Native Plant Packs with Personality: Staff Picks 2026
- LSLT Staff
- 15 hours ago
- 5 min read
We asked our staff to put together themed native plant packs using some of their favorite species from the sale, and they delivered! Each pack reflects a different idea, some practical, some a little more fun, but all thoughtfully pulled together with plants they know and love. Below, you’ll find each themed collection, with every plant linked so you can easily explore or bring the whole pack home.
Nectar in the Moment Pack - Beth Sheppard (Restoration Manager)
Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ "Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod" (Good for the fall pollen fest fueling our migrating Monarchs heading back to the Gulf of Mexico)
If anyone asks what my favorite flower is, I have to deliberate for a long while. Yet, if I focus on the type of flower I prefer, I easily think of nectar. This quote by Dr. Amit Ray is part of the inspiration: “Moment is a flower. Mindfulness is sipping the nectar of that flower.” This quote comes from a special book called “Mindfulness Living in the Moment, Living in the Breath." I was introduced to this book by a dear friend and yoga instructor. When I take time to really hone in on the intricacies of a summer flower rich in pollen there isn’t much that can dilute its purity. The solitary bee, butterfly, wasp or hummingbird who selects a specific flower to retrieve their life sustaining nectar reminds me to pause and breathe.
Taking a walk without my cell phone in hand usually opens a quiet, calm window into this magical garden orchestra. I applaud these delicate floral beauties which share an abundance of nectar such as the impressively drought hardy Wild Bee balm Monarda fistulosa, the sweet subtle whiff of Joe Pye Weed, and the sturdy tried and true blooms of Purple Coneflower, Goldenrod and Aster. The purple coneflower boasts a plump seed head packed with golden flakes of nectar nuzzled inside a hedgehog like center (quick fact - Echinacea genus is derived from the Greek word for hedgehog, echinos).
Even as a child it was fascinating to me to be able to peek inside the petals of a lily and come out wearing the yellow pollen on my nose. Memories of pollen take me back to my childhood and wandering about in my mother’s garden making friends with the bugs and critters dancing all around. Later, as I grew up and my children were young, we’d often spread out a quilt and just watch who would buzz around the garden. Even now, bring me a blanket, and I’ll happily lie down and breathe in the moment. Work and household chores can wait; the nectar is here only for a short while.
Patio Pollinator Pack - Brooke Orr (Communications & Outreach Coordinator)
YOU DON’T NEED A BIG GARDEN TO PLANT NATIVE!!! I’ve created this package for those of our friends who don’t own land or don’t have a yard like me! Sometimes it can feel like you can’t join in on gardening & pollinator fun without these spaces but it’s just not true. This pack features short and beautiful native flowers that will bring spring to life right from your porch! Happy Patio Planting!
Staff Plant Package Name No Rain, No Problem Pack
Much of the Eastern Shore, especially our farming communities, are open, dry, and sandy during the summer. All of these plants have been tested and do well in these harsh conditions at my house.
Woodland Cottage Pack - Heather Geraldes (Grants Manager)
I was inspired to create a mini cottage pack because I live on a quiet woodland property. This pack is great for romantics and for those with woodland or quaint home gardens.
Light in the Dark Places Pack - Jared Parks (Director of Land Programs)
Columbine (all 3 varieties of Aquilegias: Aquilegia canadensis "Columbine", Aquilegia canadensis 'Corbett' "Columbine", Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns' "Wild Columbine")
Heuchera- (Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Strain’ "American Alumroot" & Heuchera-x-Firefly "Coral bells")
Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis "Beard tongue", Penstemon smallii "Small's Beard tongue", Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red' "Beard Tongue")
Rudbeckia fulgida "Orange Coneflower"
The Lower Shore is one of the most forested landscapes in Maryland which in turn means that we are also one of the shadier areas in the state as well. Therefore, it is not a surprise that I get asked a lot about the best plants for a shady garden. There aren’t many (if any) native flowers that I don’t like, but I can honestly say that the shade tolerant plants are some of my favorites. Bright flowers in a sunny meadow are pretty, but flashes of light and color in the dark places are transformative. My collection mixes different colors, textures, and bloom times for a colorful show from April through October.
Funky Fall Foliage Pack - Lauren Imhof (Americorps Program Specialist)
One of my favorite fall activities is taking a walk to soak in the warm colors of the foliage around me. When it comes to gardens, I love the bright colors that spring and summer bring but miss the blooms when fall comes. Thus, I chose plants that will provide that same pop of color into the fall season and give a little more life when the garden is slowing down for winter. These plants are also ordered from tallest to shortest which can provide some dynamic texture to your garden space.
No-Drama, No-Fuss, No-Brainer: Intelligent Beauties in the Shade Pack - Margot Resto (Development Director)
I have a confession to make. I’m a terrible gardener. Yup, you heard me right. It’s absolutely true. Yes, I work for an environmental organization. Yes, I have plant experts in my office, at my fingertips. Yes, I love being outside, soaking my eyes with all things nature. Yes, one of our most highly anticipated events each year is the Native Plant Sale, followed by the Pollinator Garden Tour. But I most definitely do NOT have a green thumb. And, I have been known to neglect things I’ve planted, promising myself that ‘later, I’ll go out and water and prune and weed, after I take care of blah blah blah.’ Days go by. Weeks...and then, the overwhelming guilt consumes me, and I finally force myself to get outside and take care of things. Luckily, I have chosen plants that survive my stunning procrastination habits, and there they still are, year after year, tough and resilient, reminding me just how intelligent nature is.
I can’t wait to see my little shade garden begin peeking through the early spring dirt, once again. Years ago, at a Flannel Formal silent auction, I won the bid for a Shade Tolerant Package for our Native Plant Sale (a great no-brainer find for clueless gardeners such as I), and now I get to reap the rewards of the annual return of my dappled sunlight painted canvas: Heuchera 'Firefly' Coral bells, Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns' Columbine, and an Osmunda Regalis Cinnamon fern. Thank you, Nature, you smart little bugger.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are not representative of the capable Native Plant lovers and competent, non-neglecting, gardeners of the Land Trust, or of the general gardening world. I do not recommend following my lazy lead and neglecting your plants. I promise I’ll do better. Really.
