Native Plant Sales Galore!

Planning Your Wildlife-Friendly Garden

This piece is an excerpt from the September 2024 Capital Nature Newsletter about the transition from summer to fall. It highlights upcoming fall native plant sales and activities to support and protect wildlife in yards.

Enjoy!

Native plant sales abound in September and October. See our growing list of plant events in the Capital Nature calendar. This is a good time to buy wildlife-friendly perennials and trees, and plan your fall garden activities. Here are a few tips:

• Consider which native plants you’d like to include in your garden. Fall is a great time to plant perennials.
• Plan to leave the leaves where possible (butterflies, moths, and fireflies like to overwinter in them)
• Try not to dig up the soil too much (many native bees live underground)
• Find a place for a native tree or shrub
• Leave stems on your garden perennials until spring (they shelter native bugs)
• Find a nice spot to offer clean water to birds 
• Create a brush pile for cover and shelter

These small acts of kindness will support the next generation of pollinators and birds, and other wildlife, and will fill your garden with nature’s abundance. Find out more from Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia and NoVa Bird Alliance’s Wildlife Sanctuary Program.

The following nurseries are recommended from Capital Nature’s network of gardeners and naturalists:

• Earth Sangha (VA)
• Wildflower Native Plant Nursery (MD)
• Virginia Native Plant Society Native Plant Nurseries List (online)
• Bona Terra (DC and MD)
• Izel Native Plants (online)
• Maryland Native Plant Society Nurseries and Vendors List (online)
• Garden for Wildlife (online)
• Nature by Design (VA)

Or exchange native plants with your neighbors! To find pop-up plant sales in MD, VA, and DC go to Capital Nature’s calendar.