From Seed to Shipment: A Native Plant's Journey to You

March 20 2023 – Kelly LaVaute, Staff Member

A lot of time, effort, and care goes into growing high-quality, truly native plants and getting them into the hands of more people. We work with the best growers around the country who put in this work and meet our exacting standards. 

From preparing the perfect seed, growing healthy plants without chemicals, to picking and carefully packing each plant especially for the Garden for Wildlife™ customer, our new video features one of our larger growers and details this entire process.

Finding the right plants for the right place can be a challenge, with a limited supply of native plants available to consumers nationwide. Whether due to this supply issue, their focus on profitability (what plants they can get for the lowest cost and sell to consumers at the highest price), or a lack of knowledge around which plants are native, many gardening centers simply do not offer native plants. Additionally, of the retailers who do sell "native plants", many do not verify for the customer that the plants they're buying are actually native to where they'll be planted. 

At Garden for Wildlife, we've worked with scientists and experts to identify the native plants that help the highest numbers of birds, bees, butterflies, and other important wildlife species. We've also built a network of independent, regional growers willing to put our selected plant species in production and ship them directly to our customers.

To be considered as a grower for Garden for Wildlife, we have established a list of requirements that a grower must satisfy, including:

- Practicing sustainable growing protocols and does not use neonicotinoids on Garden for Wildlife line of plants.
- Providing native straight species, versus cultivars or nativars, to support wildlife use of plant attributes, diverse plant communities, and biodiversity overall.
- Dedicating the space and systems to grow and sort mass plugs/starter plants for collection assortments for Garden for Wildlife plant collections.  
- Committing capacity to safely pack and prepare plants for shipment in their designated region using our approved/supplied packing materials.

Stay tuned to our blog and social media to follow along this 4-part video series detailing each stepfrom seed to shipmentof a native plant's journey to you. New episode next week!

Gardeners: If you want sustainably-grown, easy-care plants that will thrive where you live, help local wildlife, provide beautiful colors for multiple seasons, and return every year, you've come to the right place! Our native plant finder quiz can tell you the best plants for where you're planting. Take the quiz >

GrowersIf you're interested in applying to supply native plants for us, please email info@gardenforwildlife.com.

Ready to turn your yard into a wildlife habitat?

Take our quiz to find the right plants for your yard and area!

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