To help foster more watershed-friendly properties, Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward program will offer watershed-friendly native plant kits for sale through July 4.
This sale is aimed at native plant lovers and individuals wishing to incorporate more native plants into their property.
Plants are available for pick up in September from locations in the following counties: Adams, Allegheny, Berks, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Lycoming, Monroe, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York.
Each kit contains plant plugs carefully selected from species grown by Kind Earth Grower using locally collected, open-source pollinated seeds and 50% peat-free growing media. Smaller than typical nursery plants, these plugs are easy to transport and install within existing vegetation. The plugs have healthy root systems that will establish this fall, so plants can flourish next growing season.
Options for kits include the America250 Kit, in celebration of the nation’s anniversary; the Curbside Appeal Kit, designed to grow plants in less-than-ideal spots; Tough as Nails: Drought Tolerant Plants, which contains plants that require less water than others; and the Firefly Support Habitat Kit, designed to create an environment where firefly larvae can thrive. Additionally, single species plant kits are available for purchase, including blazing star, blue vervain, prairie dropseed, purple stemmed aster, silver sedge and spiderwort.
All kit options are available in two kit sizes.
“Bountiful Kits” are $85 and include five species with five individual plants of each species, for a total of 25 plants. The smaller “Container Kits” cost $20 and include five species, each with one plant, for a total of five plants.
Individuals can choose their kit and select the most convenient pickup location from among the 19 counties across the state. Customers will receive garden designs alongside each of the kits. Proceeds will support the Master Watershed Steward program in providing volunteer-driven education and restoration work in that region.
More information about the watershed-friendly native plant kit sale is available at extension.psu.edu/mws-native-plant-sale.