Short Stuff Garden Kit

Exclusive! We created a special garden kit with all our best plants two-feet tall or less. Order our new Short Stuff Kit through your county Conservation District fundraiser. These will not be available on our website until summer.
 
A garden kit is a collection of plants pre-selected by our nursery to meet a certain purpose to make gardening goals easy. Kits can be used as a quick way and economical to start gardening native without having to do as much research. Plants come pre-arranged in a tray so you can plant them just as they are for an instant garden design, with tall plants in the back and short, showy plants in the front. Or, since each plant is labeled with plant name and height, you can arrange them to suit your space.
 
Many native plants are majestically tall - waving in the breeze, towering over non-native grasses, and providing tier after tier of wildlife resources. However, sometimes less is more. Shorter native plants can provide a rich layer of habitat and beauty without obstructing views, obscuring landscape features, or annoying neighbors who haven't yet seen the light. If you are looking to slip some native plants into the landscape without creating a fuss, here is a collection of plants two feet tall or less.*
 
*Usually. Every garden is different. Sometimes a plant normally 18" will find a garden that is a nirvana of perfect soil, stimulating competition (or lack thereof), and perfect light and will reach unprecedented proportions. In addition, some grasses have foliage two feet or less, but delicate flower stalks may extend closer to 3', without being very visually prominent. In general though, these are smaller plants.
 
The Short Stuff Garden Kit is designed for average garden soil and full to part sun. It will contain 2 to 5 of each species. A typical kit would contain the following mix of plants, but one way we keep the per plant costs low on garden kits is by reserving the right to substitute plants based on our current inventory. Your kit is may differ from the list below in exact species, however, the plants included will meet the stated goals of the kit, in this case, a native planting of short plants. If you need specific plants for your garden goals, consider supplementing your garden kit with quarts:
 
Rough Blazingstar 
Sundrops
Wild Petunia
Prairie Dropseed
Black-eyed Susan
Gray Goldenrod
Hairy Beardtongue 
Hoary Vervain
Common Violet
Nodding Wild Onion 
Butterfly Milkweed
Pussytoes
Spotted Bee Balm 
 
If substitutions are necessary, they may include Calico Aster, Harebell, Mad Dog Skullcap, Prairie Phlox, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Whorled Milkweed,or others. These plants are also recommended if you wish to expand your Short Stuff collection. 
 
This economical kit includes 38 plant plugs that fill 38 square feet at 1-foot spacing - a 4'x9.5' bed; or up to 86 square feet at 1.5 sq. ft. spacing - a 6'x14' bed. Each kit comes with a planting guide. The plants are individually tagged for identification and all tags include height so you can alter the layout to suit your space.  Picture is an example kit of a different type. This kit will differ from the picture.
 
This kit is not available through us at this time. Support your local Conservation District by ordering through their Native Plant Sale fundraiser. To order, search for "your county" Conservation District. Some have their plant sales up and running. If they don't, or if they aren't offering this kit, give them a call and let them know you are interested. Most U.P. Conservation districts will be doing a plant sale with us this year.
 
While you've got them on the phone, ask about possible grants for pollinator gardens or greenhouses. Ask about site visits to help you identify your existing plants, determine what you should plant next, address erosion concerns, or look at your woodlot. You can even ask for help controlling invasive species on your property. Get to know your local Conservation District. Conservation Districts are the gateway to it all! 
 
You can also stalk our What's Happening page for Conservation District Native Plant Sale dates, details, and ordering links.