Embedded Files
Saturday, May 30th
10am - 1pm
Host sites, listed in no particular order:
Host sites, listed in no particular order:
Please, only visit sites during the dates and times listed for each location.
Please, only visit sites during the dates and times listed for each location.
Tour Guidelines:
Be respectful of people's property and privacy. No pets, please.
Do not pick flowers, collect seeds, or take cuttings (etc.) without express owner permission.
Feel free to take photos and tag #ridgeandvalleynativeplants
Owners may be out and happy to show you around and answer questions, others may choose to stay inside. Please be respectful and do not disturb homeowners who choose not to lead tours. No restrooms available.
If owners are not present, you may show yourself around the yard or meadow indicated in their "About" section below.
Each property will have a Ridge & Valley Native Plant Tour sign.
Hannah Wittmer, Harrisonburg
Hannah Wittmer, Harrisonburg
LOCATION:
382 E Elizabeth Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22802
ABOUT:
We moved here in 2016 and put a vegetable garden in the front yard. After a few years we decided to move vegetable growing to the backyard, and we let the volunteer trees (mostly redbuds) grow up where the front yard veggie garden had been.
We put down cardboard and woodchips in one larger corner of our backyard several years ago, then planted black raspberries, hazelnuts, persimmons and evergreen trees, and encouraged the natives that appeared.
I don't have a lot of patience or energy for weeding so I focus on pulling the worst of the invasives, and then planting very aggressive natives that will eventually outcompete the invasives.
We dug a backyard pond two years ago that attracts a lot of wildlife, but no frogs yet.
This is not a neat & tidy garden. But it supports a lot of life and so far none of our neighbors have contacted the city to complain (that we know of!)
PLANTS ON SITE:
Cutleaf coneflower, thin leaved sunflower, golden ragwort, Virginia creeper, eastern red cedar, redbud, black cherry, persimmon, black chokeberry, elderberry, zigzag goldenrod, Canada goldenrod, yarrow, hazelnut, violet, etc.
PARKING:
There should be plenty of parking available along the street.
Charlie Wilfong, Broadway
Charlie Wilfong, Broadway
LOCATION:
264 East Springbrook Road, Broadway, VA 22815
ABOUT:
My garden has been about a 10-year journey into native plants. What started as a little bed to help pollinators has turned into a full-fledged mission. To do everything possible with the space I have control over to do no harm and to provide the biggest ecological benefit I can.
Many mistakes have been made in this DIY garden but the education I have gotten from my trials and errors is priceless. The reward of growing natives and what that brings to the property via pollinators and other critters is an absolute joy.
PLANTS ON SITE:
I have over 70 species of native plants on the property however not all are in bloom.
PARKING:
If needed, extra parking is available directly across the street at Broadway High School.
Katy Melton Simpson, Dayton
Katy Melton Simpson, Dayton
LOCATION:
455 Thompson St., Dayton, VA 22821
ABOUT:
We moved to this property in September 2024. When we moved, I brought over 300 individual plants representing around 140 different native species, and have planted most of those (and many more!) since then. I've built and planted 6 beds as well as multiple smaller areas on our 0.7ac property. We've removed 3 large Callery Pears and have a few invasives we're still working on removing. I have many different species of trees, shrubs, forbs, vines, and graminoids.
PLANTS ON SITE:
Google sheet with 200+ plant species on site. Note that while some listed plants are small populations, some are only a single plant, some are dormant, and many are not currently in flower. Blooming now: Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Pale Beardtongue (Penstemon pallidus), Green-and-Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum), Bradbury's Monarda (Monarda bradburiana) - mid-east native, Narrow-leaved Blue-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), Spiderwort (Tradescantia), and Butterfly weed and others are budding.
PARKING:
Park in front of the house or in the yard along Walnut Lane (be careful of the small trees!). Please do not block any neighboring driveways.
Marty Diecchio, Crimora
Marty Diecchio, Crimora
LOCATION:
459 Crimora Mine Road, Cimora, VA 24431
ABOUT:
Our property is 1.3 acres nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge. We have everything from full sun to deep shade, including small spring fed vernal pond. Previous owners planted and mowed grass under the tree canopy and we have been working to restore the natural ecosystem.
This will be our third summer here and many plants are just getting started (and showing up) after removing a lot of mature multi-flora rose. Mature trees include Black Oak, White Oak, Tulip Poplar, Maple, Pin Oak, Red Oak, Redbud, and Dogwood.
Foundation plantings are 90% native with some dwarf cultivars. I've started a shade adapted meadow in its first year sprouting seeds sowed fall of 2025. Other areas areas include a native plant cottage garden, local ecotype raspberry patch, Blueberry patch, and a downspout rain garden.
PLANTS ON SITE:
Some other fun species I've planted are American Plum, Persimmon, Hazelnut, and Chinquapin trees, Black Chokeberry, Red Chokeberry, and Serviceberry. Many Native perennials including Blue Vervain, 5 varieties of Monarda, four milkweeds and four more varieties still seedlings. There is a fledgling Virginia Bluebell patch and a fledgling Mayapple patch.
PARKING:
Park in the drive way or along the street.
Jennifer Lewis, Waynesboro
Jennifer Lewis, Waynesboro
LOCATION:
113 Iris Drive, Waynesboro, VA 22980
ABOUT:
Stop by either day. I will have plants for people to take with them, like mountain mint, yarrow, bee balm, and thimbleweed.
PLANTS ON SITE:
Mountain mint, so much mountain mint, milkweed, thimbleweed, bee balm, yarrow, blue star, wild geranium, Carolina geranium, so much more.
PARKING:
Park on side of road. Do not park in driveway because it blocks gardens to look at.
Maria Bowman, Dayton
Maria Bowman, Dayton
LOCATION:
430 Thompson St., Dayton, VA 22821
ABOUT:
We purchased this house/property in the Fall of 2023. At that time there were very few native plants on the property. In the Spring of 2024 through Spring of 2025, I tore out the landscaping (and landscape fabric) in the front/side beds of the front yard adjacent to the house, which mostly consisted of non-native shrubs and trees. The new plantings in that area are predominantly native, incorporating the use of some native cultivars and non-VA but US natives. After doing very “wild” native gardening and introducing many many natives at our last home, my goal in the front of this house was to attempt to do something low-growing/”neat” that would appeal to more traditional gardeners and showcase a variety of colors and textures of natives. Cultivars were chosen, in most cases, to be shorter or more compact (e.g. the low-growing goldenrod). Most shrubs were sourced from Seven Bends nursery (with the exception of the cultivar shrubs), and most plant material was purchased as plugs from The Pollen Nation or Izel Native Plants. Some perennials were grown from seed (some of the little bluestem, some of the penstemon, columbine, mountain mint, lanceleaf coreopsis) or moved from other spots in the yard (violets).
The corner bed under the redbud/magnolias next to the road/alley is a work in progress–the moss phlox was present when we bought the home but is on top of landscape fabric (sigh). I am progressively adding plugs, plants, and groundcover to try and get this area to be native and lower maintenance--while fighting a bermudagrass infestation that had gotten under the landscape fabric.
In the back yard on the left side of the house next to the fence is a small meadow-in-progress that was previously mulch, landscape fabric, non-native succulents (still there) and a few rose bushes. This is now an evolving combination of plugs and plants grown from seed, gifted from family’s properties, plus seeds that have been tossed out to see what takes (mostly from Prairie Moon). The beds along the back patio and sides of the house only recently had the landscape fabric removed and I’m working on transplanting things or adding seeds this season.
PLANTS ON SITE:
Likely to be in bloom at the time of the tour (or finishing up) are:
Blue false indigo (Baptisia australis)
Purple poppy mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)
Threadleaf coreopsis 'Zagreb' (Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb')
Sweetspire (Itea virginica)
Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
Oakleaf hydrangea 'Pee Wee' (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Pee Wee')
Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata)
Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Shrubby St. John's Wort (Hypericum prolificum)
Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus)
Eastern bee balm (Monarda bradburiana)
Lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)
Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa)
Fire pink (Silene virginica)
Full plant list available here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zFwVhqfxEGEK1mYtY_pmURt0aEz2n0r87y1jh7rlfVA/edit?gid=0#gid=0
PARKING:
Park on Thompson St. in front of the house. Please feel free to explore the front and back yard (through the small gate on the left side of the house). The property owners may or may not be present the whole time of the tour.
Lesley Mack, Luray
Lesley Mack, Luray
LOCATION:
1414 Longs Road, Luray, VA 22835-4933 (Listed as "Additional Parking" on Google maps)
ABOUT:
What once was a 3 acre, 2 day mowing project is now a 3 acre garden. Over time and believing in the "teachings" of Doug Tallamy and Heather Holm, et al., we have worked to transform our 34 year old garden into a native pollinator habitat.
The 2 acre parking area, Tom's Garden, was once a small engine repair/trailer trash dump site. After taking a year to clean out the mobile home, junk parts, and other stuff, we began the process of creating an all native pollinator habitat. In Tom's Garden, now its 4th year, the trees a just a little larger, and the plantings a little older...looking better every year.
PLANTS ON SITE:
In Tom's Garden, Pollinator Plants include Aromatic Aster, Orange Coneflower, Purple Coneflower, Butterfly Weed, Slender Mountain Mint, Little Bluestem, others.
Trees/Shrubs include Black Cherry, American Elderberry, Buttonbush, Hazelnut, Oaks (variety), Yellow Wood, Service Berry, others.
PARKING:
Parking will be at 1414 Longs Road, Luray, VA. 22835. An all native 4 year old garden is on that property. Our 34 year old, mostly native garden is across the street.
Katie Rhodes, Bridgewater
Katie Rhodes, Bridgewater
LOCATION:
117 S. Main St. Bridgewater, VA 22812
ABOUT:
Our house sits on 1/3 acre in the town of Bridgewater. We have spent the past five years transitioning our yard from a neglected English style garden to where we are now: mostly native garden beds, a few places we still need to work on, and a few persistent invasives we are battling as we go.
PARKING:
Street parking on Main or West Bank street. Do not park beside the church.
Wander Harder, Bridgewater
Wander Harder, Bridgewater
LOCATION:
3557 Mallard Drive, Bridgewater, VA 22812
ABOUT:
We started with a 'native' seed mix to create a pollinator garden in the spring of 2020, have replaced most of those plants with actual ridge & valley native plants, and have learned a lot along the way! We are also working to restore native plants in a riparian buffer along the river.
PLANTS ON SITE:
Beardtongue, Lupines, Meadow phlox, Yarrow, Ragwort, Wild indigo, Black-eyed Susan, Wild geranium, Wild quinine, etc., etc.
PARKING:
Follow Mallard Drive down the hill toward the river, then left--look for the black fence around our property. Look for signs for parking.
Cathy Weiss, Fishersville
Cathy Weiss, Fishersville
LOCATION:
80 Joy Lane, Fishersville, VA 22939
ABOUT:
I started collecting native plants about three years ago. Most of the plants and seeds were gifted by neighbors and members of the Virginia Native Plant Swap group on Facebook.
PLANTS ON SITE:
Blue flag iris Iris versicolor
Aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Black-eyed susan Rudbeckia hirta
Black haw Viburnum prunifolium L.
Blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
Butterfly-weed Asclepias tuberosa L.
Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis L.
Common blue violet Viola sororia
Common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
Creeping phlox Phlox stolonifera Sims
Dense blazing star Liatris spicata
Dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
Dwarf Larkspur Delphinium tricorne Michx.
Eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
Fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
Garden Phlox Phlox paniculata L.
Golden Alexander Zizia aurea
Gray Beard-tongue Penstemon canescens (Britt.)
Great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica L.
Heart leaved Golden Alexander Zizia aptera (Gray) Fern.
Heart-leaved Aster, Blue Wood Aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Lupine Lupinus perennis L.
New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus L.
Orange coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida
Partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata (Michx.)
Pawpaw Asimina triloba
Pink muhlygrass Muhlenbergia capillaris
Rattlesnake master Eryngium yuccifolium
Red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
Scarlet Beebalm Monarda didyma L.
Shrubby St. John's-wort Hypericum prolificum L.
Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata L.
Thread-leaf Coreopsis Coreopsis verticillata L.
Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa L.
Wild strawberry Fragaria virginiana
American Fringetree Chionanthus virginicus
PARKING:
Native plant garden is in the backyard. Walk in the grass along the garage to the backyard. The native plant garden is on the back left corner of the yard.
Briana Miller, Broadway
Briana Miller, Broadway
LOCATION:
658 Jade Ct. Broadway, VA 22815
ABOUT:
We built our house two years ago and started planting natives on a blank slate of patchy turf and compacted topsoil. Since then, we have continued taking out sod and expanding planting areas a little at a time. We currently have a large area covered with tarp that marks out where I will plant next! I have tried to plan for a layered garden, with quite a few young trees and shrubs interspersed with flowering perennials, but they are still fairly small. I did lots of research on natives prior to planting, and therefore ended up wanting to try out every plant I had learned about! That has resulted in lots of individual species that I hope to expand into larger groupings as they fill in and reseed. Many are full sun species, but I do have a great little shade garden on the north side of the garage!
PLANTS ON SITE:
Possibly in bloom: Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium), Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), Eastern Red Columbine (Columbine canadensis), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum), Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina), Downy Wood Mint (Blephilia ciliata), Lavender (non-native).
PARKING:
You are welcome to park in the driveway or on the cul-de-sac.
Patience Kamau, Rockingham
Patience Kamau, Rockingham
LOCATION:
690 Wingtip Way, Rockingham, VA 22801
ABOUT:
My home is located in a new development; I moved in here three years ago and had great interest in transforming a barren, soulless looking backyard into a haven for both birds, insects and other pollinators, and myself. The backyard, designed by Wilder Landscapes, is young and has young plants at various stages of establishment, as well as a section being prepared for additional plants. It gives me an immense amount of joy to watch the landscape transform into a space with soul and caring for the plants is a great source of grounding in a world that feels incredibly tumultuous. It has been an absolute delight to do this work and if what has/is happened in this once desolate backyard can inspire someone in some way, then our planet and the life she supports will be the happier for it. If I happen not to be home, people can feel free to tour on their own. Welcome!
PLANTS ON SITE:
Herbaceous plants include both common and creeping Thyme, as well as Rosemary. Woody plants include Serviceberry trees, Redbuds, Northern Shrub Honeysuckle, Arrow wood Viburnum and Aromatic Sumac. Foundational herbaceous species include Common Yarrow, Nodding Onion, Pussytoes, Butterfy Milkweed, Whorled Milkweed, SideOats Grama, Whole Tickseed, Purple Lovegrass, Blazing Star, Smooth Beardtongue, etc.
PARKING:
Feel free to park along the street on the side without the “No Parking” signs. It happens to be the same side my house is on. Walk on to the backyard where all of the native plant magic lies.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse