WHO KNEW New Hampshire Has a Nursery Where You Can Order Native Trees and Shrubs at Bargain Prices?

Many of us have bird feeders that bring native birds and animals closer to our houses in the winter. Have you wondered how you can attract more birds year-around?

In the spring, almost all of our native birds need insects to feed their young, as the bugs provide the protein needed for growth. The leaves of native plants provide food for these insects, and thus ready food for young birds. Non-native plants host very few insects.

The NH state nursery grows seeds from native trees and shrubs and sells them in bulk when 1-2 years old, 4-18" tall. Saplings are dug in the spring when the plants are still dormant, and packed bare-root in insulated paper bags that are kept in cold storage until distribution in May. The nursery has more than 50 species available and also offers packages intended for various habitats, with 25 plants of 5 different species - at a price of $35.

Order soon, as they often run out of some of the plants. You can find a catalog at https://www.nh.gov/nhnursery/index.htm You should be rewarded with more bird species in just a few years.

If you order these plants, it is probably a good idea to protect them from deer until they are well established. Potting them up and then installing the saplings in the fall may speed their growth.