This week on the Down the Garden Path podcast, landscape designers Matthew Dressing and Joanne Shaw talk about native plants with Anna Fialkoff, the Ecological Programs Manager at Wild Seed Project in Portland, Maine.

Join Joanne and Matt as they discuss native plants with Anna Fialkoff of Wild Seed Project.

Here are some of the questions and topics covered in this episode:

• What does the Wild Seed Project do and why?
  • A non-profit to inspire people to grow native plants
  • Set people up for success with native plants in the landscape
  • Organize walks, talks and workshops
• Sell and promote native plant seeds
  • Easier to grow from seed as they don’t need as much coddling
  • Sow in the late fall and they will germinate in the spring
  • Use a potting mix with compost mixed with your soil
  • Sow them thickly in a 4.5" pot and put them outside with some sand and protect them from rodents
• Tell us about your pledge to rewild and your tree planting initiative.
  • Started in late 2020, helping people find the tools to plant natives and to be more mindful of their practices
  • Mindful practices – less mowing and blowing, unlearning old horticultural practices like cutting everything back in the fall
• Where do you ship to?
  • Currently only ship to the US.
• Are there any special events or items you’d like to promote?
  • Guide publications: Native Ground Covers for Northeast Landscapes and Native Trees for Northeast Landscapes

You can find the Wild Seed Project online at Wild Seed Project and on Facebook and Instagram.

Down the Garden Path Podcast

Each week on Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designers Joanne Shaw and Matthew Dressing discuss down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes.

As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. A horticulturist and landscape designer, Matthew Dressing owns Natural Affinity Garden Design, a landscape design and garden maintenance firm servicing Toronto and the Eastern GTA. Together, they do their best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low maintenance as possible.

In their new book, Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and Matthew distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. It's now available on Amazon.