The Spring Forward part of Daylight Savings time is no one's favorite day. But if you have to be up this early, you may as well treat yourself to the latest greenhouse news from your local native plant nursery in Marquette, Michigan, right?
New Plants
First, I have been busy adding our new offerings for 2022 to the website. I am far far far from done, but here is what we have added so far:
Gray Goldenrod - what? ANOTHER Goldenrod? Yes. This one is adorable. It will extend your late season bloom range, and resembles Showy Goldenrod in miniature, with a compact, graceful, arching flower cluster. As always, goldenrods are not allergenic.
Wild Blue Phlox - we are excited to offer this fragrant, colorful, early-blooming shade plant that is strikingly different from anything else in our shop.
Cutleaf Coneflower - if you are looking for massive amounts of flowers, this plant is for you, especially if you have wet soils.
Pickerelweed - join us as we dabble (ha!) in the world of aquatic plants. We are looking forward to being able to offer this purple-flowered plant for lakeshores, river edges, ponds, and other wet habitat.
Evening Primrose - another unique offering, with little yellow rose-like flowers, a mild fragrance, and a tremendous host-plant résumé.
Side Oats Grama - this short, clumping grass with colorful flowers and side-slung seeds is a well-mannered addition to any garden and a great host plant.
Roundleaf Ragwort - a yellow shade plant that pairs beautifully with Wild Blue Phlox for early-season color.
Rattlesnake Master - it may be a downstate plant, but it likes dry, sandy soils and adds loads of texture and winter interest to any garden. We can finally fulfill all the requests we have gotten for this unique plant.
Skandia Ditch Mix - at the Skandia Farmer's Market, we got accused of "selling lawn weeds". We embrace that accusation with pride. We do indeed sell what have traditionally been classified as weeds. Join us in the celebration of our native plants with this mix of local genotypes perfect for wetlands, ditches (if you have them), or other wet habitats.
Frequently Asked Questions
"When can I get my plants??" is the number one question. We begin preparing orders in May. The exact date depends on the weather and how much stock successfully overwintered. Pickups will be scheduled as soon as we see how things are progressing. Which leads us to the second most frequent question:
"Should I order now?" Yes, if you know what you want, go ahead and order. Some quantities are limited. You will get your plants sooner, as we will fill orders in the order in which they were received.
"Should I pay now?" Yes, go ahead. *New* We now accept credit cards, but only if you pay online at the time of your order. We are not currently set up for credit cards in person. If you prefer to pay at pickup, select "Manual Payment" at checkout. At pickup we accept cash, PayPal/Venmo/ApplePay, and if you are a returning customer, we will also accept checks.
"When will this Out of Stock item be back in stock?" It depends. Some items already sold out. For some, we are uncertain when they will reach market size. If you click the "Notify When Available" button on the page of an Out of Stock item, you will get an automated email the second we put some back in stock. It is a great way to assure you get first dibs.
One caveat - as always, filling orders is dependent on availability. Overwintering has risks (looking at you, rodents); germination of genetically variable seed is not always predictable; and growth rate is related to luck with the weather. If we encounter problems with your order, we will be happy to help you find a substitution or issue a refund. Ordering early is still the best way to assure you get the plants you want as early as possible.
Looking Forward to Spring
Which of our new offerings is your favorite?
What else would you like to see?
Drop me a line at designsbynatureup@up.net and let me know. And keep an eye on the website, because I have many more new things to enter!
My personal favorite is the Gray Goldenrod. It is a beauty here in our fields, and I am looking forward to sharing it with you and helping dispel Goldenrod's tarnished reputation. My husband Todd is partial to Rattlesnake Master, with its edgy, bold look. My daughter Celina, who you may see at plant sales, is enthused about the Evening Primrose because of nocturnal pollinators.
Speaking of nocturnal pollinators, I am closing in on a list of plants I can use to create a Nocturnal Pollinator garden kit for UP moths, fireflies (did you know they pollinate?!), and other insects. As part of our research and summer fun, we plan on going moth hunting with a light and a white sheet. We also just learned that the caterpillars of many moths glow under black light, so we are going to look for those too! Too bad it doesn't get dark until 11 pm. If we look a little tired at our early morning plant sales, blame the moths!
In honor of spring, enter code DitchMix at checkout to get 15% off our new Skandia Ditch Mix kit. Enough Boneset, Swamp Milkweed, Wild Blue Iris, New England Aster, and Blue Vervain to create bold color all season long.
Thanks for planting native!