Learn & Be Inspired
There is always something happening in the garden. From plants and pollinators to birds, caterpillars, and the changing seasons, nature gives us something new to notice every day.
Explore stories, observations, videos, and simple ideas for creating landscapes that support native plants and wildlife.
Permanent Feature
A New Way of Seeing
One of the biggest changes that comes with planting native plants isn’t in your garden. It’s in your mindset.
Leaves with holes aren’t a problem. Fallen branches aren’t waste. Nature doesn’t strive for perfection. It strives for balance.
Explore
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Working With Nature
Ideas about letting go of perfection, noticing what nature is already doing, and creating gardens that become easier to maintain and more alive.
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Native Plants Are Just the Beginning
Native plants are just the beginning… They’re the first step on a journey toward something much bigger, restoring an ecosystem. For many…
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Working Alongside Nature
While weeding one of our flower beds the other day, I noticed dozens of tiny tree seedlings growing beneath one of our…
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Built for This
After several days of heat indices over 100°, you might expect a native garden to be struggling. Instead, this is when established…
Wildlife & Relationships
The insects, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife that reveal why native plants matter.
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Hidden in Plain Sight: Sleepy Orange and Maryland Senna
Sometimes the best reason to grow a native plant isn’t the flower. One morning, I was lucky enough to find Sleepy Orange…
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This Is Why We Plant Natives! — Zebra Swallowtail & Pawpaw
Every time I see a Zebra Swallowtail, I’m reminded that this butterfly exists because of one remarkable native tree: the pawpaw. Just…
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This Is Why We Plant Natives! — Violets & Great Spangled Fritillaries
Every spring, my yard fills with native violets. I love them and encourage their spread! Earlier this week, I noticed two Great…
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This Is Why We Plant Natives! — Goldfinches & Wild Basil
At first glance, this looks like a goldfinch enjoying a snack from a wild basil plant. But there’s a much bigger story…
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Nature’s Pest Patrol
At first glance, the Eastern calligrapher fly (Toxomerus geminatus) looks a bit like a tiny bee. But don’t worry, it doesn’t sting,…
Plants to Know & Grow
Stories about individual native plants, what makes them special, and the wildlife they support.
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Lyre-leaved Sage
Lyre-leaved Sage is blooming this week! We first discovered it growing in our pastures a few years ago. Then we realized we…
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Not Just for Monarchs
Let’s be honest… most of us plant Common Milkweed for the Monarchs, and that’s a great reason! But once those fragrant pink…
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A Seat at the Table
Some native plants specialize in supporting a particular butterfly, bee, or moth. Carolina elephant’s foot (Elephantopus carolinianus) is different. It welcomes everybody!…
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Don’t Forget the Trees!
When we think about helping pollinators, we usually think about flowers. But some of the most important host plants in our landscapes…
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Lobelia Appreciation
Some plants don’t need much of an introduction. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) dazzles with brilliant red blooms, while Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)…
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More Than a Pretty Flower
One of the questions we get asked most often is, “What do you mean by a straight species or a local ecotype?”…
Garden Ideas
Practical ideas inspired by the real gardens at Stover Mill Farm.
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Stop Fighting Your Native Plants
My philosophy for handling aggressive native plants is actually a lot like a principle found in martial arts. Instead of meeting force…
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Building a Garden for Hummingbirds
One of my favorite things about summer is watching hummingbirds dart from flower to flower. Last year, I built a vertical garden…
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Passing the Baton
A healthy pollinator garden doesn’t peak all at once, it passes the baton. As Common Milkweed finishes its spectacular bloom and shifts…
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Have a Deer Problem? Give Them Something Better to Eat
If you garden where deer are plentiful, you already know that sooner or later, they are going to eat some of your…
Watch Nature at Work
Sometimes the best way to understand a native garden is to stop, watch, and listen.
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Afternoon Magic
Turn the sound on and listen closely… The birds are singing, the water is flowing, and as the afternoon fades, the first…
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Morning Air Show
One of my favorite parts of summer is watching the barn swallows swoop over the nursery each morning. They’re not just putting…
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Sibling Rivalry
We have so much milkweed on the farm (Common, Swamp and Butterfly weed), well over 100 plants! And these two are nibbling…
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Goldfinches & Wild Basil (In Action)
This is why we plant natives! At first glance, this looks like a goldfinch enjoying a snack from a wild basil plant.…
What’s Blooming at Stover Mill Farm?
A month-by-month look at the native plants putting on a show in our real gardens.
August
Hoary Mountain Mint
Evening Primrose
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Scaly Blazingstar
Cup Plant
Events & Happenings
From native plant sales to days spent sharing plants and ideas with our conservation community.
We will be there!
Clifton Institute Fall Native Plant Sale
Come see us! Stover Mill Farm will be at the Clifton Institute Fall Native Plant Sale. Stop by, say hello, and shop a selection of our Virginia native plants.