When it comes to choosing plants for your yard, the choices can seem overwhelming. Every gardener, when they first began gardening in earnest, struggled to figure out what plants were the best plants for their gardens. The variables can appear to be endless: sun or shade; wet or dry; acidic or alkaline; short or tall;…
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: Daylilies Daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) are so popular in Maryland that it is hard to believe that they aren’t native, but they aren’t. The common orange daylily is Asian and has infested…
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: Winter Creeper The Maryland Invasive Species Council maintains a list of species that present a particular concern in Maryland, a list that includes Winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei). Like English ivy, winter…
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: Butterfly Bush Many of our customers are surprised to learn that butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) is a problematic plant. Butterfly bush certainly benefits from a beguiling name, which seduces homeowners into…
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: English Ivy Few invasive plants are as lovingly embraced by unsuspecting homeowners as English ivy (Hedera helix) and other non-native Hedera species. English ivy is an evergreen vine that spreads across…
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…
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…
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…
Rain gardens are often the best solution for reducing the amount of polluted runoff your property generates. They capture the stormwater before it leaves your land, allowing it to soak gently back into the earth. This process helps the water cycle, reducing stream flooding during storms and recharging ground water, and also traps pollutants so…
This week, Blue Water Baltimore is celebrating National Pollinator Week. Pollinating animals are critical to a healthy ecosystem as well as to urban gardens and farms, so having an excuse to call attention to these vital critters is a welcome one. Did you know that 75% of all flowering plants rely on animal pollinators? Or…