A Little Farm & Nursery with a Big Native Selection!
I was so incredibly delighted to visit A Little Farm & Nursery in Stevensville, Maryland for the first time. What a gem of a place! Literally something for everyone. About an hour from Baltimore and DC during non-peak traffic and about 5 minutes off of Route 50, it's right past the Bridge on Kent Island.
The native plant selection is super. Lots of perennials and grasses to choose from, straight species and cultivars. The selection of shrubs and trees is also robust, even in the height of summer when many garden centers have low inventory. You can tell these are people who know native plants by some of the trees for sale. When I was there, Little Farm & Nursery had several female fringe trees (Chionanthus virginicus), mature enough to already be bearing those olive size fruits, along with pawpaws (Asimina triloba) for sale!
Owner Christy Little is very proud that she and all of the team garden with native plants. They know these plants and can help you figure out what's best for your situation. Christy says she gets native plants wherever she can. Some plants are grown out on the farm and others come from wholesalers. Good news, she is continually surprised by the demand for her plants. One of the best parts of her job is when someone comes in looking to add plants to a bare landscape. They may be looking for nandina (Nandina domestica) but they will be leaving with winterberry (Ilex verticillata) after talking with Christy! Christy jumped at the chance to start her business in 2019 when this location became available. As a master gardener, earlier, she landed a spot as an Estate Gardener at Wye Hall. As a longtime fan of native plants, when this opportunity arose, she and her husband were all in.
Three years on, the family business may be called "Little," and the property may not run on for acres, but this is a full service garden center and more. Bulk mulch, wood chips and organic soils can be picked up or delivered and, in addition to all of the natives, there is a good selection of non-invasive ornamentals, veggies and annual plants. Produce, fresh eggs from on-site, animal feed, pottery, pretty much everything you are going to need!
Enjoy browsing for plants under the shade of the tree canopy and don't forget to visit Basil and Rosemary, the 'little' nubian goats. And the chickens, pig and ducks too. It's a fun place.
I dare say Christy is nuts for natives. And that's big for all of us!
