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MARK YOUR CALENDARS - SUMMER BLOOMS ARE COMING YOUR WAY!
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If you missed our spring sale, you might be able to find what you want at our next native plant sale, Summer Blooms. This sale will feature late-blooming native plants that not only bring your garden to life into September and October, these plants provide nectar and nesting for bees, butterflies and a wealth of other insects as they prepare for the winter or for migration. The sale launches Saturday, June 19 at 9:00 am right here and order pickup will be on Friday, August 13 and Saturday, August 14 at the Isle a la Cache Museum, 501 E. 135th Street, Romeoville, IL. 
WELCOME TO THE NATIVE PLANT COLLECTIONS
This year, we are excited to offer four native plant collections suited for a variety of conditions. Each collection has been created with pollinators in mind and includes forbs (flowering plants) and grasses/sedges. The grasses/sedges provide structure to the garden and support for the native forbs. We tried to select native plants that will work well in the suburban landscape whether you live in village or city limits or in unincorporated areas. 

No collection is perfect and we really don't know the conditions in your yard. The plants we've selected are some of the best and most-used native plants because they are adaptable to a variety of conditions. You can customize and build onto any one of these collections with the 5 plug packs of individual species. When you do the math, every plug in a collection or listed individually is $2.50 each. Plugs have 5" of root development and will be ready to plant. Your new plants should establish in 6 to 8 weeks.     
PLANT SPACING AND COVERAGE
Once you know your light and soil moisture conditions, you may wonder what size plug collection is best for your specific area. You will need to have a general idea of the square footage of your planting bed or area. The plant spacing is really up to you, but don't underplant. Using too few plants in your native garden creates opportunity for other plants like dandelions to move in. Tightly spacing your native plants allows the plants to cover the soil surface and provide support to each other. Generally, you can plan on spacing your plugs between 12' and 8' apart depending on the plant density you are trying to achieve. The chart below gives you an idea of how much ground you can cover with the 15, 25 and 50 plug collections.

For example, a 15 plug collection will cover 12 square feet if you plant on a 12" center. That same 15 plug collection would cover 8 square feet if you planted on a 9" center. The closer you plant those 15 plugs from one another, the less space you will cover in your garden, but plant density increases and bare soil is reduced.       
INVENTORY RESTOCKING

We will monitor inventory during the sale and restock only individual species in the 5 plug packs. Once the native plant collections are sold out, we will not restock those collections. However, you may create your own customized collection using the 5 plug packs. If you have any questions about restocking, please submit your question or request in the contact box at the bottom of the storefront or use any of the comment links on our website. 

SPECIAL ORDERS

​If you have a large project and would like to purchase flats of 50 plugs of a single species, please contact us. We will reach out to the nursery to see if that have what you need in stock. We cannot guarantee plant availability. The cost would be $125/flat, plus tax. Please submit your request in the contact box at the bottom of the storefront or use any of the comment links on our website. Sorry, we can’t accommodate any special requests for quantities less than 50 plugs of a single species. ​
TOOLS & RESOURCES
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If you need help with your selections, visit our Learn & Grow page for some great resources.  

POLLINATOR GARDEN COLLECTION #1 
Full Sun with Medium to Dry Soil Conditions

SOLD OUT!
For a planting area to be considered a full sun location, on most days the area must receive six to eight hours of direct sunlight mostly between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The plants in this collection prefer medium to dry soils.  Plant them where you have good drainage and moderate to little water retention after a rain. They will not do well in wet soils or areas with standing water, nor will they thrive in areas with less than six hours of sun. 

Please refer to the coverage chart above to determine your space needs.  Also, for more detailed information on plant species, please visit our 'Learn and Grow' tab for a comprehensive collection of native plant databases. ​

POLLINATOR GARDEN COLLECTION #2
Part Sun with Moist Soil Conditions 
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SOLD OUT!
Part sun generally means the plants in this category need four hours of sun exposure but can also do well in areas with six hours of sun exposure each day, preferably in the cooler hours of the morning. These plants need several hours of sun to set flowers and fruits, but are not as fussy as the sun worshippers that need a full day of sun. You might need to experiment to find the ideal spot in your garden for plants that prefer part sun. If the plants you've tucked into a part sun garden aren't flowering or growing up to expectations, they most likely need more direct sunlight.

This collection prefers moist conditions to medium-wet conditions. If your soil is rich and retains moisture, these plants will thrive. Look for areas in your yard where water is available to plants for a moderate period after a rain or even areas where water drains slowly. Some species in this list will even do well in areas that are wet, but not all. If you have very moist to wet areas throughout the growing season, Pollinator Garden Collection #3 may work best for your situation. 

Please refer to the coverage chart above to determine your space needs.  Also, for more detailed information on plant species, please visit our 'Learn and Grow' tab for a comprehensive collection of native plant databases. 

POLLINATOR GARDEN COLLECTION #3
Full to Part Sun with Medium to Wet Soil Conditions 

SOLD OUT!
The plants in this collection are more suited to wet areas where the soil is always moist throughout the growing season and can tolerate wet areas when it rains. These areas might be the ones in your yard where water drains very slowly. In fact, many of the plants in this collection are also used in rain gardens. Plants in this collection tend to prefer full sun but many like Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Cardinal Flower (Liatris cardinalis) and Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) can also tolerate part sun.
     
Please refer to the coverage chart above to determine your space needs.  Also, for more detailed information on plant species, please visit our 'Learn and Grow' tab for a comprehensive collection of native plant databases. ​

TALLGRASS PRAIRIE COLLECTION 
Full Sun with Dry Soil Conditions 

SOLD OUT!
The plants in the Tallgrass Prairie Collection require full sun and dry soils where there is little water retention  These areas would be moist after a rain, but only for a short time. The plants in this collection tend to be larger and taller. This collection needs a large open space that is sunny, hot and dry. If you'd like to try just one or two plants, but not the entire collection, you can find most of these prairie plants as individual species too.   

Please refer to the coverage chart above to determine your space needs.  Also, for more detailed information on plant species, please visit our 'Learn and Grow' tab for a comprehensive collection of native plant databases. ​

INDIVIDUAL SPECIES 

Individual species are also available for purchase in packs of five plugs. Sorry, we are not able to sell just one or two plugs, but we think that five plants for $12.50 is a great deal! We hope you do too! Photos and descriptions for individual species are included in the storefront where you will purchase your plants. Here is our complete list of the native plants that will be available for sale this spring. 
UPDATED PLANT LIST 3-2-2021.pdf
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