Native Plant Gardens
Gardeners have a special connection to nature through their relationships with plants. Similarly, our wildlife species are connected to native plants, which they have co-evolved with. Native plants provide food and shelter essential to their survival.
Residential Community Conservation can help you to:
- Choose appropriate native plants for your garden
- Order wholesale or discounted native plants
- Coordinate wholesale orders in April and September
- Guide project implementation
Resources for Gardeners
The following resources are a starting point for gardeners, including Where to Purchase Native Plants, Invasive Species, Recommended Books, and Links to Learn More. You can also visit our page Native Plants for the Hopewell Valley. Please visit The Strawberry Hill Native Plant Garden as an example of a local native plant garden.
Where to Purchase Native Plants
Spring & Fall Native Plant Orders:
FoHVOS will coordinate wholesale and retail orders with following nurseries in spring and fall. Please contact us to learn more.
Participating Wholesale Nurseries:
New Moon Nursery (wholesale)
North Creek Nursery (wholesale)
Pinelands Nursery (wholesale)
Participating Retail Nurseries:
You can order from these retail nurseries anytime, but we arrange pickup in Hopewell in May/September.
Toadshade Wildflower Farm (retail)
Wild Ridge Plants (retail)
Organizations with Seasonal Sales
Many organizations hold spring and fall native plants sales.
- Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
- Churchville Nature Center
- D&R Greenway Native Plant Nursery
- Musconetcong Watershed Association
- Pinelands Preservation Alliance
- And many, many more
Additional Sources for Native Plants
The following retail nurseries are within 1 hour of Hopewell. FoHVOS will not coordinate orders.
Creating a Landscape with Native Plants
Local Landscape Architects and Designers:
The following landscape architects and designers use native plants in their designs.
Invasive Species and Gardening
Although the great majority of non-native plants used in the landscape do not cause harm to natural habitats, there are a set of non-native plants that are considered invasive. Invasive species form dense infestations that crowd out native species in our forests and meadows.
Help stop the spread of invasive species and
sign onto our “Landscape Planting Pledge”
Invasive Species
- Strike Team “Do Not Plant” List – Avoid Using These Invasives in Your Garden – find lists by common name and scientific name to take with you when shopping for plants.
- New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team
Recommended Books
- Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy
- Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants by C. Colston Burrell
- Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines for Urban amd Rural America by Gary Hightshoe
- Plant Local – Do-It-Yourself Native Plant Gardens by Jared Rosenbaum
- “Wildflowers”, “Native, Trees, Shrubs, and Vines”, and “Native Ferns, Moss and Grasses”by William Cullina
- The Puddle Garden by Jared Rosenbaum (children’s book)
- Wild Plant Culture by Jared Rosenbaum