All of our poinsettias are locally sourced and carefully selected for quality and longevity. Stop into one of our locations to find the perfect variety to deck your halls this season!

Our poinsettias will begin shipping in November, near the Thanksgiving holiday, and continue throughout the first few weeks of December. Variety selection varies by location and may become limited as the season progresses. Contact your local Meadows Farms or The Great Big Greenhouse for more information.

The post Our Poinsettia Varieties in Northern VA appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Few perennials bring such late-season brilliance, pollinator value, and sheer resilience as Aster ‘Raydon’s Favorite’. With its electric violet blooms and sweetly aromatic foliage, this cultivar adds a final flourish to the fall garden.

History

‘Raydon’s Favorite’ has a charming backstory. It was discovered by Raydon Alexander of San Antonio, Texas, who selected it from the wild and passed it along to Allen Bush of Holbrook Farm and Nursery. From there, it entered the horticultural world and quickly gained recognition for its outstanding garden performance.

In 2016, it was honored as The Garden Club of America’s Plant of the Year, thanks to its:

• Late-season floral display,
• Fragrant foliage,
• Wildlife appeal,
• And tough, adaptable nature.

Botanical Profile

• Botanical name: Symphyotrichum oblongifolium var. angustifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ (formerly known as Aster oblongifolius)
• Common names: Aromatic Aster, Raydon’s Favorite
• Height & Spread: 2–3 feet tall, 1–2 feet wide
• Bloom Time: Late September through November
• Flower: Abundant daisy-like violet-blue flowers with golden yellow centers
• Foliage: Oblong, mint-scented leaves that are aromatic when touched or brushed

Why Gardeners Love It

Reliable Late-Season Blooms

‘Raydon’s Favorite’ shines when most perennials are fading. It kicks off its bloom in early fall and continues until frost, filling a vital floral gap.

Pollinator Magnet

This aster is a fall nectar powerhouse:

• Attracts monarchs during their southern migration
• Supports native bees and other beneficial insects

Tough and Low-Maintenance

This plant is a champion for difficult spots:

• Drought-tolerant
• Deer and rabbit resistant
• Thrives in poor or rocky soils
• Handles full sun and dry conditions with ease

Neat Growth Habit

Compared to similar cultivars, ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ is taller, more upright, and less prone to flopping, even in lean soils.

How to Grow Raydon’s Favorite Aster

Ideal Conditions

• Sun: Full sun is best for maximum blooms
• Soil: Well-drained; tolerates clay, gravel, and sand
• Watering: Minimal once established

Planting Tips

• Space plants 18–24 inches apart
• Pinch back once in June or early July to promote bushiness and prevent legginess
• Cut back to the ground in late fall or early winter after blooming ends

Propagation

• Division: Every 3–5 years in spring or fall
• Cuttings: Softwood cuttings in early summer
• Seeds: May self-sow if spent flowers are left standing

Why It Deserves A Place In Your Garden

‘Raydon’s Favorite’ isn’t just another pretty flower—it’s a plant with purpose:

• Extends bloom season
• Feeds pollinators
• Fights back against drought, deer, and neglect
• Thrives with little effort

If you’re looking for a low-fuss perennial with high visual impact, few match the charm and strength of Aster ‘Raydon’s Favorite’.

Order Yours Today

The post Raydon’s Favorite Aster: Virginia’s Fall Season Superstar appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Hubricht’s Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) is a graceful, native perennial throughout the United States. First described by botanist Robert Woodson in 1943, this elegant plant is valued both in natural landscapes and formal gardens.

Appearance and Seasonal Interest

• Height and Form: Reaching about 2-3 feet tall; forms upright, bushy clumps with a delicate, feathery texture
• Foliage: Leaves are long and narrow, offering a thread-like, soft appearance in summer. In autumn, they transition to a stunning golden-yellow hue.
• Flowers: In late spring through early summer, clusters of pale, powder-blue, star-shaped blooms, which may fade to white in hotter conditions.

Cultivation and Care

• Light and Soil: Thrives in full sun to part shade. Well-drained soil is key, though it adapts even to clay soils. Best fall color is achieved when it is in full sun, but a little afternoon shade does help the flowers last a bit longer.
• Watering: Once established, this plant is fairly drought-tolerant, requiring minimal watering. Avoid overly wet or poorly drained soil to prevent root rot.
• Maintenance: After flowering, prune stems back by about one-third to maintain a compact form. In late fall or early spring, cut plants down to the ground. A light application of compost in spring is recommended.

Landscape Possibilities

As a textural standout, Hubricht’s Bluestar works flawlessly when massed or combined with bolder perennials. They pair well with plants like Sedum, Echinacea, Ornamental Grasses, and Iris.

Hubricht’s Bluestar is a shining example of native gardening at its best. Ideal for gardeners seeking a graceful, multi-season perennial that demands little fuss, it brings unique texture, color, and resilience to any landscape. Pair it with larger, bold perennials for contrast, or let it shine on its own in masses for airy, golden fall drama.

Order Yours Today

The post Hubricht’s Bluestar: Virginia’s Blue Perennial appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

If you are seeking a hardy perennial that combines beauty, resilience, and ecological value, look no further than Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’. This award-winning cultivar has captured the attention of gardeners and pollinator enthusiasts alike for its vibrant summer blooms and unmatched butterfly appeal.

Meet Phlox Jeana

Phlox Jeana is a tall garden phlox that stands out for its slender, upright habit, its dense clusters of tiny pink flowers, which bloom from mid-summer to early fall, and its exceptional powdery mildew resistance, which is a problem for other upright Phlox varieties. This cultivar was discovered growing wild along the Harpeth River near Nashville, Tennessee, by Jeana Prewitt, who noticed it thriving where other types struggled.

What truly elevates Jeana from other phlox cultivars is its magnetic pull on butterflies, particularly the monarch and eastern tiger swallowtail. In comparative trials at Mt. Cuba Center, Jeana was crowned the top phlox for pollinator visitation, attracting significantly more butterflies than any other cultivar tested. Its small, nectar-rich flowers are perfectly suited for butterfly feeding and also appeal to bees and hummingbirds.

Easy to Grow and Maintain

• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade
• Soil: Moist, well-drained soil; tolerates clay if not waterlogged
• Spacing: About 18-24 inches apart to allow airflow and prevent disease
• Watering: Regular watering until established, then moderately drought-tolerant
• Deadheading: Encourages continued blooming and tidier appearance

How to Use in the Garden

Jeana is a versatile design element that adds vertical interest and color. You can use it in pollinator gardens alongside echinacea, rudbeckia, and liatris. It can act a a back-of-border anchor in cottage and perennial beds. Its strong resistance to powdery mildew makes it ideal to use in organic and sustainable gardens. They also work great in cut flower arrangements, lasting long and looking elegant.

Order Yours Today

The post Jeana Upright Phlox: Virginia’s Butterfly Magnet appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Blue Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum) is a compact rhizomatous perennial wildflower. The leaves are bright green with a prominent network of veins somewhat like those of mint. From mid-summer until autumn, purplish stems are topped with soft masses of powder-blue fuzzy flowers. The blooms are frequented by butterflies, bees, and skippers. This robust plant forms colonies in sunny or partly shaded sites with moist to average soil.

Habitat and Hardiness

Blue Mistflower is common in the eastern United States from New York to Florida and west to Nebraska and Texas. They are indigenous to moist, open woods, especially edges and clearings, banks of lakes, rivers, creeks, ditches, damp meadows, wet prairies, sandy coastal wetlands, bottomlands, seeps, fields, and by roadsides. They are hardy from USDA Zones 5-9.

Maintenance

This is an adaptable wildflower that grows in full sun if sufficient moisture is present. Established plants tolerate drought, but in dry sites, plants may fare best in light shade. Blue Mistflower tolerates an alkaline pH, heavy clay, or soils high in organic matter. They may be a bit rambunctious for small, manicured gardens. In confined spaces, rampant growth may need to be curbed by thinning and dividing regularly. This species is pest-resistant, and the foliage is unpalatable to deer and other animal pests.

Landscape Uses

The unique flower color of Blue Mistflower provides soothing relief during the season. It acts as a good groundcover for a wildlife garden or moist meadow. You can also use them for cut flower arrangements. Best for use in cottage gardens, deer-resistant plantings, rain gardens, water-wise landscapes, perennial borders, or in mass plantings. Try pairing Blue Mistflower with other plants like Aster, Coreopsis, Lobelia, Rudbeckia, Solidago, or Sorghastrum.

Order Yours Today

The post Blue Mistflower in Northern Virginia appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Choosing the Right Mountain Mint for Your Virginia Garden

When selecting a Mountain Mint variety, consider your garden’s specific conditions and your overall design goals. Here are some top choices:

• Clustered Mountain Mint: Ideal for creating a stunning display that draws in pollinators, this variety is perfect for gardeners looking to add a striking visual element to their garden while supporting local ecosystems.

• Narrow-leafed Mountain Mint: If you have a dry, sunny spot in need of a hardy plant, Narrow-leafed Mountain Mint is a fantastic choice. It thrives in these conditions and will fill that space beautifully.

• Hairy Mountain Mint: Known for its unique texture and adaptability, Hairy Mountain Mint can thrive in various light and soil conditions. It’s an excellent option if you’re looking to add variety and resilience to your garden.

Regardless of the species you choose, all Mountain Mint varieties are excellent at supporting local pollinators and adding valuable biodiversity to your garden. With their low-maintenance nature and long-lasting appeal, these native plants are sure to become a staple in your perennial garden.

Mountain Mint Varieties Available at Meadows Farms

Remember, the mountain mint varieties listed below may be just a selection of what Meadows Farms carries. Please call your local Meadows Farms for other varieties or special requests.

The post 3 Native Mountain Mint Varieties to Grow in Virginia appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Fall Foliage Tree Varieties Available at Meadows Farms

Remember, the trees listed below are just a selection of the varieties that Meadows Farms carries. Please call your local Meadows Farms for other varieties or special requests.

The post 13 Fall Foliage Tree Varieties That Offer Stunning Color appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

As one of the most adaptable perennials, daylilies thrive in Virginia gardens. Once established, they’re highly drought-tolerant and can handle our intense summer sun while also enduring the Mid-Atlantic’s colder winters.

To keep your daylilies flourishing, remove dead flowers and trim back flower stalks throughout the season to encourage fresh growth and more blooms.

Daylily Varieties Available at Meadows Farms

Remember, the daylilies listed below are just a selection of the varieties that Meadows Farms carries. Please call your local Meadows Farms for other varieties or special requests.

The post 10 Daylily Varieties to Grow in Virginia appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

Creeping Phlox is a standout in the garden for its ability to provide stunning color and texture with minimal effort. It is best planted in spring, when it is at peak bloom, ensuring an effortless transition into your garden.

When to Plant Creeping Phlox

The ideal time to plant Creeping Phlox in Virginia is in early spring (March to April) when temperatures are cool, and the plant is actively blooming. Planting at this time gives the phlox plenty of time to establish its roots before the heat of summer.

How to Care for Creeping Phlox

The Mid-Atlantic’s hot summers and mild winters make Creeping Phlox an excellent choice for gardeners across the state. Follow these care tips to keep your plant thriving year-round:

• Watering needs: Once established, Creeping Phlox is a drought-tolerant plant that requires supplemental water only during warm, dry weather.
• How often to prune: A yearly pruning with a weed trimmer or garden clippers keeps Creeping Phlox looking neat and healthy year after year.
• When to prune: Prune creeping phlox after the blooms fade in late spring.

Creeping Phlox Varieties Available at Meadows Farms

Remember, the creeping phlox listed below is just a selection of the varieties that Meadows Farms carries. Please call your local Meadows Farms for other varieties or special requests.

The post A Virginia Gardener’s Guide to Creeping Phlox Varieties appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.

This list is just a glimpse of the many Heuchera and Heucherella varieties available throughout the season. While these are some of the most common, there are countless other varieties and color combinations to discover. Please call your local Meadows Farms for other varieties or special requests.

The post Heuchera and Heucherella Varieties for Shady Virginia Gardens appeared first on Meadows Farms Nurseries and Landscaping.