We are fortunate to live in an area with several small native plant nurseries to buy from. Thank you for supporting your local growers! Here are some of them:

Rachel's Natives: https://rachelsnativeplants.com/

Growing Wild: https://www.growingwildnursery.com/

Mellow Marsh: https://mellowmarshfarm.com/

Dutch Buffalo: https://www.dutchbuffalofarm.com/

Dirtbag Gardens: https://dirtbaggardens.com/

Haw Honey: https://hawhoney.com/pages/native-wildflower-perennials-for-pollinators

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1) What does the process of ordering from FTCN entail?

Orders can be made online (click on the “Shop” button). Use the filters on the left side of the screen to narrow down your list of plants to those which might work for your particular site. You will need to set up an account to make an order.

In your cart, you will see a section that allows you to select a location and date/time slot to pick up your order.

You will get an email confirmation of your order that includes your pick-up location and date/time. It is important to keep this email, as it is the only record of your pick-up date, and it contains important instructions. There will not always be someone around to help you, so you need to know what to do upon arrival!

For the Norwood location, you pay for your order when you come to get your plants. We prefer cash or checks. If paying with cash, please put it in an envelope with your name and/or order number on it.

For the Roadside Stand, you need to pre-pay online.

2) What if I end up making multiple orders?

It's ok to make multiple orders (the fewer the better though, for things to run smoothly on our end). In most cases, you do not need to add another pick-up date unless you would prefer to pick up your other order on a separate day.

However, you WILL need to book a separate date if you make another order within 4 days of your appointment.

Please email fieldtocottage@gmail.com to let us know that you have made an additional order. We can also modify your order to add or subtract plants.

3) How can I make an appointment to come to the nursery and pick out some plants, ask some questions, maybe browse a bit?

The nursery is set up as a working agricultural space to grow plants, and is staffed by 1-2 people. It is different from a garden center, where plants are brought in from elsewhere, put on display, and sold by a staff of salespeople. It is important that our customers understand the difference between a retail space (which we are not) and a farm (which we are).

With these differences in mind, please understand that we cannot accommodate large numbers of customers who need extensive customer service in order to make a purchase. Though we can answer a limited number of questions via email, for now please think of this as more of a “self-serve” nursery.

4) Why is there a waiting period to pick up my order?

We are a very small operation, and as such, can only pull a certain number of orders per day.  We have set limits as to how many orders can be picked up per day based on what we are physically able to do. Please expect when you make an order that you may not be able to pick your plants up for a little while.

5) What if the weather is terrible during my particular time slot? Or what if I can't make it because something else comes up?

If the weather is bad, you can just come to get your order either later that day or the next day, at your convenience. Please drop us a line at fieldtocottage@gmail.com to let us know. We highly encourage people to stay off the roads during storms! 

If something else comes up, please email us as soon as you are able.

Orders that are not picked up within 48 hours of their scheduled time will be canceled unless we hear from you.

6) Do you do bulk discounts for large orders? Or wholesale?

Because the nursery has limited space and limited staffing, we cannot do discounts for large orders or wholesale sales.

7) Why are you closed down for ordering sometimes? Can you make an exception just for me please?

The nursery does not sell plants in June, July, August, and February. Plants transplanted in summer have a very high chance of dying, and even if they survive, they may be stressed to the point where it may take them several seasons to recover. So no, we will not make exceptions to sell plants to anyone in summer.

In February, we are busy gearing up for spring. We need to get inventory finished and entered into the system for the spring rush. So we cannot sell plants until inventory is done.

8) I want to order some plants, but it’s December! What should I do?

In the piedmont of NC, the best months to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs are actually November through January. We only tend to have brief periods where the ground might freeze a little bit. During fall and winter, the plants are mostly dormant and are putting their energies into root growth. Soils in winter tend to stay damp, so you do not have to water them very often (if at all), and they will be well-established in the ground by the time the heat, drought, and stress of summer arrives.

We tend to recommend that people try and do their perennial plantings in fall and winter, and save spring for sowing/planting their annuals and vegetables.