Solid Ground Gardens

Solid Ground Gardens An independent nursery located in Hamilton, MA, growing plants using organic practices.

07/25/2026

There’s nothing quite as magical as watching a Black Swallowtail lay her eggs on some parsley 🖤💚

Here until 4 today!

Native plants, shrubs, and trees are THE BEST. And I have a pretty good selection of them right now, which isn’t always ...
07/24/2026

Native plants, shrubs, and trees are THE BEST. And I have a pretty good selection of them right now, which isn’t always true this time of year.

All the trees and shrubs I carry are native, and all but three of the perennials available are native to Massachusetts (and one of those three is Eastern Bluestar, which is at least native to the east coast).

As temperatures rise, shade from trees especially becomes more and more vital. They cool the ground beneath their canopies, release moisture from their leaves, and can lower temperatures significantly. Not everyone has space for a tree, but if you do I highly recommend a native one! Your future self, younger generations, and the local ecosystem will thank you 💕🌳💕

This week on What’s Bugging Me Wednesday, I wanted to give a nod to the Buttonbush Sawfly, a critter you likely haven’t ...
07/22/2026

This week on What’s Bugging Me Wednesday, I wanted to give a nod to the Buttonbush Sawfly, a critter you likely haven’t had a chance to look at closely unless you happen to have buttonbush shrubs in your garden.

While the larvae may look like a caterpillar, sawflies are actually more closely related to wasps, and resemble them as adults (don’t worry, they don’t sting). They get their name due to the saw-like egg-laying structure (ovipositor) that females use to cut into stems of plants in order to lay their eggs. There are a bunch of different types of sawflies, but the Buttonbush Sawfly, as the name implies, needs to be reared on a buttonbush!

Larvae emerge in July, and I usually see them starting on the tips of my buttonbush plants making some very pretty lacy patterns on the new growth. After a week or two of chomping, they go off to pupate. They only come out this one time during the season and after they’re gone the plants typically carry on growing just fine.

So then, what would we consider the Buttonbush Sawfly? Are they a “good” or “bad’ bug? Well, like most things, the answer lies somewhere in between and really depends on your perspective. In my eyes, these friends are just doing their thing and living their lives, a lot like you or me. They’re eating to survive, and are also mighty pretty to look at and fun to watch for a bug enthusiast. If a plant is already struggling or gets hit by a particularly large number of Buttonbush Sawflies, it could do some damage, but one of the many reasons for planting native plants is to support the local ecosystem, and by letting these larvae live on their only host plant you are doing just that. Plus, sawflies provide food to other local critters, and the adults provide some pollination to boot.

TL;DR, Buttonbush Sawflies are cool, won’t migrate to other plants in your garden, and they don’t need to provide any extraordinary services for humans in order for them to deserve a home in your garden ❤️

SUMMER HOURS INCOMINGCan you believe it’s already mid July??? 🤯This is the last weekend before my summer hours go into e...
07/10/2026

SUMMER HOURS INCOMING

Can you believe it’s already mid July??? 🤯

This is the last weekend before my summer hours go into effect! This Sunday, 7/12, I’ll be closing a little early (at 3pm), and then going forward I will only be open Fridays and Saturdays from 9-4 for the rest of the season.

If you’re planning on planting fall harvested vegetable starts, now is a great time to get them in the ground. I have plenty of beautiful starts for your garden and even though I’ll be open less I’ll still be planting seedlings for you to plant in your gardens into August. The people need their lettuce!

Pictured here are kale, broccoli, borage, swiss chard, dill & cilantro, basil, parsley & mint

Begonias are one of my favorite edible flowers, I love a sour diva with no chill! They’re great as a garnish, thrown int...
07/09/2026

Begonias are one of my favorite edible flowers, I love a sour diva with no chill! They’re great as a garnish, thrown into a salad, or added to summer cocktails.

Like spinach and some other leafy greens, begonias are high in oxalis, so it might be best to avoid this one if you’re prone to kidney stones.

The fall harvested crops are here! I know summer just started, but there are some crops that are actually supposed to be...
07/08/2026

The fall harvested crops are here! I know summer just started, but there are some crops that are actually supposed to be planted in July for a fall harvest. I’m so excited to get these to you all 🥦

Besides the new things, I still have over 80 varieties of plants for you to bring home to your gardens. There are plenty of tithonia, black eyes susans, and columbine, and I even have 4 (!!!) zinnia plants left.

New additions include:
Kale
Swiss chard
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts
Collards
Sugarloaf Chicory
Radicchio
Fennel

Check out the “What’s Growing” page on my website for a complete list of everything available now 😊

T-SHIRTS ARE BACK, BABY. Looking for a way to stay cool both in the physical and fashion sense of the word during this h...
07/03/2026

T-SHIRTS ARE BACK, BABY.

Looking for a way to stay cool both in the physical and fashion sense of the word during this heat wave? I’m officially restocked on all the sizes of the Solid Ground shirts, from small to 3XL. AND I have some new colors to choose from! My mom is very excited about the mustard with the purple logo, and I’m stoked on the olive green. And they’re still that extra soft organic cotton 😉

Stop by and pick one up today 💕

JULY 4TH WEEKEND HOURSI will be closed on Saturday, but open Friday and Sunday normal hours (9-4)!Stay cool, everyone ❤️
07/03/2026

JULY 4TH WEEKEND HOURS

I will be closed on Saturday, but open Friday and Sunday normal hours (9-4)!

Stay cool, everyone ❤️

It’s July here at Solid Ground, and the nursery is shapeshifting into midseason. Things are moving at a more leisurely p...
07/01/2026

It’s July here at Solid Ground, and the nursery is shapeshifting into midseason. Things are moving at a more leisurely pace. Some folks have finished planting for the year and don’t plan to keep going, and others are getting ready for the next seedling release, which will be the fall harvested brassicas (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, ect) which will be dropping a week from today on July 8th. Plus there’s always lettuce to be planted.

I have a table set up right now full of the favorite flowers of our local hummingbirds. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s a nice mix of annuals and perennials, from well known hummingbird magnets like columbine and cardinal climber, to less obvious ones like tithonia and common milkweed. The hummingbirds have been visiting the nursery for about a month now and it’s been fun to watch them zip around.

After July 12th, the nursery will be open only on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9-4, until the end of the season. I’ll have more on that later, but regardless I’ll continue to be planting new successions of seedlings for quite some time still!

Address

656 Asbury Street
Hamilton, MA
01982

Opening Hours

Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

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