If your houseplant-filled living room is starting to feel more like a jungle or the seed-starting setup in your basement is too cramped, it might be time to consider a home greenhouse. But before clearing out your backyard, it’s important to think about what type of gardener you are so you can choose the perfect fit.

First, do your research. An average home greenhouse is around 8×10 feet, but garden experts suggest going bigger than you think—you’ll be surprised at how quickly the space fills up. For beginners, pre-built greenhouses are the way to go. Stores like The Barnyard on York Road sell standard poly paneled greenhouses of all sizes. You can even customize them by adding windows or some extra height. If you want to use your greenhouse during the colder months, you’ll need to buy a portable heater or two.

If you’re searching for a more unique greenhouse, consider secondhand shops. Mariah Gillis, an Idlewylde resident, purchased an old solarium at Second Chance and turned it into an oasis for tropical houseplants.

“It’s like having 142 square feet of Costa Rica next to my house,” she says. “You just kind of go out and explore and find new things.”

If aesthetics are your priority, a vintage greenhouse is a great choice, but be prepared to spend more on repairs and upgrades to make it gardening-ready.

Once you’ve purchased your greenhouse, it’s time to fill it. For serious home gardeners, it’s a great place to “start” seeds, which is the process of germinating seeds in a protected environment before planting them outdoors. In a warm, enclosed greenhouse, you can plant as early as six to eight weeks before the last frost date, extending your harvest and giving you fresh produce nearly year-round.

After years of starting seeds in her Monkton basement, Lila Shapiro-Cyr upgraded to a pre-built backyard greenhouse she uses all year. “It’s just nice to be out in nature,” she says. “Particularly when it’s cold out, it’s really a nice kind of escape.”

While tomatoes are her favorite thing to grow, other produce, like eggplant, peppers, kale, and lettuce, also thrive.

If produce isn’t your main interest, you might want to grow houseplants or florals for cut flowers. In Gillis’ greenhouse, the result is a peaceful retreat. “I love the surprise when I just let things go wild,” she says. “I always joke that it’s sort of like Jurassic Park.”

You can check out local shops like The Little Greenhouse, B.Willow, and Waverly Ace Hardware to find a wide selection of tropical ferns and orchids. But you’ll need to do a little research before diving in.

Alexia Leeser, the Home Horticulture and Master Gardener coordinator at University of Maryland Extension Baltimore County, stresses “right plant, right place” for new greenhouse owners.

“If you put a plant in an environment where it’s not going to thrive, you’re setting it up for failure,” she explains.

Her advice? Do research beforehand, know what conditions your plants like, do soil tests, and ask for help. If you’re still struggling, submit gardening questions and photos to UMD’s Ask Extension line, where experts respond within 48 hours, free of charge.

For many, gardening isn’t just about the plants—it’s a way to escape the outside world.

“We live in challenging times,” Shapiro-Cyr says. “It’s nice to have a hobby that is good for your mental health.”

March is always a good time to start thinking about outdoor spring cleanup. Yes, it’s usually still cold, but the promise of spring is in the air.

As gardeners start making their to-do list, they need to keep in mind it’s not as simple as weeding and calling it a day. Conscientious planters should also be considering the ecosystem around their yards.

Often the first instinct is to purge and start fresh—but Cianna Rowe, nursery manager at Lauren’s Garden Service in Howard County, urges folks to leave the leaves.

“It’s this huge movement right now and there’s many reasons why you should do it,” she says.

Not only do insects and herbivores eat them, but as leaves decompose, especially those wet from rain, they create more soil.

Rowe knows keeping all the leaves can be challenging, so she suggests leaving as many as possible in the yard and taking the rest to places like the Howard County Landfill that lets people drop off yard trimmings to be turned into compost and mulch. Baltimore County also allows many types of yard and garden materials to be composted in bins or specific bags.

She also suggests leaving old flower heads around as a source of seeds for the birds—and bonus, it also means spending less on bird seeds.

Mulch is another area to focus on during spring cleaning. There are ways to make mulch truly work as a habitat. Rowe suggests “planting green mulch.” That’s what she calls native species that grow very low to the ground and help the soil from drying out.

Native violets, native strawberries, and Carex species, a distant relative of the grass family, are good green mulches to create an environment where flower beds aren’t set against wood chips, but leafy greens. They make the soil looser and give burrowing pollinators—like the friendly cousin of the honeybee, the ground nesting bee—the opportunity to set up pollen shop in anticipation of spring flowers.

But planting and letting green mulch grow can take a while, so in the meantime loosening existing mulch is the next best thing to help these pollinators, as well as using only dye-free mulch in the beds. Often the dyed or “colored” mulch makes it harder for the mulch to break down, and the wood used in traditional mulch is often taken from broken wooden pallets, old decking, and even ships, so the wood could still have residue of harsher chemicals from its previous life.

Since relocating pollinators, birds, and other helpful creatures back into gardens after winter can take time, Rowe recommends some other ways to get a garden back on track. Some non-native plants like garlic mustard—look for its heart-shaped leaves and small white flowers—can change the soil composition, so weeding them out is a must.

Rowe also suggests while trimming hedges or shrubs, be careful of bird nests—even if they’re empty, some other bird might move in.

By prioritizing habitat-friendly practices, gardens can quickly become a haven for local animals. Rowe says,

“Getting to see immediate success of either something making a nest…or [animals] eating the berries, that’s usually the encouragement people need to keep planting native.”

Daffodils emerging in January rather than April. Delicate peonies that turn crispy in an unseasonably hot May. If you’ve been gardening in Baltimore in recent years, you know these are both very real scenarios.

Maryland’s growing season is getting hotter and drier, and the number of warm months is on the rise. In fact, last year the USDA updated its hardiness zones—the regions in which you can put a plant and expect it to live—for the first time since 2012. It moved much of Maryland to warmer zones.

So what does this all mean for our gardens?

“From a practical perspective, we have shorter windows of time to plant,” says Kevin J. Gaughan, principal and owner of FORM Garden Design.

Gaughan’s firm is known for its aesthetic use of native plants and ecological care. He explains that while they used to want to have plants installed by June 15, “with this year’s extreme heat, I wish we’d planted by June 1st,” thus giving plants a chance to get established before nature turned up the furnace.

“In winter, it is staying wetter longer and deeper into the spring,” he continues. “That’s really hurting the landscape industry because they’re now faced with planting outside the opportune times.”

Gaughan says the warmer temperatures are reflected in his clients’ requests. “Shade has become one of the biggest topics of discussion. [Clients] know it is getting hotter and they are looking for shade trees and structures so they can be comfortable outside.”

Gaughan favors native plants, those best suited to the challenges of the local climate; they generally don’t need extra watering and are thus better for the environment. But with temperatures now routinely soaring over 100 degrees, even native plants are struggling and gardeners are scrambling to find the most efficient irrigation systems.

WHAT’S NATIVE NOW?
“Native” is a gardening buzzword, but with shifting hardiness zones and more mercurial weather, it’s hard to know what actually is native anymore. Gaughan says perennial grasses add structure to a garden and tend to be deep-rooted and thus drought-resistant, as are old standby perennial plants like perovskia, nepeta, and salvias.

But without cold winters to kill plants back, he’s found that some of his favorites, like soledago (goldenrod), the woodland Aster divaricatus, and even some rudbeckia (like our state flower, the black-eyed Susan) are self-seeding and growing a bit wild. Plants that self-seed can take over or propagate where they don’t belong. But with this challenge comes opportunity.

“Remember, gardens are an evolution,” says Gaughan. “The fun part is we can continue to work with a garden and experiment.”

Plants he’s excited about include Southern bayberry and the Ilex vomitoria, a useful replacement for the popular boxwoods that are generally dying off in this area. And some annuals used in planters, like lantana and cannas, may even come back after a mild winter.

Remember, climate change isn’t just about extreme heat, but also erratic weather. The best way to safeguard against disappointment—like losing your peonies in a freak frost—is to plant a diverse, four-season garden.

“When things are blooming later or early, with more diversity, something will always look good,” says Gaughan. “Or, if something fails, the whole garden doesn’t fail.”

This doesn’t just make for a prettier garden. A range of plants means that you are likely always to have something in bloom, so when we have a spate of, say, 80-degree days in February, the emergent (and no doubt confused) bees will have something to eat.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
As we think about diversifying our gardens, Lincoln Smith, founder of Forested, which teaches courses in forest gardening and designs edible “food forests,” has a unique proposition: Consider what you can eat in your yard.

Smith says we forget that the Eastern United States is a forested ecosystem and our urban and suburban gardens have a role to play in its restoration. By planting food forests—hackberry trees, acorn-producing oaks, and chicksaw plums, for example—we can rehabilitate native forest, eat local, and reduce our dependence on large-scale, monoculture agriculture.

The best thing about food forestry is trees are durable. “In an extreme weather situation, trees tend to adapt,” says Smith. “In a drought, no one is watering the forest.”

Trees also do so much to support life from creating shade to sequestering carbon. Smith says just planting a singular pawpaw tree in your yard can mean everything to the zebra swallowtail butterfly whose larvae feed exclusively on that tree. And you get to eat the fruit.

At Forested’s test garden in Bowie, Smith invites people to learn about plants they can use in their gardens that may be unexpected, like chestnuts and persimmons. Like Gaughan, Smith is a proponent of Ilex vomitoria, which, despite its name, “actually makes a great tea, similar to yerba maté.” Black chokeberry produce fruit that can be squeezed into a superfood juice, and native plants like sochan, which has a zesty, mildly bitter flavor, not only support finches (they eat the seeds) but humans, too.

“The greens are delicious steamed with a little salt,” promises Smith.

If you don’t know where to begin, “Go on a foraging walk with a local guide so you can learn what the landscape is offering,” he advises.

MICROCLIMATES, SOIL, AND MORE
Microclimates, the weather specific to your garden’s setting, are playing an increasingly important role in how we plant. For example, something labeled as “full sun” might thrive in one backyard, even on a 100-degree day, but die in another yard if it’s planted near a heat-absorbing wall. Alternately, something like a fig tree might flourish in an enclosed city yard but may not be sustainable on a hilltop in Baltimore County.

Similarly, soil composition is important. Soil can be clay, silt, sand, or loam (a combination of all three), and what is in your yard will determine what may grow well. Gaughan says that all plants need a little shade from blistering afternoon sun nowadays, even those categorized as full sun, adding that “a full-sun plant in well-drained soil will not hold the moisture it needs as it bakes all summer.”

“Soil plays a huge part in the success of a plant, especially in the home garden,” says Brent Figlestahler, head gardener for the nonprofit nonprofit Cylburn Arboretum Friends. “It’s often overlooked because we want to plant what we want to plant, but a lot of problems we see are soil-related.”

While two-thirds of Cylburn is wooded, a third is cultivated and acts as a test garden, particularly for what will grow well in the city. (A dedicated urban demonstration garden hopefully opens in 2025.) As far as microclimates go, Cylburn’s has its challenges, especially its hilltop location, which has made it vulnerable to increasingly severe storms.

Figlestahler points out a forested area that is now punctuated with sunlight after a massive tree fell and uprooted an ancient poplar in an August storm. Behind the Cylburn mansion is a solemn stump where a beloved redwood known as an “Ambassador tree” stood until it was brought down by a storm last Memorial Day weekend. Planting for resilience against severe storms may be the most difficult challenge gardeners face.

As you walk through the arboretum’s Large Conifer Collection—those are trees that bear seeds in cones—you’ll note that the Norway spruce, in particular, is showing signs of stress. That’s because “many conifers come from cool mountainous regions,” explains Figlestahler.

Trees that aren’t acclimatized to extreme heat will, like people, become stressed. And like stressed people, they are less able to fight off illness. Warmer weather is showing up with dieback and yellow needling but also, “in the heat and humidity they become vulnerable to pests, too.”

Other native species that have become victims of pest and disease made worse by climate change are Eastern hemlock, American beeches, and White ash.

It’s important to acknowledge the reality of Maryland climate change when choosing plants and trees. With the new USDA zones, some coastal regions of the state could now possibly sustain citrus trees. So gardeners need to consider looking to the northern-most reaches of southern-based plants rather than the southern-most hardiness of northern plants.

Sugar maple, that beauty of New England, is already not thriving here and will likely be unsustainable in 50 years. However, red maples are an option, while Pinus virginiana, Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress), Sweetbay magnolia, and Styrax americanus, are southerly conifers and shrubs now doing well in this region.

Figlestahler quips that Osage oranges, native to the south-central U.S., “will likely grow in a crack in asphalt.”

“Another approach to heat tolerant trees is to look out west where it’s hot and dry,” says Figlestahler, pointing to happy cottonwoods and a sugar maple species from Oklahoma called “Flashfire.”

“We need to teach people the value of trees and to think collectively about trees as an asset to the larger neighborhood,” Figlestahler says.

In this hyperlocal, microclimate gardening world, growers are realizing that even the DNA of a seed may determine if it will do well or die. Seed collected from an echinacea in Maryland may have a genetic propensity to do well here versus echinacea from seed in, say, Oregon.

Cylburn is part of a multistate program growing oaks from seed collected from major cities along the Eastern Seaboard. Not only will Cylburn hopefully gain an oak forest, but participants will learn which seeds grow best where.

“The end goal is to produce more healthy oaks for our cities in particular,” says Figlestahler. Gardeners often overlook the importance of trees in the landscape (or worse, look upon them as a potential nuisance), says Figlestahler. “We need to teach people the value of trees and to think collectively about trees as an asset to the larger neighborhood,” he says.

Trees also play a major role in pollination, as much or more than native flowers. “If you plant a black locust in a front yard in the city, when it blooms it is amazingly full of native bees that you may never see because they will be up in the canopy, but that are essential to the environment.”

BRAVE NEW WORLD
Things are changing and that can be difficult for gardeners. Severe storms may bring down large old-growth trees, turning a shade garden to full sun. Cherry trees that dazzled in spring now emerge in winter. But Gaughan says, as hard as it may be, now is the time to learn, to experiment, and to redouble our gardening efforts.

“It’s more important now than ever to expand our gardens because there’s so much we can do to slow climate change,” he says. “It’s not the time to do less; now is the time to do more.”

Best Practices for Warming Gardens

CONTROL INVASIVES
With warmer winters, invasives are getting a foothold earlier in the season and thus becoming more aggressive. Get a jump on pulling out honeysuckle, multiflora rose, Japanese stiltgrass, and garlic mustard.

USE WATER WISELY
Add rain barrels to downspouts for a watering source, keep soil healthy with compost and organic matter, water gardens only in the morning, and use mulch to preserve moisture. Learn about this and more through the Maryland Extension Service’s “Baywise” program.

PROPER PEST MANAGEMENT
Control disease and insects with Integrated Pest Management, a process of prevention and natural controls, and use chemical pesticides only as a last resort.

SO LONG LAWNS
Grass is passé. A thirsty monoculture, lawns support little to no life, encourage runoff, and are often a repository for chemicals and pesticides. Convert grass to native meadow (see tips, here) or
download Forested’s free design brochure to turn your lawn into an edible forest. Mow smarter, cutting grass high and not mowing during periods of high heat and drought.

KEEP IT UNTIDY
Fall leaves left in your yard create a winter habitat for beneficial insects that eat other garden pests. Spent-seed heads on flowers support winter’s birds. Sprays that kill one variety of insect may kill others you need for garden health. Make peace with some imperfection to live in balance with nature.

MANAGE MICROCLIMATES
Pay attention to how your microclimate—heat absorbing walls or asphalt, hilltop exposures, damp low-lying areas—may impact plants.

SAVVY SOIL
Soil is the foundation for all plants. Keep it healthy with ongoing additions of compost and organic matter.

GIVE ROOTS A CHANCE
When planting trees, dig a wide hole with roughed-up edges (augers and spades will make sheer hole walls that can become like concrete through which roots can’t grow) and mix the existing soil with compost.

Now that it’s officially warm, we can start manifesting the perfect garden—whether it’s growing herbs, veggies, or flowers in a giant backyard plot or small containers on a balcony. It’s time to put on our gardening clogs and head to our favorite nurseries. We picked 15 that provide superb customer service skills, reliable expertise about planting in your zone, and the ability to help you choose the right products for your gardening style.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started, these delightful shops have everything you need to upgrade your greenery game.

BRU-MAR GARDENS
Bru-Mar’s motto is that gardening is good for the soul. Located two miles west of the Chesapeake Bay, founders Bruce Martin and Martin Perkins offer 500 varieties of trees and shrubs and over 1,000 types of annuals and perennials. All year-round, you’ll have access to many services like plant diagnostics and property design. Staff members are up to date on the latest botany trends and are always willing to provide tips and tricks to gardeners of any level. 1009 Bay Ridge Rd., Annapolis

FRITZ FARM & NURSERY
This homey space near Bel Air has multiple greenhouses to satisfy all your seasonal needs. Wendel Fritz began the business 43 years ago and it now includes almost 60 acres of fresh evergreens, brilliant perennials, and deciduous shrubs. The personable staff members offer one-on-one care and special accommodations for gardens of all shapes and sizes. With such an exquisite space, you’ll want to bring the whole family along to discover the vibrant foliage and even visit the lively animals on the farm. 1001 Hollingsworth Rd., Joppa

GREEN FIELDS NURSERY
One of Baltimore City’s most recognizable gardening businesses has been around for more than 100 years. It’s a sea of green in the most unlikely spot—the highly trafficked corner of Falls Road and Northern Parkway. Here you’ll find a massive array of premium annuals and perennials along with fertilizers, mulches, and other necessary soil amendments. With two large showrooms and an extensive team of loyal botany experts, the greenhouse has everything you need to spruce up your yard. 5424 Falls Rd., Baltimore

HERRING RUN NURSERY
This nonprofit organic plant nursery is part of Blue Water Baltimore, which fights for clean water, climate change awareness, and other environmental issues for the community. Located in the Mount Pleasant Golf Course, you’ll be able to choose from over 250 species of trees, shrubs, vines, and wildflowers that are locally sourced and native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Be sure to stop by the pollinator garden to see how well native plants do in the right environment. All proceeds from Herring Run purchases go directly to Blue Water’s mission of creating a greener and cleaner Baltimore. 6131 Hillen Rd., Baltimore

HOMESTEAD GARDENS
Immerse yourself in wonder and become a horticulture master at this quirky destination, now celebrating 50 years in Anne Arundel County. Discover cultivated houseplants, nurtured bulbs, and other lush greeneries to fill your garden. There’s even a farm and pet team for those interested in felines, flocks, and other livestock favorites. If you’re looking to expand your agricultural knowledge, sign up for workshops about seed starting, container gardening, and biodiversity planting methods. 522 Ritchie Hwy., Severna Park; 743 W. Central Ave., Davidsonville

KINGSDENE NURSERY
This gem in northern Baltimore County is known for its expansive five acres and countless bulbs of all types. What began as a tiny outlet in 1977 has now expanded to an ever-changing selection of nursery stock—and they’re always looking to add more. Here you’ll find hanging baskets of peonies, hostas, and other hardy perennials to spruce up your space and beautify the community. With a team of certified professional horticulturists who are ready to answer all of your questions, this spot is perfect for beginner plant parents. 16435 York Rd., Monkton

KOLLAR NURSERY
Delight and beauty await at this stunning spot that’s truly worth the trek up to the Pennsylvania state line. This whimsical nursery combines diverse native plants and eclectic noninvasive species grown in-house for wetlands, fields, and forests. Owners Stan and Sharon Kollar share a passion for supporting wildlife, carrying organic seeds that are ideal for rain gardens, bioswales, and other parts of your backyard oasis. Make sure to stop by their solar house or take a look at the natural art by local artists they often highlight. 5200 West Heaps Rd., Pylesville

LAUREN’S GARDEN SERVICE
Whether you’re seeking award-winning installation or do-it-yourself guidance, this Howard County favorite is led by a passionate expert in the industry. Lauren Turner, a trained horticulturist with over 20 years of experience, specializes in eco-friendly and socially conscious products. With recycled materials, natural fertilizers, and permaculture practices, this spot is perfect for those who are environmentally conscious and love to shop locally. Choose from a variety of native perennials, shrubs, and trees to create lush hardscapes, relaxing rain gardens, and more. 13554 Triadelphia Rd., Ellicott City

MARYLAND FLOWER & FOLIAGE CO.
Twelve acres of colorful flora await you at this state-of-the-art facility in Baltimore County, first established in 1980. The two main greenhouses are filled with a fantastic selection of classic vegetable seeds like squash and peppers and fragrant herbs such as chocolate mint and coriander. Or, you can add beauty to your patio with the nursery’s varieties of dahlias and supertunia. With seasonal specialties and a knowledgeable staff providing efficient service, the possibilities are truly endless. 10403 Vincent Farm Ln., White Marsh

POOR BOY’S GARDEN CENTER
Since 1985, friends Terry Gerahty and Mike Tyson (no, not that Mike Tyson) have grown Poor Boy’s into a full-service nursery stocked with the latest and greatest organic plant material, water garden plants, premium tools, and locally sourced vegetation. But perhaps their stand-out sellers are their seeds, including 100 types of herbs to add some fragrance and freshness to your soil. They even have a diagnostics and analysis team who offer insightful solutions for all planting predicaments. 7721 Old Harford Rd., Parkville

RICHARDSON FARMS
What began as a humble farmers market in the early 1930s is now a unique, one-stop shop for all of your grocery needs year-round. Richardson Farms harvests 400 acres of produce each year, creating delicious farm-to-table meals and specialty menus every week. But this is not just a tasty farm stand; there’s also a greenhouse stocked with evergreen plants straight from the farm, like bonsai azaleas, dragon fruit beefsteak tomatoes, and everything in between. You’ll also find an impressive lineup of pots, compost, mulch, and decorations for any garden lover to purchase. 5900 Ebenezer Rd., White Marsh

SUN NURSERIES
Soak up the sunshine at this fun shop owned by the Rosenbaum family, who has been cultivating greenery for over 45 years. Their growing area spans 100 acres and houses over 2,500 types of local vegetation, ready to fulfill any plant lover’s dream. You’ll find everything from luscious fruit trees and noninvasive bamboo to dwarf conifers and colorful Japanese maples. Looking for advice? The experts at the retail center and on the design team can give you all sorts of tips and tricks, including which plants need to be staked and the best times to prune your fruit trees. 14790 Bushy Park Rd., Woodbine

VALLEY VIEW FARMS
Here in this gorgeous green jungle, there’s no such thing as too many plants. New fruit trees, cole crops, and other seedlings arrive weekly at this locally owned and operated destination, just north of Baltimore. What started as a small produce stand more than half a century ago has transformed into one of the largest garden centers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Along with the vast range of vegetation, you’ll have access to seminars, diagnostic services, and water testing in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Don’t forget to swing by the water garden department to find water lilies, fish, and other aquatic accessories. 11035 York Rd., Cockeysville

WALTHER GARDENS
Explore these beautifully historic gardens in the neighborhood of Moravia-Walther, now run by the owners of the Margaret Cleveland in Bolton Hill. This cozy spot seamlessly blends personalized shopping opportunities with culinary pop-ups, veggie-growing demonstrations, and live music events. Shop for plants, herbs, and flowers of all kinds. There’s something about being here that makes every purchase feel enchanting. And be sure to visit “The Peggy,” the oldest snowball stand in the country, to savor a sweet treat during your trip. 4725 Walther Ave., Baltimore

WHITE HOUSE NURSERY
White House Nursery has been caring for the community and its ecology for five generations. With 30 acres of farmland, the outlet store houses all kinds of fantastic, homegrown foliage for your garden no matter the season. They offer versatile seeds, like cold-weather vegetables, allowing you to replant, refresh, and watch your flora rebloom. Take a seat at the koi fish ponds, pop by the irrigated mum field, and see agriculture at work during your visit. Be on the lookout for free events, classes, and demonstrations to engage nature lovers of all ages. 17422 Falls Rd., Upperco

When it rains, it pours. At least that’s the case when it comes to Tony Lehman’s front yard in Idlewylde, a neighborhood just south of Towson.

A video taken by the University of Maryland psychiatrist several years back shows what looks to be a river running several inches deep through his lawn and driveway. It’s all stormwater.

“It was really quite extreme,” says Lehman.

In 2016, he sought the help of a contractor to remedy the flooding, which he says was caused by an inadequate neighborhood storm-drainage system. That didn’t go to plan. But Lehman wouldn’t need to look very far, as it turned out, to find a plan B.

His son, Jackson, had just received his master’s degree in landscaping and architecture, and at his suggestion, the father and son made plans to install a rain garden in Lehman’s front yard.

So, what’s a rain garden?

Also known as biometric retention facilities, rain gardens are depressed landscape areas filled with native perennials, flowers, and shrubs. Typically built on natural slopes—as was the case with Lehman’s property—and planted using natural or engineered soil, these structures are designed to collect and treat excess stormwater runoff from compacted lawn areas and water-tight surfaces such as rooftops and walkways.

In Lehman’s case, the new addition would need to accommodate the runoff from his carport and driveway—as well as that of his neighbor’s—so he and Jackson had their work cut out for them.

At the top of the garden, the pair installed two dry creek beds, which use rocks to drain excess stormwater flow. Inside, weirs, or low dams, were added, along with an absorbing mixture of clay, soil, and sand. With the addition of some native perennials and pollinators, the father-son rain garden project was complete.

And today? There’s a lot less flooding.

New bulbs have been planted in the yard for spring. And Lehman’s green thumb is, well, greener than ever, thanks to his son.

“I cringe a little bit now to think about some of the things I’ve done to plants be- fore I learned from him,” the dad says. “I feel very proud of him.”

While increasing in popularity because of ecological awareness, for now, rain gardens remain a rarity in this neck of the woods.

According to a survey by University of Maryland Extension service, a resource for farmers and gardeners, only 2.5 percent of state homeowners have one.

However, for those looking to fix their flooding, there are sources of information out there. Maryland Sea Grant Extension and Blue Water Baltimore can help with everything, from locating the best local contractors and specialists to finding an ideal place to put down a plot. But before you can do any serious dirt digging, you’ll need to grab a few tools to help you get started.

“One is a shovel,” says Tim McQuaid, the store manager and water garden manager at Valley View Farms, with a laugh. In addition to weed barrier fabric and stones for constructing dry riverbeds, McQuaid suggests corrugated piping or straight PVC pipe to act as the garden’s rain spouts. To amend the soil, he suggests mixing it with equal parts Leafgro compost.

Last but not least, get ready to pick out some plants—but, contrary to what you might guess, try not to choose too many tropicals.
For rain gardens, McQuaid suggests clumping plants, like Lobelia Cardinalis, which are native to Maryland.

“We are zone seven, and that’s important because, the further south you go, the higher the zone numbers are,” McQuaid says. “That means plants that are listed from zone seven and lower will survive in this environment.

What to do when you’re bored and anxious at home during the COVID-19 lockdown?

For many Baltimoreans, the answer is gardening—turns out, it’s good for the soul. And that’s the phenomenon that Pete Bieneman is seeing every day at Green Fields Nursery and Landscaping on the border between Roland Park and Mt. Washington.

“Most people are telling me they’re stuck at home with little to do and are turning to their garden for relief,” says Bieneman, the longtime general manager at the 97-year-old business. “And many parents are looking for projects that they can do with their kids at home. Gardening offers lots of valuable lessons. What we didn’t anticipate was the primordial need to plant—gardening is always a great stress reliever.”

And it’s not just the lifelong dirt-diggers getting in on the act: People are trying gardening for the first time, too.

“We have heard from many beginners, and perhaps the seasonal timing of this crisis has been a small blessing in that people can get outside,” he says. “Our always beautiful Baltimore spring has been a pleasant distraction and inspired so many to try their hand at gardening.”

Topping the list of things people are trying to grow are herbs and vegetables, he says, especially basil, cilantro, tomatoes, and hot peppers—which may reflect some sort of end-of-the-world prepping mentality, or be related to the home cooking many are now attempting with extra hours on their hands. But flowering trees and shrubs have also been in huge demand, along with blooming perennials and annuals, says Bieneman.

Like the other businesses that are allowed to stay open, Green Fields has taken additional precautions at the store, as well as among its landscaping crews, which remain busy.

“We are staying healthy and have implemented social-distancing protocols, as well as limiting traffic in the nursery,” say Bieneman. “Of course, all staff are required to wear masks and we have increased our cleaning and disinfecting.”

One factor helping to drive business—and allay fears among customers—is the outdoor nature of nurseries. “It allows you to maintain good space,” he says. “We continue to monitor the numbers of customers in the nursery and many do not enter at all, as they opt for curbside pickup.”

So is the therapy working?

“I had a customer say yesterday that she could feel the endorphins rise when she was planting!”

Roses have been a garden classic throughout history—inspiring the ancient Greeks to cultivate its sweet aroma into some of the first perfumes and world-famous poets to use their allure as soulful metaphors for love.

And whether it’s your first or fifty-first planting season, most gardeners fancy this timeless flower for its everblooming beauty and scent. But building a healthy rose garden can have its frustrations: They’re prone to disease, munching bugs, and mildew.

So how to avoid that? We consulted Scott Carbone, nursery manager at Valley View Farms in Cockeysville, who suggested a few rose breeds that look lovely, are relatively resistant to diseases, and will add a summer flair to your garden. And yes, planting in July will work if the roses are established when you buy them and get lots of water to make it through hot days.

Color Cocktail
These shrub roses come in multicolored shades of pink, white, and yellow and are easy to grow in a garden or patio container. Make sure they are planted in a nice, sunny spot and watered weekly.

English Rose Climbers
These elegant David Austin flowers can be planted up against walls or gates to make any garden charming. However, their location means they will require frequent watering, since the soil in these areas tends to be drier.

Knock Outs
Carbone said these self-cleaning, low-maintenance roses are great for beginner gardeners. Be sure to plant these bushes in a sunny location where they have lots of space to grow. Soon enough, your garden will be full of vibrant magenta, white, and yellow blooms.

Julia Child
Named after the celebrity chef, these shrub roses are butter gold and smell like licorice candy. They need full sun and regular watering, especially in extreme heat.

Bonica
Who would believe these charming little pink flowers would be the toughest rose? Bonica are pretty easy to care for, but avoid rinsing the leaves when watering the shrub, and prune any dead wood as it appears.

First Prize
Although hybrid tea roses are not known for their disease resistance, this Jackson & Perkins rose is the exception. Their long, pointed buds open into splashes of pink atop green leathery leaves. Carbone says these flowers need to be watered from the base and recommends clearing away any debris to make sure they have good airflow.

Studies have proven that being surrounded by greenery and nature makes us happier, less stressed, and much more relaxed. And you don’t need to have outdoor space to achieve plant nirvana. Apartments—with ample window space that will allow sunlight to reach your plants—are the perfect place to test your green thumb with houseplants. Not only are they pleasing to look at, but they also help keep your area rejuvenated and healthy by filtering the air and eliminating odors.

We consulted Derek Radebaugh, owner of the fourth-generation, family-owned Radebaugh Florist & Greenhouses in Towson, and B. Willow’s Liz Vayda, who has shops in Remington and Canton, and got them to recommend a few beautiful plants that are easy to maintain and rewarding to care for.

Fittonia
This delicate, silvery-veined plant makes for the perfect desk buddy. Vayda suggests placing it in indirect sunlight and making sure it’s watered whenever the soil becomes dry.

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Bromeliad
There are many reasons to love this plant with its spiked flower and variety of vibrant colors. Vayda says these plants can survive in indirect sunlight and receive most of their water from their environment.

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Chinese Evergreen
Radebaugh says that the Chinese evergreen’s multiple shades of green give a smart look to a home. The Chinese evergreen is not a picky plant—it prefers to be kept in a shady spot and can be watered about once per week.

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To say that Amy Gjerde has a green thumb is a bit of an understatement. Gjerde, co-owner of Woodberry Kitchen, Artifact, Parts & Labor, Sandlot, and Bird in Hand, grows hundreds of plants and herbs not only for decorative purposes, but also for use in the kitchens of her farm-to-fork spots. “Plants can take an ordinary, unassuming space and make it colorful and interesting,” says Gjerde, “and they make the air around them fresher and lighter.”

Gjerde says she loves the endless diversity of plants that are out there. “Adding plants to a space brings with it a mysterious, ‘I wonder what that is’ feeling,” she says. “When I walk into my greenhouse, especially in the winter, I instantly feel happier, calmer, and more connected.” In the doldrums of winter, we caught up with the constant gardener to discuss the art of growing. 

What kinds of plants do you grow for your restaurants?   
At Woodberry, I grow a mix of herbs (chives, basil, thai basil, sage, rosemary, lavender, scented geranium, lemongrass), and mostly perennials like false indigo, St. John’s wort, and grasses. Over the years, I’ve gotten away from annuals with the exception of coleus, which this year I grew from seed. I also love to incorporate shrubs and trees like Crepe Myrtle, Beautyberry, and hydrangea. At Artifact, the sun is very intense so I’ve moved to plants which need a less water and can withstand the heat. A couple of years ago, I planted roses. Amazingly enough they have thrived and are stunning! My favorite herb to grow at Artifact is bronze fennel. The fronds are adored by our chefs, and then in the fall we winnow the seed. 

Where do you do the actual growing?
I grow most of my herbs for the restaurant at my home in Roland Park. About a year ago, I had a greenhouse built. It’s only 11’ x 12’ but it allows me to start seed, grow tropicals, and propagate. In addition to herbs, citrus is the big crop I enjoy growing for our places. Two to three years we stopped using citrus in all of our restaurants. I’ve been able to grow Meyer lemons, limes, calamondin, and I’m starting with some oranges and one grapefruit tree. This past summer, I sold herbs I grew from seed at P&L, as well as tomatoes from seed. 

I know you grow a lot of basil. I had no idea there was more than a few types.
At home, I grow 9 to 10 varieties of basil—Holy, Thai, Mrs. Burn’s lemon, Persian, Mammoth, Eritrean, Cardinal, cinnamon, and Blue Spice. I have so many basil plants in my greenhouse, there will probably be casualties to make room for the citrus as it gets colder. I planted a front yard garden this year with lots of nasturtiums, variegated sage, apple mint, amaranth, tomatoes, strawberries, blackberries, onions, wild oregano, thyme, orange mint, Goldenrod, and shishito peppers. I was nervous about the amount of shade I get, but the garden did well. I’m probably going to skip tomatoes this year, though. I added shiso to the mix this year. Spike has always loved shiso, from the mint family, so I gave it a try. I’m growing Shiso Britton and Shiso Asia. Woodberry Kitchen has been using the green shiso the past couple of months by wrapping trout and chanterelles in the big leaves. 

Are they mostly herbs used in cooking/for drinks or are they decorative, as well? 
What I grow for the restaurant’s ends up either with the chefs, Rachel our pastry chef, or our bar. Herbs end up being used, and sometimes fought over, by all three, especially sweet mint. My Meyer lemons, calamondin and limes typically go to the bar and made into tinctures. Last year, I filled jars with local honey and Meyer lemons, as well as calamondin. Our baristas snapped it up and made this delicious hot tea drink. When you don’t have availability to an ingredient widely used as citrus, the excitement over having five lemons or 15 calamondin is enjoyable and satisfying to watch. 

Do you maintain the plants yourself?
Mostly, I have an awesome assistant, Fred Struever. Fred helps me take plants back and forth to my home (I often pot the plants at home and then arrange them at the restaurants), helps with compost, from Ben at Blue Moon, and he’s especially great at helping keep my greenhouse going. The staff at the restaurants help by watering. José at Artifact is my sympatico gardener. 

What do you like about gardening? 
The physicality, being outdoors, and the satisfaction of watching a plant grow and thrive. I’m still amazed at how something goes from a seed to an herb or citrus fruit or vegetable we use in our kitchens.  

What’s the secret to being a good gardener? Do you talk to your plants?
When people tell me I have a green thumb, I look at them and say, ‘Really?’ I think it’s like everything in life, when you are doing something you truly love, the people—or plants—around you benefit. I definitely don’t talk to my plants, but I’m always thinking good thoughts around them.

If it’s a weekend in July, you can usually find Alice Moshenberg in her garden, scratching at the earth to harvest garlic or preparing seeds to plant in the fall. But by Moshenberg’s own diagnosis, she has something far more serious than the common gardening bug. “I’m a frustrated farmer, but I married a city guy,” says the 50-year-old operating-room nurse at Union Memorial Hospital. And since she can’t get enough of growing stuff, she’s now studying to become one of Baltimore City’s master gardeners, a diverse group of volunteer horticultural educators-to-be who train for 50-plus hours with agricultural experts from the University of Maryland.

Moshenberg sees the program as a way to extend her education and fulfill what she describes as an “urge” to work the land, be it a rooftop, container, or an abandoned city lot.

To these intrepid gardeners, even winter is no reason to rest. “It’s eye-opening to know you can grow something throughout the year,” says Moshenberg, who lives in Mt. Washington, a neighborhood teeming with deadly serious gardeners. “You can do root vegetables in the fall and greens like kale, celery, and tatsoi, a Japanese vegetable, that you can harvest in the snow,” she says. “In the fall, you put stuff to bed, like garlic, and sometime in July, you’ll get something.”

For Kenneth Montague, it was his postal carrier who inspired him to take the course. He was working on a shade garden in his yard when she came by with the mail and suggested he apply for the program. The next time he was at the farmers’ market, he did. This year, Montague, 73, a semi-retired lawyer, became the new president of the Baltimore City Master Gardener Association.

To accommodate people’s work schedules, the class is offered January through April in the evening. It costs $250. After completing classroom and hands-on training, master-gardener trainees must share their knowledge in the community to become certified.

“You don’t have to worry about me spending all my money on shoes or clothes, but you might have to worry about me blowing $300 in a seed catalogue.”

“You have from January to December to complete 40 hours of approved volunteer work,” says Montague, who lives in northeast Baltimore. “And that could be with anything from an environmental program to a school garden.” Once certified, master gardeners volunteer for at least 20 hours a year and continue to take classes.

Another person bitten by the bug is Woodberry resident Dave Nelson, 50, who you can usually find tending to his urban garden at the bottom of TV Hill. “We’re doing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants—four or five different varieties,” he says. “Squash is one of the easiest things to grow, as well as sweet potatoes.” Until four years ago, Nelson’s garden was an abandoned lot. And that spelled opportunity for him and his wife, Linda. The once vacant lot now yields about 1,200 pounds of organic produce a season, the majority of which is given away to local charities.

As in Moshenberg’s case, there are few parallels between Nelson’s gardening life and his work at a small tech company. “Gardening is so different from work, and one balances the other,” he says. And he and Linda took that rebalancing a step further when they enrolled in the master-gardener program together in 2013. As a result, their combined cultivating expertise is up several notches, plus they now have access to a network of other master gardeners, who can address any questions they might have.

Nelson is candid: For him and fellow experts, the gardening bug feels less like love and “more like obsession.”

“I was at a meeting with the master gardeners recently, and someone said, ‘You don’t have to worry about me spending all my money on shoes or clothes,’” recounts Nelson, “‘but you might have to worry about me blowing $300 in a seed catalogue.’”

One Baltimore City master gardener who, by day, is a couples and sex therapist, even sees a parallel between love of people and love of plants. Stephanie Chupein says she sees many similarities between her professional work and that of life in the garden. “Nurturing it until it blooms, it’s stress-relieving, your brain gets flooded with oxytocin, like when you’re falling in love,” says Chupein, who flower-gardens at her row house in Fells Point. “When I was going off to my first class, my sister said that when I get certified as a master gardener, I’ll be certified in all things birds and bees.”

Another master gardener, retired pediatrician Michael Andorsky, considers his plants “my new patients.” Although he has been gardening at his home near Park Heights Avenue for the past 30 years, he says most of his experience and information came through trial and error and the Internet. He says the master-gardener program has allowed him to continue with his love of learning. “The thing I enjoy best is when someone from the University of Maryland presents data. It’s a pleasure to see some scientific precision to demonstrate the point,” says Andorsky.

There are more than 150 master gardeners and trainees in Baltimore City, according to the master-gardener program coordinator, Naima Jenkins-El. But there is no such thing as a typical master gardener: “They are as different as our botanical friends,” she says.

On a recent Saturday morning at Lexington Market Jenkins-El—a classic example of a thoroughly urban gardener—dons a yellow master-gardener T-shirt and a smile that’s just as bright for a workshop she’s giving on growing vegetables in the city. The event is taking place in a surprisingly slick and large meeting room on the second floor of the market. Amidst the smell of fried food and the distant hum of conversation, participants ask the master gardeners lots of questions. When is the best time to water? (Answer: “In the morning.”) “How do you keep rats away from your compost?” (“Sanitation is the key to combating rats.”)

According to Jenkins-El, 43, gardening in the city’s empty lots is not as simple as claiming your land and digging. If you’re growing food, the first rule for gardening in the city is to have your soil tested. That’s especially true if there was once a house sitting on the tract, as is the case with most urban vacant lots, which may be contaminated with heavy metals like lead and arsenic.

To inner-city master gardeners like Jenkins-El, who does not have the luxury of large public, green spaces in which to work, it does not matter where you live—you can still grow something. “This year, I am growing potatoes in a bag,” she says. “I have seen things grow in milk crates. The coolest thing with urban growing is you’re only limited by your imagination.”

Deer: In this region, they’re everywhere, from the rural woods and
fields of Howard County to the suburban developments north of Towson and
even the outer neighborhoods of Baltimore City. And boy, can Bambi do
some damage.

Of course, there’s the obvious millions of dollars in
repairs to autos annually when they try to cross interstates, and the
fence damage a leaping doe can do in the fall rutting season while
escaping Billy Buck’s unwanted advances. But they also can wreak havoc
on gardens, from trampling flower beds and nibbling the blossoms off
roses to damaging young trees with their antler-rubbing routine.

But
those who’ve been visited by deer might have noticed they didn’t touch
the herb garden, or the sunflowers, or the purple coneflowers. So, you
might ask, what do they eat, what do they stay away from, and how can
homeowners protect a season’s gardening work from these 200-pound,
hoofed invaders?

We should probably try to look at it from their
point of view: Since humans are forever entering their domain by
building farther out, cutting down trees, and destroying woodland
settings, deer have no choice but to enter our suburban gardens. And
here, they pretty much eat anything that’s available to survive. But,
there are a number of things we can do to deter them and minimize the
damage.

The most effective barrier is putting up a tall stockade
fence, which can be fortified with added wiring at the top. In some
neighborhoods, metal grate fencing is more aesthetically acceptable. Of
course, many homeowners are restricted by zoning laws and covenants from
erecting certain types of fences. So what about the deer deterrents
sold at nurseries and garden centers?

They can help, but savvy
gardeners know from experience that they’d have to rotate products and
their scents repeatedly, only to find that this highly adaptable animal
may outsmart them eventually and eat the plants anyway.

The good
news is deer strongly dislike plants with leaves containing a milky
substance, a bitter taste, hairy or prickly stems, or rough, leathery
leaves. They usually avoid strongly scented plants, including almost all
herbs. And it’s easy to use these secrets as you design an
almost-deer-proof garden.

Include a good mix of aromatic herbs,
such as chives, onions, dill, fennel, anise, rosemary, mint, lavender,
and thyme. Plant them in groups of three in a sunny location in
well-drained soil. Position plants either in front of vulnerable
vegetation or mix them in to confuse the deers’ sensitive noses. Among
species that deer tend to avoid are yarrow, columbine, foxglove (which
is toxic), Joe-Pye-weed (it’s scratchy), baby’s breath, Lenten rose
(toxic), shasta daisy (it has rough leaves and stems), rugosa rose
(extremely thorny stems), and Russian sage (highly fragrant).

There, you’ve done it: If there was a Michelin restaurant guide for deer on the top 10 places to avoid, you’d make the list.

You’ve been trying to ignore it for a couple of years, but now you have to face the facts: Your home’s landscaping has gone from chic to shabby. The snow’s broken off countless azalea branches, the mulched beds have surrendered to an invasion of creeping charlie, and after you pruned the dead stuff off the old dogwood, it looks like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Yes, it’s time to think landscaping. And it may also be time to seek professional help.

Depending on the scope of the job, and your willingness to get dirt under your nails, there are several options.
If you envision a high-end makeover with a pool house, myriad garden paths, or a re-positioned driveway, you’ll want to call on a landscape architect. Once your new design is complete, the landscape architect will likely bid the construction and planting out to a contractor—a landscaping firm or a garden center with installation crews.

Another option is to go with a design/build firm like Bob Jackson Landscapes or Maxalea, which can set you up with a professional landscape designer to draw plans—from pool decks and pergolas—that the firm will then install itself. And most landscaping companies offer contracts to come back each year and maintain your yard.
If the job is simple, a visit to a garden center with a design arm, like Green Fields Nursery & Lanscaping Co. in Baltimore, might just do the trick. The Green Fields designers will help you sketch a plan for your garden, and even make a visit to your place, says general manager Peter Bieneman. Of course, you’ll be expected to buy your plant materials from the store.

It all sounds expensive—and it can be—but it needn’t be. While a design can cost as little as the designer’s hourly fee—licensed landscape architect Sarah Trautvetter of startup Traut Landscape Studio, for example, charges from $75 to $135 per hour—the fee might also be collected as a percentage of the total cost of the project.

Finally, if do-it-yourself is really your thing, become a master gardener. Once a gardener has completed the course offered through the University of Maryland Extension service, says Bieneman, “they’re usually inspired to go further.”
We’ve done some research and built a list of some of the best residential landscape solutions in the area. And part of that research was asking the firms with the most industry awards whom they saw as their worthiest adversaries in the market.

Our two-step plan for your yard? Read this. Then pick up the phone.

Blue Water Baltimore
Advocating sustainable and native gardens, Blue Water Baltimore is happy to help you plan an eco-friendly yard, even offering rebates for homeowners who follow the advice of its free water audits, available in Baltimore City and County. The nonprofit, which holds native-plant sales several times in the spring and fall, has horticulturists on staff, as well as a list of sustainable landscape designers they recommend. 3545 Belair Rd., 410-254-1577, bluewaterbaltimore.org.

Bob Jackson Landscapes
Landscape designer Bob Jackson’s design/build firm, whose trucks seem to be everywhere, takes on mostly larger residential and commercial jobs, as well as working with builders on site plans, and offering maintenance contracts. Influenced by English gardener Russell Page, who believed that every site “has a voice,” Jackson works closely with homeowners to ensure a look that is sustainable, functional, and reflects the personality of the space. 11436-H Cronridge Dr., Owings Mills, 410-356-1620, bjl-inc.com.

Campion Hruby
This Annapolis-based landscape architecture firm does a lot of work with contemporary architects, creating sustainable landscapes to complement modern designs, as well as jobs for clients looking for more traditional or formal solutions. The firm—which serves clients from Northern Virgina to Baltimore and the Eastern Shore—has worked in recent years with the Severn School on an overhaul that includes playing fields, a ropes course, and environmental improvements overlooking the Severn River. 26 South St., Annapolis, 410-280-8850, campionhruby.com.

Creative Land Design
While this full-service design/build firm creates environments influenced by owner Joe Cramer’s study of Japanese garden design, its specialty is “living” retaining walls. Using native boulders and plantings, the natural-looking walls help with nutrient uptake and groundwater retention while blending into the surrounding environment. 1736 Old Generals Hwy., Annapolis, 410-758-2455, creativelanddesignmd.com.

Green Fields Nursery & Landscaping Co.
More than a garden store, Green Fields has landscape architects and designers on staff to help you plan the garden of your dreams—even making a visit to your home to get the lay of the land. If warranted, the nursery will also help you contract with a designer or landscape architect. And they hold regular, free gardening classes on everything from houseplants to rose gardens. 5424 Falls Rd., 410-323-3444, greenfieldsnursery.com.

J.D. Outdoors
After working for the tree division of a prominent landscaping company, licensed tree expert Jason Davidov struck out on his own. A full-service tree company, J.D. Outdoors also designs and builds affordable landscapes for clients, and is an expert on deer-proofing. 5 Greenlea Dr., Pikesville, 443-691-3550.

Jean Mellott
Landscape architect and Roland Park resident Jean Mellott works with clients in the North Baltimore area, including many referred by Blue Water Baltimore’s water audit team. Working with native plants, she designs landscapes that deal with drainage and storm-water issues, along with providing aesthetic appeal. She also works with schools to help reduce asphalt surfaces and create rain gardens and learning environments. 18 Midvale Rd., 410-905-8689, jeanmellott.com.

K Gay and Associates
Trina Gay’s approach to landscape design is largely nostalgic. By channeling the pastoral spaces where she wandered as a girl on a family farm in Baltimore County, the landscape architect, who works out of her home, incorporates habitats and natural drainage systems, water gardens, brambles, and bird sanctuaries into her designs. A frequent subcontractor for Green Fields, Gay says she tries to re-create old Maryland landscapes with modern needs in mind. 410-483-8602, kgayassociates.com.

Mahan Rykiel Associates
While known best for urban planning and large projects for commercial and institutional clients, this award-winning landscape-architecture firm also designs residential gardens and master plans for homeowners. The Stieff Silver Building, 800 Wyman Park Dr., Ste. 100, 410-235-6001, mahanrykiel.com.

Maxalea
Its name morphed from Mac’s Azaleas (dating to the 1920s), this design/build firm, run by the four grandsons of the original Mac, employs both landscape architects and landscape designers, as well as construction crews to install landscape visions ranging from pool decks and outdoor kitchens to flower gardens. 900 Oak Hill Rd., Towson, 410-377-7500, maxalea.com.

Nature’s Artisans
This 12-year-old company serves residential clients with a staff that’s experienced in both traditional landscaping and environmentally sensitive restoration landscaping, but is best known for providing designs and installations that work with the local ecology. 13530 Manor Rd., Baldwin, 443-622-7076, natures-artisans.com.

Stone Hill Design Associates
This landscape architecture firm is familiar with the period homes and guidelines of Baltimore’s historic residential neighborhoods. Stone Hill specializes in landscape restoration, water features, and theme gardens, as well as sustainable design. 5704 Bellona Ave., 410-464-2000, stonehilldesignassociates.com.

Traut Landscape Studio
Principal Sarah Trautvetter left Graham Landscape Architecture to start this small design studio, which specializes in small urban spaces and what Trautvetter calls, “an aesthetic of efficiency.” 1124 Battery Ave., 410-980-0790, trautlandscapestudio.com.

Walnut Hill Landscape Company
This soup-to-nuts company specializes in high-end custom landscapes from country gardens and swimming pools to outdoor living spaces; many of its clients live in waterfront homes in Annapolis and on the Eastern Shore. Along with planning and installation, Walnut Hill offers maintenance contracts. 1563 St. Margaret’s Rd., Annapolis, 410-349-3105, walnuthilllandscape.com.

Master Gardener
The Master Gardener Program taught through the University of Maryland Extension service is for those deadly serious dirt-scratchers who want to turn their green thumb into 10 green fingers. Along with design advice, students are instructed in plant identification, soil health, composting, and sustainability. Beware, it’s a heady time commitment, with about 10 weeks of evening classes, demonstrations, and a volunteer requirement. Admission is by application. mastergardener.umd.edu.