M R Gardens' sustainable nursery focuses primarily on native perennials while also offering some vegetable and herb starts. Plants are grown on a small scale so that individual attention can be given to them, ensuring high quality.
This spring, the greenhouses are open to the public for plant sales from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on select Thursdays through Sundays:
April 16 to April 19;
May 7 to May 10;
and June 4 to June 7.
Customers can also reserve their plants at an online store or via email, and pick them up at the nursery at a pre-arranged time. Native perennials can be reserved now; orders for early spring transplants (lettuce and kale) start approximately March 23; orders for groundcovers and herbs begin by April 1, and orders summer crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and Swiss chard) open approximately April 10.
M R Gardens grows in a passive solar greenhouse so that no heat is needed other than solar gain, and uses peat-free sustainable potting mixes. Ask about tours of the greenhouse and gardens.
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| Carolina Bush Pea (Thermopsis villosa) is native only to forest openings of the Appalachians. The nitrogen- fixing legume has large racemes bearing deep yellow flowers followed by pods. The unique, striking show lasts less than a month in early summer—but the wait is well worth it. |
