Hidden Native Plant Nursery
Did you know there is an entire native plant nursery hidden just behind the walls at the Virginia Living Museum? You may have been a member here for years and never even caught a glimpse!
If you have ever craved a behind the scenes look at this amazing nursery, then you’re in luck. This year’s Spring Plant sale will be held in our very own plant nursery!
How the Native Plant Nursery Supports Local Gardeners Year-Round
The Virginia Living Museum Horticulture Department works hard year round to help you be a better native gardener, and native plant lover. Our semi-annual native plant sale is so much more than just a couple weekends a year.
The horticulture department works on it throughout the year. Plants can take months, and even years to be ready for sale. Selling plants is done both in the spring and fall seasons, during plant sales, and year round by appointment.
What Makes a Native Plant Nursery Different from a Traditional Nursery
A native nursery is very similar to a traditional nursery. The main differences are the available plants, growing conditions & methods, and the acquisition of parent plant material.
Native Plants and Nativars Grown for Hampton Roads
The plants available for sale here at the VLM are all native plants or “nativars.” A “nativar” is a cultivar of native plant that has been bred for a specific characteristic, such as a different color of flower or a more desirable height.
This is very similar to you going to your local garden center and saying “I want a petunia, but I want it in yellow instead of white.” You are still getting a petunia just with different traits.
All of the plants sold here at the VLM are native to Hampton Roads, Virginia and/or the east coast. We never sell invasive or non-native plants.
Growing Native Plants in Real-World Conditions
Our growing conditions are more similar to people’s yards than a retail nursery would be. We grow under trees, in open sunlight, and alongside sidewalks, much like what a typical homeowner would be growing in and around. That is not to say we don’t have some things that other nurseries do, like a covered shade area or a greenhouse.
The main difference is that we grow in conditions similar to your own yard. When our plants are blooming in the nursery, they will also be blooming in your yard. Nothing is forced to produce, grow, or bloom out of season.
Unlike commercial nurseries we don’t use any pesticides, or herbicides on or near our plants. Using either can dramatically affect insect populations that are incredibly important to a healthy environment. It is just one more way to ensure that our plants will establish quickly and healthily in your yard.
Sustainable Plant Propagation Inside Our Native Plant Nursery
Many standard nurseries will grow their plants from seeds, cuttings, or from “plugs,” which are small plants grown at other nurseries, and shipped in. Our nursery grows plants in all the same ways with a heavier focus on seeds and cuttings.
We collect seeds in the Fall from plants we have on campus, process them, and then create our own plug trays. We also take cuttings from woody plants when possible during the fall and winter months. This propagation technique is when a live stem is cut off a tree or shrub and placed in growing media, in optimal growing conditions, to stimulate root growth.
Both of these methods help the Horticulture Dept reduce shipping costs and use less packing material.
Visit the Native Plant Nursery During Our Spring Plant Sale
While being one of the few native nurseries in the Hampton Roads area, we strive to bring the best quality plants to our members and the public. We understand the struggles of trying to grow plants in a wide variety of conditions. We also know how to help you be successful in achieving your native plant goals.
So please come join us on May 2, 3, 8, 9, & 10 from 9-3:30 in our very own native plant nursery for our semi-annual native plant sale!
