Where do your plants come from?
I grow them all myself! The vast majority are grown from seed, but a handful come from splitting the native plants that I grow in my own yard.
I get most of my seeds from reputable sellers who specialize in seeds that are local to the Midwest; most of my purchased seeds come from Prairie Moon. I also collect some seeds from the wild, where it’s legal and ethical to do so.
None of my plants are dug from the wild.
How do you manage jumping worms and other pests and pathogens?
Jumping worms are a serious ecological threat, and they’re widespread in Madison. I only use sterile, purchased potting soil for my plants, I don’t store the potting soil on the ground, and I keep all my plants elevated off the ground while they’re growing. When I sell splits of plants that had been growing in the ground in my own yard, I thoroughly rinse the soil off the roots before repotting them in sterile soil.
Do you ship or deliver plants? What about in-person pickup?
Delivery: I can deliver within the general area of Madison, Wisconsin and nearby towns; the delivery fee is $10 plus $0.50/mile.
Shipping: I haven’t shipped plants yet, and the logistics are a bit daunting; however, if you would like to try, please get in touch and I will figure out whether it’s feasible!
On-site pickup: This is my preferred method of getting plants to you: I will set your order aside, and you can pick it up at your convenience.
Do you re-use pots?
I do! I will take any unbroken nursery pots or trays you have, especially the ones my plants come in. Just drop them off in my driveway anytime.
When I get secondhand pots, I always wash them and then sterilize them with bleach. This prevents them from spreading jumping worm cocoons and other pests and pathogens.
Can you help me choose plants or design my garden?
I am happy to help you select plants that will suit your space – just email me and describe what you’re looking for!
I’m hesitant to actually design a landscape, because I don’t have much design experience. There are many more qualified people around the city! But if you really want my help, get in touch and we can try to arrange something.
Do you guarantee your plants?
Yes – my current policy is to refund or replace any plants that don’t survive their first year.
Why focus on natives and food plants?
Because I like them! And I think they’re important to building community and developing a connection with nature and home.
Native plants are critical to any landscape – if you’re on my website, you may already have some idea of why. They support biodiversity by providing food and shelter for a wide variety of insects, birds, and mammals; and they are more climate-tolerant than imported horticultural plants, generally requiring less water and surviving drought and floods more easily.
Some people might be surprised to see native gardens in a city, but nature isn’t limited to rural preserves. Having native plants where people can see them is a great educational opportunity, and when people see diverse native landscapes in their everyday lives, they learn to appreciate them more easily, which builds a culture that values and expects biodiversity. And native gardens in populated areas are functional: the native gardens and parks in a city like Madison support a dizzying number of bird and insect species! Madison neighborhoods are almost certainly more native-species-diverse than the endless acres of sterile farmland that many people think of as ‘the country.’ Just because people are around doesn’t mean other species can’t thrive too.
Food plants come into the picture because when we garden, we’re not just growing habitats for birds and insects: we’re making habitats for ourselves as well – and what good is a habitat if it can’t feed you? I think it’s deeply important for people to have the kind of connection to their home that comes from knowing you can find something to eat in your yard, neighborhood, or park. Many people think about vegetable gardens, or perhaps an apple tree, when they think about growing their own food – and those things are part of what I’m talking about, but we shouldn’t stop there! We could have berry bushes, perennial potherbs, herbs and spices, fruits – all kinds of things – right at our fingertips, with much less work and maintenance than a traditional vegetable garden.
Some of this philosophy comes from a love of foraging, and some from a love of gardening. I am especially fond of native food plants – things like serviceberries, aronias, self-heal, sunchokes, Virginia waterleaf, pawpaws, sochan, and spicebush. But I see no reason to limit ourselves to natives in this space; after all, humans have a long, deep history of moving and modifying plants to suit our needs. In fact, many native North American food plants that you might think of as wild have actually been selectively bred, and have had their ranges expanded, by native peoples over the last several thousand years. So while I hope to be able to offer many native food plants at Firebird, you’ll also sometimes find non-native things like oregano or cornelian cherries, just because I felt like growing them.