Our nursery manager has curated a collection of native plant species to play well together and to suit specific niches. For example, buy a habitat pack for dry soils in full sun (DRY SUN), moist soils in shade (MOIST SHADE), moist soils in full sun (MOIST SUN), and various other combinations to make it easy for you to choose plants that will thrive in your location.
Our nursery-grown plants are regionally native to the Shenandoah Valley and adjoining ridges (Rockingham County, Augusta County, and the Piedmont). We verify regional native status using the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora.
You can also buy individual plant species on our website. Or buy our plants in person from April to October at the Friendly City Food Co-op in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Or visit our booth at the Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market in April-June and September-October.
Habitat Packs
FAQs about Habitat Packs
What is the difference between the Pollinator Garden, Dry Sun, and Naturalizer/DRY SUN packs? How do I choose which one to buy?
All three of these packs will thrive equally well in dry sun, so to some degree, the answer could be “not too much difference.” All three packs are great for pollinators, too, so in a sense, they could all be called “pollinator gardens."
The main difference is in terms of aesthetic, design, and plant behaviors. The packs are divided according to how garden-like the plants are.
MORE WILD The Naturalizer pack is the wildest bunch and includes plants that grow more quickly and spread out more than the others. This pack is great if you want native plants that can hold their own against invasive species and if you don’t mind a somewhat wild and tall look. We recommend these plants for “naturalized areas”. They might look too “weedy” for some people’s taste.
MORE GARDEN-LIKE The Dry/Sun pack includes plants that behave nicely in a garden bed or home landscape. We’ve omitted anything that grows extremely tall or that would overtake other plants too much. *This pack has more species options in it than the pollinator garden.
MOST TAME Pollinator Garden - This was really more of a marketing distinction to help people easily choose a pack that makes it easy to get started with pollinator gardening. This pack has fewer species so makes it super-easy for beginners to make an attractive-looking garden. *All the species in the Pollinator Garden are also included in the DRY SUN pack, so this is a more edited version of the DRY SUN pack.
To be clear, ALL of our habitat packs fall under the umbrella of “pollinator gardens” because they all help pollinators. But the “pollinator garden” is marketed specifically for folks looking for something that takes away the guesswork while hopefully not raising the ire of a home-owner’s association! ; )
Can I plant a habitat pack in April when there may still be occasional hard frost?
Yes, our native plants are adapted perfectly for this climate. A few weeks before sales start, our quarts for habitat packs are moved outside to adapt to the weather. You can safely plant them anytime after April 1. It is possible that a hard frost may damage the foliage, but will not kill the plant. If this bothers you, you may cover your young plants with an old sheet or other protection when weather predictions call for frost.
Is someone from your team able to provide a free consultation about where I should plant my habitat pack?
Due to high demand in spring, we are not able to provide free on-site consultations for habitat packs at this time. We do offer free consultations for potential clients who may want to hire us to design and build a project for them. You are welcome to email photos and questions, however, and we will do our best to provide relevant tips and suggestions! There are many great sources of information about growing native plants in Virginia that we can refer you too.
