RIDGELY, MD — Prepare for fall in the garden! Adkins Arboretum, offering the Chesapeake gardener the best selection of landscape-ready native plants for more than 20 years, announces its Fall Native Plant Sale. All proceeds benefit the Arboretum’s rich variety of education programs, scheduled to resume in 2021, that teach about the Delmarva’s native plants and their connection to a healthy Chesapeake Bay.
Due to recommendations regarding COVID-19, the fall sale will be conducted entirely online. Orders will be accepted through Thursday, August 27, 2020 at adkinsarboretum.org and will be fulfilled via timed pickup. There will be no in-person shopping at the Arboretum.
Fall is the best season for planting, and the Arboretum offers the Chesapeake region’s largest selection of ornamental native trees, shrubs, perennials, ferns and grasses for the fall landscape. Many native plants produce seeds, flowers and fruit in fall that attract migratory birds and butterflies. Brilliant orange butterfly weed and stunning red cardinal flower attract pollinators to the garden, while native asters add subtle shades of purple and blue. Redbud and dogwood dot the early-spring landscape with color, and shrubs such as chokeberry and beautyberry provide food and habitat for wildlife.
For those not sure how to integrate native plants into their landscape, the Arboretum’s Native Landscape Design Center has launched a new service targeted to smaller areas. In a 90-minute smartphone or video call, professional landscape designer Christina Pax will meet with participants to help devise beautiful and sound ideas for an area targeted for design. The ideas will incorporate native plants, support practices that clean and reduce runoff, and bring colorful support for pollinators and birds to the landscape. At the end of the meeting, participants will have a plant shopping list and a sketch that shows where to plant the plants. The fee for this service is $240. To learn more or to sign up, send email to design@adkinsarboretum.org.
As always, Arboretum members receive a generous discount on plants that varies according to membership level. Leon Andrus, the Arboretum’s first benefactor, lived to the age of 101. In honor of his long and fulfilling life, the Arboretum is seeking 101 new members during 2020. To join, visit adkinsarboretum.org or contact Kellen McCluskey at kmccluskey@adkinsarboretum.org.
For more information on plants, purchasing or pickup procedures, visit adkinsarboretum.org, send email to nativeplants@adkinsarboretum.org or leave a message at 410-634-2847, ext. 0.
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~ Adkins Arboretum