Windy Top Nursery NJ

06/15/2026

John shared a part of his heart with us by sharing his love of native plants. Another big part of John’s heart was Lizzy, his almost 4-year-old lab mix named after the 1970s band Thin Lizzy (best known for the song “The Boys are Back in Town.”) John’s widow Karen has made the painful decision to find this good girl a new forever home, as Lizzy is a 60-pound, high-energy dog who needs to be walked frequently and Karen’s health simply isn’t up for that.

John’s daughter-in-law shares from her perspective that Lizzy would probably do best as the solo dog in a household. Lizzy does well with another dog in John’s extended family, but it took some work to get there. Lizzy is good with children and it is unknown if she would do well with cats.

Lizzy was adopted through the Animal Sanctuary Society and last saw her veterinarian at Delaware Valley Veterinary Hospital April of this year.

Please message if interested and we will send you the name and phone number of the person at the Animal Sanctuary Society who will handle Lizzy’s rehoming and all questions regarding Lizzy.

Thank you for understanding that while plants brought us all together, the community spirit that John created warrants this non-plant post.

06/04/2026

Customer and volunteer Amanda Cha introduces you to, “Saskatoon, Juneberry, Shadbush, Shadblow, Sugarplum, Sarvis, Serviceberry- these are among the many names for Amelanchier” (The Serviceberry, Robin Wall Kimmerer, pg. 3)

As one of their names suggests, this tree and/or shurb produces berries tasting reminiscent of a blueberry in June. It flowers, as a signal to weather patterns shifting and that the ground has thawed- spring.

Its history, is vast as an important food source in indigenous communities as part of a gratitude and reciprocity economy.

Planting native brings history into our yards, bridging an appreciation of what was, what is- to enhance the future.

Photos show a young Serviceberry still in its nursery pot ready to find its forever home in a garden in West Deptford, NJ.

05/27/2026

Customer and volunteer Amanda Cha shares her experience with one native plant. Thanks, Amanda! We would also like to add that this plant self-seeds in a lovely way, surprising you with a few volunteers, but is not one that takes over a space. Show us your own blue false indigo!

A wait well worth.

Sometimes it’s a plant that can launch your curiosity and excitement for gardening. Blue False Indigo, Baptisia australis was that. Their seed pods drew me in first. I did know what the blooms looked like until a quick internet search. Our little one (at the time 18 months old) loved shaking the seed pods like maracas.

This is a second year plant, first time blooming, in a home garden in West Deptford, NJ. These photos were taken on April 28 and May 8. Everyday I would go out, walk my garden’s perimeter and be entranced by the daily growth. Waiting and hoping for blooms.

Last year, the plant barely grew, I was nervous that it wouldn’t make it and then, spring arrived this year. Excited to see leaves return, you can imagine the joy when flower buds formed in April.

Finally, this year, after the Blue False Indigo blooms, our 4 year old will get to shake maracas from our own seed pods.

05/23/2026

If you build it, they will come!

These Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata, plants are two years old. Growing around 3 feet tall, they are a perfect addition to the garden for those wanting a taller ‘shrub’. These photos were captured in West Deptford, NJ, where a very early monarch laid eggs (first found on May 6) Eating full leaves daily; the monarch caterpillars are much bigger! It won’t be long now until they begin to make their chrysalis!

The swamp milkweed has not bloomed yet. By the time the caterpillars emerge as butterflies, the plant will have clustered pink flowers, giving the monarchs their next food source, nectar.

Planting native enhances your home’s ecosystem, bringing new life and a better sense of admiration and wonder to the yard.

Post courtesy of Amanda Cha.

05/16/2026

Blooming now, native wild columbine (aquilegia canadensis, red color) and its non-native friends, garden columbine, available in a rainbow of colors.

This plant is related to buttercups! They grow up to 3 feet tall, and self-seed wonderfully. Here the native wild columbine is in the second hoop house from the right, at the top of the driveway. The non-natives are in the center raised bed area closer to checkout.

Thank you to one of our customers for sharing how her wild columbine is thriving at her house. These plants are in their second year of blooming.

05/16/2026

You’ll notice new signs when you pull in the driveway. BIG thank you to Amanda Cha and Lori M. (not on Facebook), who collaborated to honor John. Amanda is a professional hand lettering expert and Lori is a publications editor.

05/03/2026

Customer Kathleen King shared this photo with us, of her Windy Top plants last summer. This garden is headed into its second year.

She says, “Many of Windy Top's plants are in this garden: creeping phlox, tiarella in the forefront. The back has 5 Gatsby Girl oakleaf hydrangeas and a chocolate actea. The acuba is also from Windy Top.”

Kathleen just wrapped up creating fact sheets on each of John’s natives, so we can print those and have a binder at checkout for people to reference. She shares, “Once again, I learned a lot from John. It was a fun project to work on. Hope it helps.”

Thank you so much, Kathleen. 💚🌱

04/20/2026

We would love to share how Windy Top plants look in your gardens. Please send us a message with a photo, tell us what plant it is (John knew everything - the rest of us are still learning!) and please share something that you learned from John along the way.

His knowledge, kindness and love of native plants continue to grow in every garden he helped inspire. We would be honored to celebrate that legacy.

04/11/2026

Thank you to those offering to come out to help in John's memory. We started a volunteer sign-up sheet with tasks that need to be completed in the next few weeks. If you have a specific day/time in mind, please leave it in the optional comments on the form - this way if folks can sign up for when others are there, they know they'll have a volunteer buddy. You are welcome to sign up and show up when it suits you, when Windy Top is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9-5.

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

04/03/2026

It won’t be the same, but John’s family has decided to open Windy Top. The adjusted hours are now 9-5, still closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

John’s natives are thriving and just beginning to wake up. He planted native seeds through November, continuing to add to the robust stock he already had available. Chris started annuals in the greenhouse, but it is so early in spring that not much is ready.

Thank you to the friends/customers who have been helping to get the place ready this year. We confirmed today through Chris that the family is open to continuing to welcome help in this way. If you are so inclined, you are welcome to clean up much in the same way as you would with your home gardens - leaves need to be removed, weeds pulled from plants out for sale, etc. If you see something to do, you are welcome to do it. John was the only employee that Windy Top had, and we know many of you are looking for ways to honor him.