This week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week. Herring Run Nursery will be focusing each day on one invasive plant and a native alternative. Don’t Plant: Barberry Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is a deciduous shrub. Homeowners often plant it because of its dense form and, often, reddish purple foliage. Because it tolerates shade, this plant often…
Wondering why using native plants in your garden is so important to the environment? Curious about which plants, and planting strategies, are best for attracting birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife? To make it easier, we are offering six great talks in our Spring 2016 Native Plant Lecture Series. Each two-hour session costs just $15 and…
If this December has felt exceptionally warm, you aren’t imagining it. Baltimore, like much of the United States, has been experiencing an unusually warm month and a fitting conclusion to what is shaping up to be the Earth’s warmest in over 1,400 years. The mild temperatures aren’t universally reassuring, however. Many gardeners are concerned about…
This year’s report is dedicated to the diverse people and institutions we work with to accomplish our mission of clean water and strong communities. We truly value all those who engage with us as partners in our shared vision of better water quality and a healthier, more vibrant Baltimore region. Below, read excerpts from our…
Because native plants have a long co-evolutionary history with the native wildlife of a location, they are uniquely well-suited choices for the modern garden. In this age of climate-change and habitat destruction, our gardens should do more than just look good: they must do good as well. Whether that means providing food and shelter for…
Few native trees are more deserving of appreciation, yet fail to receive it, than the common hackberry. Despite a slightly off-putting name, the native hackberry (Celtis occidentals) has all the attributes that homeowners want: Grows in a rounded, vase-like shape? Check. Resists disease? Check. Grows quickly? Check. Tolerates air pollution? Check. Is drought and salt…
One of the easiest ways to make your Baltimore yard a healthy and attractive place for wildlife is to increase the number and variety of native grasses you use. Thankfully, the many indigenous grasses we grow and sell at Herring Run Nursery are just as lovely to look at as they are valuable to our…
Urban and suburban gardeners are no strangers to the battle with invasive plants. In large part, this is because many modern gardening practices seem to be almost perfectly designed to encourage invasive plants. Many invasive plants and weeds are adapted to a particular combination of conditions, namely low stress and high disturbance. Botanists call plants…
When gardeners are looking for native plants for dry shade, ferns are not often the first type of plant to come to mind. It is true that many species of ferns prefer consistent moisture, yet there are ferns that are well-adapted to drier conditions. Ferns are generally unpalatable to herbivores and are deer resistant, yet provide…
When gardeners realize the value of our native pollinators and the crucial relationship those pollinators have with native plants, a natural question arises. What are the best native plants for pollinators? There are many different ways to answer that question but, thanks to the Penn State Extension, we have better data than ever before. We always…