About
Our Story
We started Blue Stem Natives in 2021 when we recognized the huge demand for native plants and a serious lack of supply. Britt and Kristen met at a Wild Ones meetings where we were on the board working on growing plants for the garden club's plant sale. Then and there we decided we needed to start a native-only nursery.
Our Mission
Our mission is to help everyone, regardless of land ownership, create wildlife friendly green spaces, using plants native to our area. We strive to produce and provide high-demand native plants for the New England region, using local ecotypic seed when possible. We specialize in growing native plants from seed so as to encourage genetic diversity, and grow only straight-species, no ‘cultivars’. Blue Stem Natives is committed to using environmentally mindful growing practices such as using pots made from recycled plastic and growing with 100% peat-free soil.
Location
We are located in the Village Gardens shopping center at
376 Washington Street, Norwell, Massachusetts 02061 (REAR LOT)
We believe in leading by example using sustainable practices in our homes as well as our business, and our commitment to increasing bio-diversity and restoring our local ecosystems drive our daily actions and long-term goals. Here are a few of our commitments:
What We Believe in
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Native plants should be easy to learn about and find to purchase.One of our driving factors in deciding to open this nursery was the difficulties we found trying to source wild type native plants for our Wild Ones chapter plant sale. Previously, most of these plants were only available through wholesale growers, requiring large volume orders and serious advanced planning, both out of reach for the average home grower. There is much to learn about how using native plants in our landscapes can make a tangible difference in our world, and we look forward to being a partner in growing gardens all over New England.
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Soil and growing mediums should not contain peat.The growing medium we use for all of our plants does not contain any peat. Peat bogs are the largest natural area of sequestered carbon in the world. These bogs hold twice as much carbon than all of the forests put together! Harvesting of peat releases carbon and depletes the bogs, contributing greatly to climate change. Peat moss takes thousands of years to be produced by nature and is therefore not sustainable in a nursery setting. We use Organic Mechanics soil to grow our own plants, using coconut coir and rice hulls as a peat replacement. (We do bring in plants from other growers as well. They use mindful growing practices but are not necessarily peat-free). We also carry Organic Mechanics products for purchase.
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Pesticides and synthetic fertilizers should have no place in our gardens.We absolutely avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The traditional nursery trade is rife with chemicals. For the environment, wildlife, and for people, we will not use these. When our plants need a little help while growing in their limited containers we turn to Neptune's Harvest organic seaweed fertilizer.
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It is possible for nurseries to be successful and reduce reliance on single use plastic.We source our pots carefully, considering different criteria. Some of the criteria we look at: made from post-consumer materials, recycled, reusable, compostable. You can find more information about our pots here. We strive to avoid single-use plastics as much as possible. We will also gladly welcome back and reuse any of our pots when you are done with them.
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We source our seed only from reputable sources, and as locally as possible."We source our seed only from reputable sources, and as locally as possible. We occasionally buy plugs (essentially hardy seedlings) from a wholesale nursery. We pot these plugs up into large pots and grow them out so they will be ready for your projects quicker. The plug growers also do not use any neonicotinoids or pesticides.
In the News
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead