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Fall Seed Sowing with Native Seeds 2-Hour Hands-On Workshop Location: Blue Stem Natives Greenhouse Join us for a seasonal, hands-on workshop all about sowing native seeds. Most native seeds require a period of cold, moist conditions before they will germinate in the springtime. This two-hour class will guide you through three possible methods of starting native seeds, designed to mimic the natural cycles these seeds require. This class is perfect for anyone curious about how to grow native plants from seed. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your techniques, you’ll leave with practical knowledge and a hands-on head start toward a native garden of your own. We'll also touch on seed cleaning, processing, and storage. Bring all your questions too! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✔️ Sowing into Pots/Trays: Learn how to prepare and sow native seeds into pots that will stay outdoors in the winter. We’ll cover soil selection, sowing depth, labeling, and how to care for seedlings once they emerge. ✔️ Winter Stratification in Your Fridge: We’ll show you how to safely stratify seeds at home using your refrigerator to mimic winter’s cues. ✔️ Winter Sowing in Milk Jugs: Discover this simple and effective outdoor method of seed starting. You’ll prepare a “mini greenhouse” by cutting and hinging recycled milk jugs, filling them with soil, and sowing seeds that will rest through the winter and sprout in spring. TAKE HOME Each participant will prepare and bring home a sample of all three methods: ✔️ A tray or pot, ready to set outside for winter. ✔️ A small packet of stratifying seeds for the fridge. ✔️ A winter sowing jug to set outside at home. DETAILS • Where: Blue Stem Natives Greenhouse, 376 Washington St., REAR LOT • When: 2 hours, fall session • Age: adult • What to Bring/Wear: All materials are provided. Please dress in layers, as the greenhouse temperatures can vary widely depending on the sun. • Feel free to bring snacks for yourself or a warm drink, it can be chilly in the greenhouse on an overcast day. • Additional seeds will be available to buy (cash or credit card) • We will have empty jugs but feel free to bring one! <<>>

This has been one wild and wacky summer for weather, and I have the feeling we "ain't seen nothin' yet!" I, for one, welcome the cooler Sweatah Weathah, and not just for the influx of pumpkin flavored everything, and the glorious show Mother Nature puts on, and the fresh picked apples, and the cooler night air, and the...well, you get the picture. I also LOVE Fall for PLANTING! Viburnum nudum var cassinoides (Wild Raisin) That's right. I'm not one of those ambitious Spring planters. By the time April rolls around, I am too busy getting the nursery up and running. My side yard has piles of potted plants that I sorta remember to water, but not a one of them makes it in the ground much before September. ::shrug:: No, Fall is my favored planting time. It is cooler during the day, which helps when you are trying to shovel in "Rocksboro", there tends to be a bit more moisture, which is always appreciated, and plants are starting to go dormant, so they are naturally pushing their nutrients into their roots. Chances are pretty good you can score some great deals in the Fall, when those foliage tops start looking a bit worn out but those root systems are just begging to be set free from the pot. It's ok for leaves to drop, and by the time the Spring rolls around, these plants have had almost 6 months of settling in. I do get it...we spend long winter days pining for our gardens, longing to get our hands dirty, planning and plotting, searching seed catalogs and looking for the perfect plants to fill that new corner bed. Planting in the Spring has many of the same benefits of doing so in the Fall, with the exception of time. New plantings almost always have some level of transplant shock, and when temperatures can be so volitile in the Spring, you can risk planting something tender, too early. Granted, if you are buying from us, our plants are hardy from staying outside all winter, but that isn't the case everywhere. Plants put in the ground in the Fall tend to overwinter quite well, and by the time the ground warms, the roots have spread, and the plant puts all it's energies into pushing out lush foliage. Fall is also the time you want to put out your SEED. Many native plant seeds require varying lengths of stratification time, typically lengths of cold, moist weather that naturally breaks down the seed coat and allows for germination once the days lengthen and the soil warms. In many cases, you don't want to wait for the Spring to put down native seed, or you will pretty much just be feeding the local wildlife. We get asked frequently if it is "too late to plant". Our answer is a resounding HECK NO! You can easily be putting plants in the ground until it is too hard to dig. Make sure you are watering regularly until we are in hard freeze, and don't put any fertilizer in the holes or on your plants. Compost as a top dressing is ok, and use those fallen leaves as a natural blanket. You may consider marking new plantings so that you don't forget what is there come the Spring, and accidently "weed" it out! So remember, the roots are what you are buying, don't fertilize, and keep watering. You will have a garden bursting with life before you know it! Happy FALL Planting!

I recently drove by a traffic island planting we designed, installed last year by a wonderful Boy Scout for his Eagle Scout project, and I did a double take. It's a rough spot, a traffic island in the middle of a busy street leading into a State Park, in full sun, hit with road salt all winter, with some debris from traffic. And it's thriving (I'm for sure not taking credit for the thriving, but am patting myself on the back for plant choices!): Here is the complete list of plants we selected for this hellstrip, each chosen specifically for its ability to handle the rough conditions of life on a traffic island: BUTTERFLY MILKWEED, Asclepias tuberosa Delightful vibrant orange blooms atop deep green foliage. The ecological value cannot be stressed enough, the nectar produced by the butterflyweed is high value. 2' tall. PLANTAIN PUSSYTOES, Antennaria plantaginifolia Use this low maintenance plant as a lawn alternative in the harder to grow areas, and enjoy the drought and salt tolerant ease. 12" tall. A Blue Stem favorite! GRAY GOLDENROD, Solidago nemoralis Short and lovely goldenrod often found in disturbed areas, which gives it its other common name “old field goldenrod”. However, these showy yellow wand-like flowers with gray-green stems and leaves are dynamic in a garden setting. PALE BEARDTONGUE, Penstemon pallidus* Grows in well-drained, sandy, or gravelly soils, making it an excellent choice for xeriscaping or rocky garden beds. Its tall, upright habit features clusters of tubular, pale lavender-pink flowers that bloom from late spring to early summer. EASTERN PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS, Opuntia humifusa One would not expect to have a native species of cacti in New England, but the Eastern prickly pear is precisely that! This low growing cactus has wide paddles covered in the requisite spines, large yellow blossoms are followed red fruit. SMALL YELLOW WILD INGIGO, Baptisia tinctoria The sturdy shrub-like stems produce multitudes of cream-yellow flowers in the late spring, and once established in the garden can handle fairly harsh conditions. (*In the hellstrip photos at the beginning, you'll see the not-quite-native Penstemon digitalis. Some of the plants had to be sourced from a specific grower linked to the state and that's what they had. We recommend Penstemon pallidus, pale beardtongue, instead — a true New England native.) I hadn't heard the term 'hellstrip' until I moved to New England from the Midwest. Much like I hadn't heard of a 'rotary' either. Back home, those are roundabouts. The first time someone told me to turn left at the rotary, I genuinely thought, 'Oh, do they have a Rotary International chapter here?' They do not. But I digress. New England roadsides may just be one of the more challenging areas to plant. The requirements look like a nightmare job posting. Wanted: Low-maintenance blooming plants that don’t grow too tall and need little care to establish. Must be able to tolerate the following conditions: Higher than average heat as radiated from the asphalt roadways and pollution from vehicles, dry, nutrient-deprived, sandy soil which is often hard packed, half of the year you will experience drought, the other half you will be covered with mountains of snow and will often have salt winged over you. You need to be attractive, not weedy, and you can’t grow too tall so as to block the view of drivers. You may need to respond well to periodic mowing, self-seeding is a plus. Compensation from pollinators commensurate with experience. Planting a hellstrip brings beauty to a spot that would otherwise be compacted soil with weeds growing willy-nilly, or someone's doomed attempt at turf grass that was almost certainly never going to succeed. Some communities even come together to plant hellstrips in a coordinated way, turning a string of these forgotten patches into green corridors that connect neighborhoods. If you are up to the challenge, here are additional native plants that have all passed our “most likely to succeed” criteria. Best of Luck! YARROW Achillea millefolium 12-18" tall Feathery foliage, drought tough, pollinator favorite SEASIDE GOLDENROD Solidago sempervirens usually 2' in poor soils Salt tolerant, bright yellow fall blooms PURPLE LOVEGRASS Eragrostis spectabilis 2' tall Airy purple seed heads, fall color SPOTTED BEE BALM Monarda punctata Unusual blooms, deer resistant, pollinator magnet SIDE-OATS GRAMA Bouteloua curtipendula 2' tall Oat-like seedheads, drought tolerant BEARBERRY Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 4" tall Evergreen groundcover, low spreading PATH RUSH Juncus tenuis 4-12" tall Tough, wiry, handles foot traffic WHITE GOLDENROD Solidago bicolor 1-3' tall Soft white plumes, fall blooms RUNNING GROUNDSEL Packera obovata 12-18" tall Spring blooms, spreads well, evergreen rosette SQUIRREL TAIL GRASS Hordeum jubatum 1-2' tall Whimsical bristly seedheads BLACK-EYED SUSAN Rudbeckia hirta 2' tall Cheerful, reliable bloomer, pollinator favorite SEASIDE PLANTAIN Plantago maritima 6" tall Succulent-like, low-growing LITTLE BLUESTEM Schizachyrium scoparium 2' tall Blue-green summer, copper fall color SUNDROPS Oenothera fruticosa 1-2' tall Bright yellow blooms, low groundcover, drought tolerant Happy planting! Britt

A hot topic lately is how to have less lawn — and honestly, it's about time. Traditional turf grass doesn't offer much to the environment. It requires regular fertilizer and irrigation to stay green, demands constant mowing to satisfy the neighborhood aesthetic, and the gas-powered equipment we use to maintain it — mowers, leaf blowers, edgers — takes a real toll. Gas powered garden equipment engines produce up to 5% of the nation’s air pollution. That said, some turf grass does have its place. If you've got kids playing soccer in the backyard, or you host summer barbecues, having some open grass makes sense. Nobody's asking you to rip out everything. But here's the thing — Lawns cover approximately 40 million acres in the U.S., making turf the single largest irrigated "crop" in the country — lawns take up an enormous amount of space and energy, and give almost nothing back to local wildlife. Their shallow root systems (often only 2–3 inches deep) do little to absorb stormwater runoff, contributing to erosion and water pollution in local waterways. "Can't I just add clover?" It's a reasonable thought — and a popular one — but unfortunately, we don't love this non-solution solution. Adding non-native clover is really just swapping one monoculture for another. It also attracts honeybees as the clovers sold for lawns mostly co-evolved with the non-native honeybee (honeybees are a story for another day). So if you enjoy walking barefoot in your yard and prefer not to find that out the hard way that honeybees love clover... skip the clover. Don't ask me how my feet know...twice...in the span of two days. So what can you do? The good news is there's a whole spectrum of options — from small tweaks to full transformations — depending on what you need from your yard. Here are a few places to start: Option 1: Think "area rug," not "wall-to-wall carpet" You don't have to eliminate your lawn entirely. Even shrinking it by a foot or two along the edges and replacing that border with low native groundcover makes a real difference for pollinators, birds, and soil health. Some easy, currently available, and low growing favorites, depending on your conditions: Part sun/shade: Heartleaf foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia Golden groundsel, Packera aurea American alum root, Heuchera americana Full sun: 3-toothed cinquefoil, Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (a personal favorite) Pale beardtongue, Penstemon pallidus Stiff aster, Ionactis linariifolia Or go a little bolder and put in a small wildflower bed right alongside your lawn: Part sun/shade: Spreading Jacob's ladder, Polemonium reptans White wood aster, Eurybia divaricata Hairy beardtongue, Penstemon hirsutus Great blue lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica Full sun: Pearly everlasting, Anaphalis margaritacea Gray goldenrod, Solidago nemoralis Butterfly milkweed, Asclepias tuberosa Running groundsel, Packera obovata Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis Or go a little extra wild and make your lawn just paths through plantings. My dad created paths throughout their property, with occasional mowing, and walking those paths was really magical. Great photo from New Directions in the American Landscape. I highly recommend watching and reading everything Larry Weaner. Option 2: Replace your lawn with something that looks like a lawn (but isn't) Want something that still feels like a lawn — low, green, potentially walkable — without the neverending mowing commitment? A native sedge or grass lawn might be exactly what you're looking for. These can be mowed occasionally if you like, or left alone entirely, and they provide far more ecological value than turf. A sedge lawn in particular is one of our favorites for its soft, lush look that requires almost no maintenance once established. We're actually selling sedge and grass plug packs for the month of May only — once these are gone, we won't be restocking this year. All of these species can be left to grow but can also be mowed, they just need a heck of a lot less mowing than tradiitonal turf. And zero fertlizer. Species Sold as a Set of: Price per Flat/Plug Details: Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica 16 plugs $96 ($6 each) Part sun in average to dry sites. Ok in full sun with more moisture. 8" tall without mowing. Appalachian sedge Carex appalachica 16 plugs $96 ($6 each) Part sun to shade, average to dry sites. 8" tall without mowing. Eastern star sedge Carex radiata 16 plugs $96 ($6 each) Part sun to shade, moist to average sites. 12" tall without mowing. Side oats grama Bouteloua curtipendula 25 plugs $99.95 ($3.99 each) Sunny and dry to average sites. 2' tall without mowing. Purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis 25 plugs $99.95 ($3.99 each) Sunny and dry sites. 2' tall without mowing. Option 3: "The Matrix" No not that "Matrix". Take Option 2 and spice it up a little. Matrix planting is a naturalistic approach to garden design where you create a plant community rather than placing individual specimen plants. Instead of spotting plants here and there, you weave together multiple species across a large area so they form an interlocking, self-sustaining tapestry — mimicking how plants grow together in the wild. The concept was popularized by designers like Piet Oudolf (New York City High Line) and researchers like James Hitchmough, and it translates beautifully to native plant gardening because you're essentially rebuilding a small piece of the plant community that originally belonged in your region. The Basic Structure A matrix planting typically has two layers: The matrix (ground layer) — one or a few tough, adaptable species planted in high density that spread to "hold" the space. These are your workhorses. See all those sedges and grasses in the Option 2 section above? Those would all work perfectly as the matrix. You can even grab a few flats of different species and mix them! The design plants — flowering perennials, taller grasses, or even small shrubs woven through the matrix at a lower density. These provide seasonal interest, extra pollinator value, and visual variety. We have some great species, avaiable now although...as Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast..." — and so do our plants. Check "Option 1" for some great additions to your matrix. Why Matix Plantings Work So Well for Native Plants Native plants evolved in communities, so matrix planting aligns with how they actually grow. The benefits are significant: Weed suppression — dense planting leaves no bare soil for weeds to colonize Lower maintenance — once established, the community is largely self-regulating Ecological value — layered, diverse plantings support far more insects, birds, and pollinators than traditional beds Resilience — if one species struggles, others fill the gap Thanks for Reading! If you'd like to dig deeper into lawn replacement and making your outdoor space work harder for the environment, here are some additional resources: Todd Bitner, Cornell University, great podcast interview Why a Clover Lawn is Not Helping, Prairie Up (great Matrix resources as well) Mark Richardson "Kill your lawn", he talks about specific methods to get rid of your lawn Three Native Sedges Made for the Shade, Dyck Arboretum An Experiment in Organic Lawn to Meadow Conversion: A Timeline, NDAL :) Britt

Shop locally grown New England native plants, seeds, and garden goods in Massachusetts at Blue Stem Natives. Women-owned business. Supporting pollinators, birds, and healthy ecosystems. New England Native Plants for Every Project Plants for homeowners, landscapers, towns & designers — Located in Norwell, Massachusetts Shop Plants Shop Seeds Current Inventory Visit Us Why Native? Native plants support wildlife, strengthen ecosystems, and thrive in local conditions. • Eco-friendly & sustainable • Resilient in volatile weather • Provide essential food & habitat • Restore healthy soil & ecosystems Favorite Plants Looking for a place to start? For At-Risk Wildlife Hummingbird Favorites Sunny+Dry Deer Resistant Groundcovers Rabbit Resistant TESTIMONIALS

Blue Stem Natives is an ecologically thoughtful native plant nursery serving southeastern Massachusetts and beyond. The Habitat Project, an Annual Giveaway! Applications are closed for 2026 Blue Stem Natives is giving away $525 or more in native plants to one non-profit organization this fall. The selected organization will also receive an in-person site consult (a $400 value)** along with recommendations for choosing the right native species for their site and goals. In 2025, Blue Stem Natives donated $525 in plants to fund this giveaway. In 2026, we will match that, and we're also opening it up to retail customers who want to help grow the total. Want to donate a plant or two? You can do so here (and thank you). Alternatively, if we receive enough plant donations we will open this giveaway up to two recipients. **Consults will be held via Zoom if the project site is too far from Norwell. Timing Applications will be accepted mid July 16, 2026 through mid August 16, 2026. Winner will be announced on September 1, 2026. If your organization is selected, plants will need to be picked up within two weeks of September 1, 2026. Who Can Apply? ✅ Non-profit organizations, schools, libraries, community groups, municipalities, and similar organizations. What Are We Looking For? We use a rubric to assess applications, based on the following criteria: Community Impact - Does the project educate the public, engage the community, and/or expand access to native plants and habitat? Site Suitability - Is there a clear, realistic maintenance plan? Is the site free of invasive plants (or is there a solid plan to handle them)? Is it easily accessible for upkeep and visits? Project Goal & Innovation - Does the project support pollinators, remediation, or ecological restoration? Is it creative or innovative? The Details Plants must be picked up at our location; we do not ship. We can't provide planting or upkeep services, but we're happy to advise on site prep and planting. Plants will be provided as one-quart pots, landscape plugs, or a mix of both, based on the project's needs. Plants larger than these sizes are not included. No purchase necessary to apply. Plants will not be replaced due to loss and cannot be returned for cash or credit. Thanks to all who submitted applications for the Habitat Project in 2025. Want to see who received last year's grant? Visit Eastie Farm on Instagram here . CLOSED FOR 2026* Town* Applicant's name* Applicant's position or relation the the group* Applicant Email* Phone number* Describe potential site including sun, soil, accessibility, and any challenges (e.g. invasive plants being removed)* Has the head of the organization, head of land care, or land owner granted approval for applying for plants?* Mission of Your Organization* How will a native garden enrich your organization’s mission?* Who will prepare the site and install the plants?* Who will take care of watering and weeding for at least two years?* optional: a photo of the site Upload File Submit

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