The autumnal equinox is officially observed for 2023, and like that! *snap* some of our plants are showing signs of dormancy. It's time to find these babies forever homes with you all. As luck would have it, dormancy and cool autumn weather make an excellent time to plant! Dormant plants don't look flashy, but rest assured it is a healthy root system and crown that you've invested in all along (Any annuals are going to seed now and are turned off for the year).
It's been a beautiful year of connection with many new faces, and we have been so pleased with each report that these plants are performing well. Thank-you for your support!! We only collect from vigorous individuals and populations in Iowa, and know they are ready to go to work for you - infiltrating rainwater, cleaning stormwater, providing soil cover and cooling your garden soils, fixing nitrogen and feeding beneficial insects to keep you and your community healthy. They are not clones. They are as unique as each of us and work best in concert, just like us. They are ready.
At the same time, as any new business, starting up is challenging. We are moving to selling "Builder Boxes" each Fall designed to provide native beauty and diversity for your space. You can even purchase as a group and divide plants between neighbors. Anyone can still purchase a-la-carte, but we will offer just one delivery time each year. We may offer a spring delivery in future years as product grows. The first builder box will probably, hopefully, be the smallest, and is still a tremendous value. It is available to order now. Our delivery dates are posted.
And we are so excited and pleased with what we have collected so far this year! (And some kindly supplied! Thank you!) We hope you're as excited as we are. If we have the germination and growth we had this year we expect 2024 boxes to look something like...
- wild indigo, B. australis (natural population)
- amorpha (natural population)
- ravensfoot sedge
- james sedge
- levenworth sedge
- rose sedge (remnat population)
- yellow coneflower (natural population)
- Monarda fistulosa (remnant population)
- blue lobelia
- purple coneflower, E. purpurea (natural population)
- dalea purpurea (natural population)
- prairie dropseed
- woodland rye grass (natural population)
- bottlebrush grass (natural population)
- rose milkweed
- butterfly milkweed
- rattlesnake master
- Virginia bluebell (remnant population)
- jack in the pulpit (remnant population)
- American bellflower (natural population)
- windflower
- bundleflower
- buttonbush
- aronia
- sideoats gramma
- redosier dogwood
- meadow willow (natural population)
- pussy willow
- coffeetree
- American sycamore
- riverbirch
- redbud
- pin oak
- prairie rose (natural population)
I have no idea where we are going to put all these flats - we still need to plant more trees too (they just aren't listed for 2024 because they take time to grow)! Wish us luck! Happy Fall!