Sunny Pollinator Garden (9 Plants)
Design anchor · Pollinator-forward · Four-season interest
Available May 9–May 16 · Pickup at Montclair Farmers Market
This three-plant combination delivers genuine four-season interest, strong pollinator support, and a composed, naturalistic feel that holds together from early spring through winter. Anchored by Eastern Bluestar's shrub-like structure, threaded with Little Bluestem's movement and changing color, and lit up each summer by Purple Coneflower, this is a planting that delights from day one and only improves with time.
Like all Hope Grows gardens, this planting was designed for Northern New Jersey landscapes — giving you a clear, confident starting point for sunny borders and open beds.
What's included
- 9 native plants
- 3 × Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana)
- 3 × Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- 3 × Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
- A professionally designed planting layout showing spacing and placement
- A rendered garden image to help you visualize the finished planting
- Individual plant cards with growing conditions and ecological notes
Optional add-on:
A life-size roll-out planting template showing exactly where each plant goes — ideal if you want step-by-step guidance at planting time.
What this garden needs
- Sun: Full sun to part sun
- Soil: Average, well-drained (adaptable)
- Care: Regular watering during the first growing season to help roots establish
Why we love this garden
- Anchored by Eastern Bluestar, a perennial with shrub-like structure, blue star-shaped flowers, and spectacular golden-yellow fall foliage
- Balanced with Little Bluestem, a native grass that moves through blue-green in summer to fiery red-orange in fall and warm brown through winter
- Brightened by Purple Coneflower, adding bold summer color, important nectar for pollinators, and seed heads that goldfinches pick apart well into winter
Why wildlife loves this garden
- Nectar from late spring through summer supports a wide range of pollinators
- Little Bluestem is the host plant for specialist skippers including the Cobweb and Leonard's Skipper
- Hollow Coneflower stems and Little Bluestem's dense base provide nesting sites for native bees and overwintering habitat for queen bumblebees
- Seeds and structure that continue to support wildlife beyond bloom season
What to expect at pickup
Plants are sold as young, well-rooted plugs. Some may be just emerging or still waking up from dormancy at pickup—they’ll grow and fill in as the season unfolds.
Before you order
All orders are for pickup at the Montclair Farmers Market.
• Choose your pickup Saturday at checkout
• Orders must be picked up on that date
• Plants are living and may vary in appearance
• All sales are final once plants are picked up
• Please check your plants at pickup — we can only address issues at that time
