Honey Petal Plants

Honey Petal Plants specializes in perennials, both native to Maine, and "nice visitors from away". There is also a decent offering of shrubs and trees. Proprietor, Astrid Bowlby, has special interests in the woodland garden, the rock garden, and flower arranging. Trained as a visual artist, Astrid is a self-taught, keen gardener. She grows numerous species from seed, cutting, and division as well as bringing in landscape plugs and larger sizes of perennials, shrubs, and trees from carefully selected wholesale growers. The source of each plant is listed in its descriptions on the website. That transparency is important to Astrid. The nursery is almost peat-free and she will gladly take back her own pots and trays for re-use. Astrid uses Organic Mechanics Professional Growers Mix with biochar, and a 5-4-4 blend of certified organic chicken manure as her usual potting mix. No herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides are used on the nursery. All of Astrid's partner nurseries are neonicitinoid-free and she fertilizes with organic fish emulsion during the growing season. Astrid is interested in the many ways we can appreciate and experience plants and avidly researches their contributions to ecology, medicine, foodways, literature, history, and crafts. All of her research is reflected in her plant descriptions which are a constant work-in-progress. She encourages lush garden matrices filled with food and habitat for our wild friends as well as for ourselves. For her, beauty is useful and use is beautiful.