About Us

Our Story

Hope Grows Nursery started with muddy hands, curious kids, and a lot of questions.

I'm Sarah Paulsen, a Master Gardener of Essex County and the founder of Hope Grows Nursery. I co-created and continue to steward the Connected Courtyard, a native plant garden at Watchung Elementary School, where I work alongside educators, students, and volunteers to build habitat, support pollinators, and bring ecological learning into everyday school life.

Through this hands-on work, I kept seeing the same challenge: people wanted to plant native plants, but didn't know where to start—or couldn't find affordable, approachable options. Hope Grows Nursery was created to meet that need.

At Hope Grows Nursery, I offer young native plants, thoughtfully designed garden kits, and simple planting guidance that makes it easy for home gardeners and educators to grow with confidence. Native plants are powerful—they support entire food webs and invite more life into our shared spaces.

My hope is that each plant becomes a starting point—for beauty, learning, stewardship, and connection. When native plants are accessible, small actions add up, and communities can restore habitat together.

The garden kit designs at Hope Grows Nursery were created by local designer Yuliya Bellinger, founder of Y Landscape Design.

Her work is rooted in naturalistic design—elevating native plants so they feel part of a calm, cohesive landscape rather than a collection of parts.