Hilltop Natives

06/16/2026

I’ll be at the Dedham farmer’s market every Wednesday this summer, starting Wednesday, June 17.

Where:
670 High St, Dedham Square
When: every Wednesday
2-6 PM

Stop by and say hi!

06/13/2026

Join me at the RiverFest annual free celebration of the Ipswich River, Sunday, 11-2.

Ipswich River Park, North Reading, MA

This year's highlights include:
🌿 Native Plant Sale with Hilltop Natives, Red Trillium Gardens and Grow Native Massachusetts
🐛 Hands-on activities with The Caterpillar Lab & Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team
🎣 Learn to Fish with MassWildlife
🎵 Live Music by Alpha Omega
🔍 Bioblitz & nature exploration with Ipswich River Watershed Association staff
🍖 BBQ truck on-site
🍦 Ice cream truck on-site
Come explore, learn, play, and relax along the river. We can't wait to see you there!

06/13/2026

Spotted lantern fly is an invasive insect spreading across MA. Keep your eyes out for them, and see detailed info below.

eggs have hatched and early instar nymphs are active on the UMass Amherst campus. This is an established population that was first detected in 2025.

Look for nymphs on the new growth of tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), as well as the new growth of a wide variety of trees and shrubs. Nymphs may favor cultivated roses, multiflora rose, cultivated and wild grape, perennials, black walnut and butternut.

Does your community have an established population of spotted lanternfly? Check this map provided by the MA Department of Agricultural Resources to find out: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a25afa4466a54313b21dd45abc34b62d/page/Dashboard?views=Spotted-Lanternfly

Seeing spotted lanternfly nymphs in Massachusetts at a location not included in the above map? Please report them here: https://massnrc.org/pests/slfreport.aspx

Note: if trying to photograph or capture, nymphs move quickly and will change position to hide from you. They are also impressively strong jumpers.

Photo: A black and white spotted early instar spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) nymph rests on a tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) branch. This nymph was approximately 0.5 cm. long. (Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension)

06/13/2026

Water saving ideas from The Monarch Gardener. Get yourself set up now, and your native plants will thank you later.

Do you live in a town where there's a full water ban? I do. You can't turn on your hose to water anything, period, in the Town of Ipswich, MA. And that's a very good thing with the level 3 drought we are in. Does that mean I've stopped planting new natives and tomatoes at my house? Nope. I haven't had working outdoor water for almost a decade, don't need it, not when there's free water falling from the sky. If you're a new follower you may not know that in the 13 growing seasons I've had this business I have not once turned on the tap to water my plants. Everything has always been watered with gray water or rain water. So here are three things, from free to a bit more expensive, you can do at home to comply with water bans while still making sure your new plants get established. All these photos were taken at my house this morning:
1) FREE, TODAY for anyone: stick a bucket under your shower. I collected about 4 gallons this morning. This went to my house plants and then the rest was dumped into my mini rain garden by my front door for the irises, NY asters, turtleheads and swamp milkweeds. They've been there for years but it will help them set nice seeds.
2) ABOUT $30 AND ALSO TODAY if you own your home and have gutters: go out to your local hardware store and grab a sturdy trash barrel, don't forget the lid, and a flexible plastic downspout. With a hacksaw cut off the gutter high enough to attach the flexible downspout. Flip the lid upside down, poke some small holes in it, stick it under the gutter and you have an instant 30 gallon rain barrel.
3) MORE OF A TIME AND $$ COMMITMENT: Get your hands on an official rain barrel, but connect an overflow to more trash barrels. This set up by my tomato beds collects me about 110 gallons. It does mean I have to move the overflow hose between the two trash barrels but that's easy enough.
4) $$$$$$$$: check out the cistern set up next time you come to the nursery. The farm owners have giant black egg-shaped cisterns off the big barn that can hold 3000 gallons. I have a 225 gallon IBC tote up the hill that I pump water up into from the cisterns and then can gravity water everything.
So find a bucket right now and get enough water to deeply water anything you may plant this weekend. And then do a rain dance. Maybe we should have rain dance time at the farm today? 😂
OPEN 10-3 FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS THROUGH JULY 25TH, AND AGAIN SEPTEMBER 11-26TH AT 180 IPSWICH ROAD, TOPSFIELD MA (Closed July 4th). And don't forget all your pots! We collected SO many yesterday. Last day for collecting everything you don't want and it will be melted and made new!

06/13/2026

Yes, the drought impacts us all here. Thanks for the reminder, Blue Stem Natives.

Now go get yourself a rain barrel, y’all.

"Severe" drought area has more than doubled in size since last week, now covering over 37% of the state. "Moderate" drought area has increased nearly 17%.

06/12/2026

Artist and illustrator friends!

Wild Seed Project is looking for artists for their next guide, for 2027. Their annual guides are informational and beautiful.

For questions about this opportunity, please contact Tyler Refsland, Manager of Applied Ecology: [email protected].

06/11/2026

I spend a lot of time standing around trying to figure out what I am missing, and how can I make this space better. Thanks to Stephanie and Emily, my first two customers today, for reminding me of the parking situation!

I am close to Norwood HS, so daytime street parking out front is banned. One option is to park at the cemetery behind my house. The other is to park in my driveway for 15 minute shopping trips.
🌿🌸🌿

06/10/2026

Hilltop Natives is open for the season tomorrow 11-6.
17 Bellevue Av, Norwood. Hope to see you!!

New days/hours:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 11-6.

My inventory is in the comments.

06/10/2026

Open for the season Thursday, 6/11, 11-6.

Hilltop Natives is open for the season tomorrow 11-6.
17 Bellevue Av, Norwood. Hope to see you!!

New days/hours:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 11-6.

My inventory is in the comments.

06/10/2026

Hilltop Natives is open for the season tomorrow 11-6.
17 Bellevue Av, Norwood. Hope to see you!!

New days/hours:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 11-6.

My inventory is in the comments.