Chapters in Maryland

Cristina has been native gardening on her property in Poplar Hill (Baltimore 21210) for more than 25 years. She bought the property in the ‘90s and, as with most properties, it was riddled with non-native invasive plants and featured an excess of turf grass. She started by restoring one small area at a time, gathering and planting native plants in each section of her yard.

Cristina has managed to eliminate all turf grass on her property. Different heights of plants create a multi-layered garden design. Each section is heavily planted AND visually neat and intentional. Woodchip pathways guide visitors to each area in the landscape. The garden also features a pond in the sunniest part of the yard with flagstones, a cascading water feature and native plants.

**Members receive advanced access to register for events with limited space. If space is available, registration will open to the public 4-5 weeks prior to the event.

After moving to this 2/3-acre lot in Bel Air 3 years ago, creating native gardens and an oasis for wildlife has been the priority.

The established wooded section of the property has all native trees and has mostly been cleared of invasive plants allowing the native seed bank to flourish. 

The front yard was almost all turf grass and is in full sun. After receiving 5 deliveries from Chip Drop (estimated 80 cubic yards), a large portion of the grass was smothered creating beds to fill with native bushes and perennials and pathways to enjoy the gardens. 

The property includes a koi pond that has been transformed into a habitat that toads and frogs use for breeding in the spring and hibernating in the winter.

Many of the plants, particularly the bushes, remain small but hundreds of plants have been added and there is plenty to enjoy! 

**Members receive advanced access to register for events with limited space. If space is available, registration will open to the public 4-5 weeks prior to the event.

This event has sold out. Email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist. 

A collaboration between Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay, Deale Library, and Southern Maryland Native Plant People. Native plants will be shared with participants. A table with information regarding the benefits of native plants, Wild Ones membership information and plant lists for native plant conditions and garden design. Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay members will be available to answer questions and provide other guidance for including native plants in residential gardens. 

Help us share native plants!

Bring your bare root or potted plant in commercially bought soil and go home with new plants. You do not need to contribute in order to participate. 

Please see this form to register and for more details on safely sharing plants!

More information and registration coming in September. 

Email us with any questions at [email protected]

This is the final of 3 tours of this property in 2026 giving us an opportunity to see the garden change throughout the seasons. 

This woodland residential garden is in the busier area of Howard county, but the property is adjacent to a county recognized green space/wildlife corridor featuring many naturally occurring native spring ephemerals like Mayapples, Jack in the Pulpits and Spring Beauties. This garden, which has been certified as a Demonstration Garden under Howard County’s BayWise program and is also Bee City Certified by the County, features a 100+ years old specimen white oak, a professionally installed raingarden, a permeable parking pad, a native “lawn” with no turf grass anywhere on the property, a pond for the aquatic wildlife, and flagstone walkways snaking through the entire yard. It is also recognized by National Wildlife Federation as a Wildlife Habitat and serves as a Monarch Waystation with its diversity of native plants that sustain the bees, butterflies, moths, etc. Among the prized natives, there also are plenty of non-natives that the owners continue to eradicate.

**Members receive advanced access to register for events with limited space. If space is available, registration will open to the public 4-5 weeks prior to the event.