended strategies for their control and removal.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3618: Weed ManagementHere are our favorite Top 10 Native Plants to plant en masse outcompete the weeds as part of your weed management strategy
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3718: This Instead of ThatNow is the time! When to have your warm-season grasses installed at your project
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3818: Warm-Season Grass InstallationEver wanted to visit North Creek Nurseries? Come to our First Friday Garden Tour, the 1st Friday of every month to learn about our plants, how we do things, and maybe, a little inspiration.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 3918: Garden ToursWith over a dozen different Asters available from North Creek, here is our bloom chart to make sense of the collection and to stagger your garden bloom time for massive effect!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4018: Aster BloomVisiting Brookside Gardens in Maryland, two years after renovating their parking lot using the Landscape Plug™
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4118: Brookside GardensInvesting in your garden: three of our favorite spring-time bloomers with flower power that is well worth the wait
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4218: Waiting for FlowersTiming your garden cutbacks: why we prefer cleaning up our garden in the spring over the fall
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4318: Fall Garden Clean-upJust in time for Halloween, we check out the beautiful work done to revitalize a local cemetery in Philadelphia with the Grave Gardeners
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4418: The Grave Gardeners!Right plant, wrong place: when good plants go bad and take over your garden!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4518: Garden ThugsThere are black walnut trees everywhere! What to plant that tolerates black walnut jugalones
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4618: Attack of the jugalones!The grass 'turkey feet' is actually beloved by turkeys?? A closer look at Andropogon gerardii
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4718: Turkey Grass for ThanksgivingWhat came first? The plug before the shrub? The order to install a landscape and why
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4818: Installation Sequence Matters!Wet feet or bone dry? How wetland indicator status helps identify suitable plant environments for planting design
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 4918: Wetland Indicator StatusGetting tiny! A closer look at tissue culture and micropropagation of plants
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 5018: MicropropagationDivide and Conquer! A closer look at propagation through division and cuttings
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 5118: Division + CuttingsSeeds for the future! A closer look at seed sowing and propagating our plants by seed
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0119: Seed CollectionWhen to cut-back foliage for the Hellebore and provide polish to the Lenten Rose
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0319: Cutting Back HelleboreNorth Creek Nurseries pest management: our pledge to the Pollinators, the People, and the Planet
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0419: Integrated Pest ManagementSo it begins... cutting back and cleaning up your garden in time for spring!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0519: Garden Cut-backsThe marriage of beauty + utility. Seedheads in the winter for form and food.
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0619: Winter SeedheadsLandscape Plugs™ in action! Tour of a native plant planting along PA's I-78!
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0719: I-78 Landscape Plug™ ProjectLiving mulch! Choosing evergreen groundcover plants to prevent weed germination
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0819: Green MulchPlease! I need plants that can take all this salt! Choosing plants with salt tolerance in the landscape
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 0919: Salt-Tolerant Planting DesignMy plants have arrived and it's cold out! Now what? Fresh plants + cold weather = bad news
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1019: Shipments Arriving NowWhy do my plants look dead? Learning about vernalization and plugs breaking dormancy in spring
Visit THE PLUG© - Week 1119: Breaking DormancyWelcome to the Perennial Farm Marketplace. We are different from most other plant websites in that we actually grow our own plants and ship them directly to your door. The fact that we are the grower, allows us to control production and properly care for all plant material prior to shipping. You benefit from this by getting the highest quality plant material delivered right to your front door.
Visit ONLINE - Perennial Farm MarketplacePLAN it WILD wants to bring back biodiversity to the suburban landscape through inspired design and habitat kits for the New York homeowner.
Address: 420 South Riverside Ave, #271 Croton on Hudson, NY 10520 | Phone: (914) 488-6444
Visit NY - PLAN it WILDTo Go Garden is committed to fair prices for excellent quality plants. We cut out the middleman and pass the savings on to you. We have everything from trees to shrubs to perennials, herbs, and aquatic plants, all available to order online.
Phone: (405) 227-9888
Visit ONLINE- To Go GardenWhen you shop for plants, garden and birding supplies at Spring Hill, you join generations of gardeners who have counted on Spring Hill for products that perform beautifully. Trialed and well-loved plants are available online and through our mail-order catalogs.
Phone: (513) 354-1509
Visit ONLINE - Spring Hill NurseryAn online marketplace for native plants. Bridging the gap between wholesale and retail, Izel Plants offers, among other products, a wide variety of plugs to customers outside of the trade.
Phone: (410) 989-3721
Visit ONLINE - Izel PlantsRECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENGINEERED, SAND-BASED SOILS
North Creek recommends finding inspiration from coastal species and perennials which have adapted to thrive in such environments. This palette offers a refreshing new aesthetic: mid-height vegetation with stunning color, texture, pollinator value and excellent stormwater treatment function. Most importantly, these plants flourish in urban conditions.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MESIC SOILS
Through years of trials at North Creek, we now offer a diverse plant palette that not only thrives in woodland conditions while looking great spring through fall – and some of them even shine with glossy, evergreen foliage in winter.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR XERIC SOILS
Not all meadow plants are neat enough to aesthetically fit into high visibility urban spaces nor are they all adapted to tough city conditions. Here are some species that thrive in urban conditions, bring the beauty of wild places right back into our lives, and help balance the effects urbanization has on our environment.
The Landscape Plug™ Specification Manual provides precise information on LP50 & LP32 sizes and specifications, along with detailed information pertaining to the benefits of Landscape Plugs™.
Greening the world is everyone's job. Here is a link sent to us by our friend Nicole Jacobs from Portland, Oregon. This young gardener's online research with the guidance of her Mom, Erica led her to our site and now Nicole is leading you to this valuable resource that she found inspirational. Way to go Ladies! Thanks for sharing and thanks for digging in.
Visit HORTKids - DIG IN!PARTNERING WITH OUR BROKER NETWORK
We believe that people make the difference in profitability and success of any organization. Here at North Creek, we have an exceptionally hard-working staff dedicated to your success. From propagation to delivery, our enthusiastic team works diligently to bring you the finest starter plants available in today's market. Along with all the hard work, we strive to have fun while accomplishing our tasks. To our Broker Network,our extended team, we work hard for you too while you work hard for us. We are constantly developing tools to facilitate your success. Please enjoy this Broker Binder to help facilitate your success.
We have driven nature out of our cities, but we can invite it back in by designing landscapes that look and function more like they do in the wild. The solution lies in understanding plantings as communities of compatible species that cover the ground in interlocking layers. This book is an optimistic call to action dedicated to the idea of new nature, a hybrid of both the wild and the cultivated that can flourish in cities and suburbs. This timely and essential reference is lushly illustrated with original planting plans and colour photography.
Visit Planting in a Post-Wild World by Claudia West + Thomas RainerHealthy plants for a healthy environment. We utilize natural and biological control agents to prevent disease and to keep our greenhouses pest free and safe for pollinators in our landscape.
Visit NPGN - We are Neonicotinoids-free + MOREThe Evaluation Study: The Chicago Botanic Garden (USDA Hardiness Zone 5b, American Horticultural Society Plant Heat-Zone 5) evaluated 26 taxa of Eutrochium spp. and related genera from 2001 through 2013. The study included Eutrochium spp., Ageratina spp., and Conoclinium coelestinum, which were all formerly classified as Eupatorium spp. (see Table 1), and several species of Eupatorium. The goal of the comparative trial was to identify outstanding Joe-Pye weeds [...]
Visit Eupatorium: Plant Evaluations from Richard Hawke, Plant Evaluation ManagerAmerican Beauties Native Plants® is a groundbreaking program that offers proven solutions for garden centers, landscapers and home gardeners. Garden centers use our point-of-purchase materials to build displays that help direct their customers and educate their staff at the same time. Landscapers use our plants and fact-filled tags to enhance customer experience. They even create Certified Wildlife Habitats® for their clients, now that’s added value. Home gardeners love our branded pots because it takes the guesswork out of shopping. Our native plant experts have teamed up with wildlife experts to bring you collections that are guaranteed to bring life to your garden. Bird Garden, Butterfly Garden, Dry Shade and Moist Sun garden guides are available at www.abnativeplants.com.
Visit American Beauties Native Plants®
Family owned, 100% native, pesticide free nursery. Located in Hamilton, VA, in Loudoun County between Leesburg and Purcellville.
Address: 16764 Hamilton Station Rd., Hamilton, VA 20158 | Phone: (540) 441-7443
Visit VA - Watermark Woods Native PlantsOur Landscape Plug™ Manual is a valuable tool for species selection and design.
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants.
Address: 9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh, NC 27603 | Phone: (919) 772-4794
Visit ONLINE - Plant Delights NurseryWhite Flower Farm is a family-owned nursery located in Litchfield, Connecticut. Since 1950, we have offered a wide range of annuals, perennials, shrubs, bulbs, houseplants, and gifts to gardeners throughout the United States.
Address: P.O. Box 50, Route 63, Litchfield, Connecticut 06759 | Phone: (800) 503-9624
Visit ONLINE - White Flower FarmBluestone is a family owned and operated business founded in 1972 by Richard Boonstra. Located close to Lake Erie in Northeast Ohio, Bluestone grows and ships over 3 million plants a year nationwide.
Address: 7211 Middle Ridge Rd, Madison, OH 44057 | Phone: (800) 852-5243
Visit ONLINE - Bluestone PerennialsPhoenix Perennials is a dynamic retail and mail order nursery located in Richmond, BC, in the heart of Metro Vancouver. Our selection includes cutting edge new cultivars, garden stalwarts, and the rare and unusual.
Address: 3380 No. 6 Rd. Richmond, BC V6V 1P5 | Phone: (604) 270-4133
Hope you enjoyed Carrie Wiles' Rain Gardens presentation at the Philadelphia International Flower Show on March 6, 2012. Here is her list of species recommendations.
by Claudia West
Imagine yourself strolling along a typical metropolitan street. What vegetative characteristics might you experience? Are window boxes and containers bursting with seasonal color? Do low growing sedges tickle your ankles as you walk past a lushly planted tree pit? Are you enticed to run your fingertips through the Panicum seed heads as you enter the town square? Or, are mature tree canopies protecting you from polarizing heat.?
Sadly, the reality of such a stroll commonly unveils plants distressed from degraded soils, heat islands, and pollution. Urban spaces face a plethora of undesirable conditions for growing and maintaining horticultural harmony. Human and environmental activities can severely impede our ability to design, install, and maintain a successful urban landscape. However, these sites will always offer opportunities for encouraging human interaction and improving overall aesthetics, function, and ecological health.
Read More: Ecological Landscape Association
The wonderful resources that attract us to the White Clay Watershed have also led to its status as Wild & Scenic. A watershed is all the area of land that drains into a body of water, and we all live in a watershed. The White Clay watershed is 107 square miles and includes parts of Chester County, PA and New Castle County, DE. Nearly 100,000 people call the White Clay Creek watershed home. In 2000 federal legislation designated White Clay Creek and its tributaries in Delaware and Pennsylvania part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. That marked the first time an entire watershed - rather than just a section of river - had been designated into the system. This "beyond-the-riverbank" approach takes into consideration the variety of influences outside the river corridor that affect river habitat and water quality. As residents of the White Clay Watershed we enjoy its unique benefits but we also share responsibility for maintaining the characteristics that make the watershed special. How we maintain and manage our properties - our personal piece of the watershed - reaches beyond our property line.
Background: Pennswood Village is a retirement community situated on 82 acres. The site is part of the Neshaminy Creek watershed, a sub-watershed of the Delaware River (approximately 233 square miles in size that encompasses portions of central and lower Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania). Over the past few decades, it has become increasingly developed through the conversion of farmlands into residential and commercial properties.
In response to a major flood in June 1996, Middletown Township commissioned a regional stormwater study to identify problem areas, one of which was the area downstream of Pennswood Village. The flood caused the existing 17-foot-deep detention basin on the property to overflow, severely damaging a recently opened health center and many other properties downstream of the retirement village. In order to address this problem, contractors for Pennswood Village created a stormwater management system that mimics a natural riparian stream corridor channel. It uses a number of BMPs linked in a specific series of passive operation. The efficiency of individual BMPs was increased by creating a routing system that integrated a series of hydrologically linked BMPs, thereby creating a pollutant removal train. Each BMP was sized and located to address a specific stormwater management issue. The alignment and grading of the swales, basins, and wetlands, combined with the careful selection of native grasses, shrubs, and trees, diminishes the velocity of the runoff, biofilters and settles pollutants, and creates opportunities for groundwater recharge.
Monitoring: The result of this project is a highly functional stormwater management system on 8 acres that exceeded the township's stormwater management requirements while providing an attractive environment for the community. The system attenuates peak flows, promotes groundwater recharge, and passively removes pollutants through a combination of filtering, settling, and biological treatment mechanisms. It also provides opportunities for recreation, education, and the appreciation of nature, and uses species native to the area.
Conclusions: The award winning design achieved preservation of the historical landscape character, avoided development on former farmland, and preserved open space. The stormwater system is functioning so well that it also is carry 50% of the runoff from 2 adjoining school properties (Newtown Friends and the George School). Since the installation of this system back in 2002, no runoff has been reported from the property reaching the adjacent creek, even in heavy storm events. There is, however, no monitoring plan in place to demonstrate that no runoff is occurring or to verify that the storage capacity of this system is capable of handling large scale storm events. Nonetheless, this project serves as an example of successful and attractive community stormwater management.
Visit Pennswood Village, Bucks County, PAThe fourth edition of Allan Armitage's masterpiece on garden perennials! Armitage's extensive traveling, teaching and trialing experiences provide a depth of understanding of the best ornamental perennials for North American gardens unparalleled by any other garden writer. One of the most definitive and conclusive books written about perennials, the first edition was designated as one of the best 75 books written in the last 75 years by the American Horticulture Society. Allan's trademark wit and passion are both in abundance, making reading as pleasurable as it is informative.
Visit Herbaceous Perennial Plants, 4th EditionIn just a few years, green roofs have gone from a horticultural curiosity to a booming growth industry — primarily because the environmental benefits of extensively planted roofs are now beyond dispute, whether for industrial or governmental complexes or for private homes in urban or suburban settings. Despite the high level of interest in green roofs, until now there has been no reliable reference devoted exclusively to the various species of drought-tolerant plants that are suitable for use on extensive green roofs. Green Roof Plants fills that void. The book contains photographs and cultural information for more than 200 species and cultivars of plants, including valuable data on moisture needs, heat tolerance, hardiness, bloom color, foliage characteristics, and height. Concise, accurate, and easy to use, this book is destined to become an indispensable practical reference guide, not just for architects, landscape designers, engineers, and environmentalists, but also for environmentally conscious home gardeners.
With the accelerating pace of development and subsequent habitat disruption, the pressures on wildlife populations are greater than they have ever been in our nation's history. As Doug Tallamy has confirmed through extensive research, there is an unbreakable link between native plant species and native wildlife. When native plant species disappear, or are replaced by alien exotics, the insects disappear, thus impoverishing the food source for birds and other animals. Fortunately, there is still time to reverse this alarming trend, and gardeners have the power to make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity. By favoring native plants, gardeners can provide a welcoming environment for wildlife of all kinds.
The Native Plant Society of New Jersey offers a comprehensive guide for residential rain gardens in PDF format. Great information here!
Visit Rain Garden Manual for NJEnhancing Delaware Highways A fantastic guide for contractors, designers and architects with pages of information on how to enhance roadside and other corridor landscapes. This book is based on years of personal experience with work done on Delaware's state highways. It includes planting instructions, maintenance techniques and tables of plant materials for various situation. Written, edited and prepared by: Susan Barton, University of Delaware; Rick Darke , Rick Darke LLC; Gary Schwetz , Delaware Center for Horticulture. Produced under contract with the Delaware Department of Transportation, Nathan Hayward III, Secretary, April 2005
Visit Roadside Vegetation Concept and Planning ManualEstablished in 1979, Gateway is a family owned and operated garden center in Hockessin, Delaware that is dedicated to your gardening success. Our quality and variety set us apart from the ordinary. We are especially proud of our broad selection of perennials, native plants and aquatics.
Address: 7277 Lancaster Pk., Hockessin, DE 19707 | Phone: (302) 239-2727
Visit DE - Gateway Garden CenterWild Ones Handbook: What Every Wild One Should Know
Visit Planting a PrairieEven though prairies aren't native to all regions, they can be created in most areas. Prairie management includes removal of weeds and volunteer woody plants that compete with prairie plants for water, light, and space
Visit Establishing and Maintaining a Prairie GardenThe Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia is a nonprofit network of local triple-bottom-line businesses and social entrepreneurs. We are local business people, professionals, social entreprenuers, investors, not-for-profit leaders, and government representatives who are committed to building a more socially, environmentally, and financially sustainable local economy.
Visit Sustainable Business Network PhiladelphiaCreating a sustainable world means creating new ways for people to live and thrive — while keeping the planet's ecosystems and the global social tissue healthy and able to sustain us and future generations. Our principles of sustainability drive path-breaking models and tools that pass these three tests: Is it good for the organization, good for society and good for the environment?
Visit The Natural StepThe Center for Watershed Protection provides local governments, activists, and watershed organizations around the country with the technical tools for protecting some of the nation's most precious natural resources: our streams, lakes and rivers.
Visit Center for Watershed ProtectionFinally...an App for Gardeners, Retailers, Landscapers and Designers about Useful Perennials, Annuals and Veggies for the Garden.
Over 1000 different plants, 100's of photos, videos, and a deer browsing guide make this product unique. Works on iOS (apple products) and Androids. Now you can have Dr A's insights, hints for success and his choices for best varieties in your back pocket everywhere you go. Even if you are not a smart phone user, you don't have to miss out on Dr. Armitage's wisdom. Build your vital resource desktop library by clicking here to go straight to the bookstore! And, of course, you can interact with him personally on his Facebook, Twitter, or check out his boards on Pinterest.
Information on wildlife habitat for corporate lands, wetlands, homes, brownfields and even Superfund Site remediation.
Visit Wildlife Habitat CouncilA wonderful source of information on native plants, animals and the essential interactions between the two! Many ideas for homeowners, businesses and classrooms.
Visit National Wildlife FederationA good resource, not only for conservation of species, but for native plant links and events.
Visit Plant Conservation Alliance