What are the benefits of planting mature native plants? One benefit is better rates of survival when up against rabbits and deer. Ready-to-flower is another advantage because self seeding will occur as quickly as possible. Larger plants are also less likely to be missed by the water hose, and even less likely to be stepped on, compared to small plugs during that critical first few months after planting.
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I am introducing more shrubs and a handful of woodland understory trees to help you establish a more wildlife friendly garden or yard. Species are listed on the price list page. I anticipate shrubs to be ready by June and trees ready for fall planting -the ideal time.
I can supply a number of different Minnesota native species in plug trays and can mix and match in quantities of six, at competitive prices. If this is of interest, please email me as soon as possible (email address above). There are species that will require up to 3 months of lead time and others that can be supplied much more quickly. If you want to plant in the matrix style, I can supply matrix species (grass or sedge) in plug tray quantities at a lower price than if you planted by the 2QT or Gallon pot. With matrix planted, you can then plant larger forbs in the open spaces of the matrix.
If you are the recipient of a Lawn2Legumes grant -congratulations! Shelterwood is a favorite supplier for grant recipients. Make an appointment and we can spend some time to help select three season bloomers. Bring a baggie of your soil and a summer yard photo to help choose species.
A note on our prices: I sell mostly mature plants. This means that the vast majority of plants you find at Shelterwood will be in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th growing season. Some plants grow faster, some are difficult to raise to maturity and the length of time and labor that went into growing out a species to maturity is reflected in its price. This is especially true for plants like the spring ephemerals, some shrubs/trees, certain ferns, or Michigan Lily.
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Payment:
Shelterwood Gardens accepts credit cards, personal checks, and cash. We can now itemize receipts.
Our Ecological Footprint:
Plastic is the bane of the nursery industry, but there are few effective alternatives. Small scale allows us to successfully re-use solid, clean pots. You are welcome to return our pots to the nursery on a return visit. Please note: plastic pots, even those stamped #5, cannot be recycled due to color and other factors.
Shelterwood does not utilize a heated greenhouse. Mature plants are grown outside, where they have survived one or more winters. Several species are grown from local seed suppliers, such as Prairie Moon in Winona, or seed I collect. Difficult to germinate species are started by trusted, MN Dept of Agriculture licensed and Certified Pollinator Friendly, wholesale nursery partners. Shelterwood grows these young plants to maturity outside, in pots or raised beds, at the nursery.
All plants are grown without neonicotinoids or other pesticides. Shelterwood does not grow or sell species listed as invasive or noxious.
My potting soil is a mix of 70% Minnesota pine bark chips, 25% commercially made and STA-certified compost, and depending on species, 5% of Perlite, peat moss or sand. I've seen no indication of jumping worms in any of my source materials. If you have jumping worms on your property, please clean shoes before visiting the nursery -thank you!
We do not stock cardboard trays to protect car seats. Please be sure to bring something to protect your car interior from soil or water. We sometimes have a few cardboard can trays around if you have forgotten to bring something..
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| Blue lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica, a wonderland of blue spires into autumn. |
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| Verbena hastata, Blue Vervain -good for wet to medium soils, part shade to full sun. |
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| On the left is Short's Aster, but did you know goldenrod is also an aster? Blue-stem Goldenrod |
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| The name Hairy Beardtongue, Penstemon hirsutus, doesn't indicate at all how delightful this near native plant is in the garden. The blue-violet-purple-periwinkle-white flowers are like soft lanterns in the landscape. A great plant that is native just to our south and east. |
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| It would be a shame to have a savanna or woodland garden without the crown-like flowers of Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. The native plant has carmine red and yellow flowers and can bloom early in a warm spring and keep on going into summer if it doesn't heat up too much. |
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| Prairie Clover, Dalea purpurea, is a fantastic plant to speckle your part shade to sun garden with magenta-pink flowers in summer. Seen here with the minnow-like inflorescence of Blue Grama, Bouteloua gracilis. |
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| I don't see any pollinators on this Rose Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, do you? For those who want a less "spready" milkweed that Monarchs love, this is a great one! |
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| Black-Eye Susan, Rudbeckia hirta, is a biennial plant -start them from seed instead of buying plants! They love areas where they can catch the sun unencumbered by other plants. Native meadows often have many of these at first, then dwindling in the second and third years due to the competition. These flowers look like they were applied with a painter's brush and bring a lot of joy, so allow it to self-seed around the edges and transplant it where you want it, or keep a clear area to seed yearly. |
