One Nature

In honor of 10 years of Safe Harbors Green, take a tour with Bryan Quinn, the artist and applied ecologist who designed this special space. Recorded in 2015, we love how this video explains so much of makes Safe Harbors Green unique — and are grateful to Bryan and his One Nature (@1nature) team for all their work in stewarding it. Watch the full video at the link in our bio or on this webpage: https://safe-harbors.org/safeharbors-green/ The creation of Safe Harbors Green would not have been possible without the grassroots support of 167 donors and funders. We extend special thanks to these major contributors for helping bring the Green to life: Hannah Brooks Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, Inc. Church Communities Foundation Rhinebeck Bank Taylor-Montgomery, LLC Rowley Family Foundation Bank Of America Charitable Foundation Friends & Family of Donna Sunny Ketcham Douglas Land & Lynn Peebles James A. Moss Memorial Fund Bill & Mary Murphy Gerald A. Doering Foundation We are grateful to our stewardship sponsor, Resorts World Catskills & Hudson Valley, who have provided vital sustaining support for Safe Harbors Green since 2022. #SafeHarborsOfTheHudson #SafeHarborsGreen #NewburghNY

For two or three years, we stopped selling plugs in our nursery because, frankly, we can make more money selling gallon and quart containers. The consequence, however, was that many of our customers couldn’t afford the herbaceous material we had in stock.

So last year, we started selling plugs again. This is another example of how we tweak our nursery business model over time to help achieve our environmental agenda.

We recently received a couple of new shipments from some of our trade partners and now have an abundant supply of low-cost material that’s ready and eager to be planted in your garden.

When planting plugs, it’s best to space them a little closer together and expect a slightly higher percentage of dieback than with more established plants. If you plant them this month at the appropriate spacing, by fall you’ll have something that looks a lot like a meadow.

5 Things About Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

1. It is a nectar station. The tubular white flowers attract native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making it an important nectar source during late spring and early summer. In flower essence traditions, Foxglove Beardtongue is sometimes associated with encouraging clear communication, self-expression, and confidence in sharing one’s voice.

2. Herbalists use it to help speak truth.Several Penstemon species have a history of use by Indigenous peoples and traditional herbal practitioners. In flower essence traditions, Foxglove Beardtongue is sometimes associated with encouraging clear communication, self-expression, and confidence in sharing one’s voice.

3. Gardeners use it to strengthen ecosystem function.Foxglove Beardtongue attracts beneficial insects, increases pollinator activity, and supports biodiversity, making it a useful perennial in food forests, pollinator strips, and native plant guilds.

4. Unlike James Hardin, the “beard” is the real deal.Inside each flower is a fuzzy sterile stamen called a staminode. This distinctive feature gives beardtongues their common name and helps distinguish them from similar wildflowers.

5. It is tough and adaptable.Native to eastern North America, Foxglove Beardtongue tolerates drought, deer, adapts to a range of soil conditions, and reliably returns year after year with minimal care.

We just received a new shipment of pawpaws (Asimina triloba) at the nursery.

Often called North America’s largest native fruit, the pawpaw is a truly remarkable tree. It belongs to the custard apple family (Annonaceae), a mostly tropical lineage that dates back to the age of dinosaurs. Its large fruits are thought to have evolved alongside Ice Age megafauna such as mastodons and giant ground sloths, making it one of the most fascinating native fruit trees you can grow.

That said, pawpaws aren’t always easy. In the wild, they regenerate through root suckers and seeds protected by rich forest soils and leaf litter. Young trees are sensitive to drought, intense sun, and temperature extremes during their first year or two. Once established, however, they become tough, resilient trees that can thrive for decades.

In this photo, we’re establishing a new orchard in Ulster County, near the northern edge of the pawpaw’s historic (but changing) range. We use shade cloth on the south side of deer cages to protect the seedlings from summer sun, irrigation bags to keep them hydrated when we’re away, and (in the first winter) straw mulch to help them through to spring.

If you’re considering a pawpaw, make sure you’re prepared to give it the attention it needs during establishment. It’s one of the most rewarding native fruit trees we grow—but also one of the species most likely to struggle if planted and forgotten.