Herring Run Nursery

Today was my 2^nd visit to Herring Run Nursery, and it was a great experience. «You get what you pay for» here, and I mean that in the best way. The prices are higher because the plants are better, and the folks running it are super knowledgeable. I left with great plants and great trivia. I have only made it a 4-​star rather than 5 because of the walk that’s required to get there. I love the actual walk – it’s just that I can’t make a quick stop like I’d be able to at other stores. I wish I was able to drive up, support native plants quickly and pop back to my errands.

Last year we used part of our tax refund to have BWB come and landscape our backyard. They did a free estimate and design for both the front and the backyard that were great. We tested it out with the back yard – They did a great job – a year later, everything came back and looks great. It took a little while for them to complete the project, which is why I knocked off one star, but I’m still very happy with the final product. They responded to our every question and concern quickly and professionally. The rate for the scale of work was very reasonable.
We returned this year for our front yard, attempting to do it ourselves. There were several people there to help check my modifications to the earlier design and help me find the plants. We planted them this weekend and I hope we have similar success. I highly recommend BWB for excellent plants, expert advice and skilled landscaping services.

What could be better? Native plans, great prices, friendly staff and volunteers, and it all supports the work of a great non-​profit– Blue Water Baltimore.

Herring Run is an offshoot of local nonprofit Blue Water Baltimore, and sells almost exclusively native plants. The few exclusions are food-​bearing plants that won’t damage the local environment.
They’re staffed by volunteers and are open one weekend day each week from spring through early summer, and are back in late summer/​early fall. You have to look at their website or check out their mailing list to see when they’ll be open. Their Facebook page is also very worth following if you’d like to learn more about gardening with native plants.
We’ve probably gotten 50 plants from Herring Run, and only one of them (the impossible-​to-​slay trumpet vine, hilariously) hasn’t worked out. They’ve changed the way we think about what we can and should do with our yard, which is adjacent to a large wilderness park that has suffered a lot from invasive garden plants like English ivy and lesser celandine.
Some of the things we’ve gotten from Herring Run: Virginia bluebells, native columbine, a beautiful yellow «My Mary» azalea, heuchera, gayfeather, little devil ninebark, a dwarf oak leaf hydrangea, green & gold, phlox, a replacement for the trumpet honeysuckle vine that got killed when we needed to replace the pipe coming into our house, several different types of aster, butterfly weed and milkweed… and many more.
A very very good place to go if you’d like a strong selection of plants that will make a positive environmental impact. Also, if you buy a lot of stuff, you get a ride back to your car in a golf cart, which is pretty sweet.