Greetings from Your Friends at Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch, Roadside Stand, Apothecary & Native Plant Emporium

August 4, 2022

Iconic Monarch Butterfly Declared Endangered

On July 21, 2022 the International Union for the Conservation of Nature placed the migratory monarch butterfly on its Red List of threatened species and classified it as endangered. Read more about it here. Monarchs desperately need milkweed, it is their only host plant and necessary for them to reproduce. We will have four varieties of milkweed when we open next week, let's get these into area gardens! Monarchs need much more than just milkweed though! They need lots of native nectar plants placed closely together to offer shelter, habitat that is free of pesticides and the kinds of continuous corridors of habitat being created by neighbors participating in the Pollinator Pathway Initiative. They also need what Benjamin Vogt of Monarch Gardens refers to as a "Revolution of Compassion", read his blog post on this subject here.

Click Here to Download the Xerces Guide for Planting for Monarchs in the Northeast

Roadside Stand on Barneyville Reopens on August 12, 2022

Get ready for the Native Plant Emporium! We will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11-4 from August 12th through September 25th.

Roadside Stand openings are weather dependent, stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram Pages for the latest details.

What Will You Find at the Roadside Stand?

All of our remaining grown on site native perennials (red pots only), regularly priced at $9.95 are now on sale!

3 for $25.00 or

Prickly Ed's Dozen (13 plants) for $100.00

Mix and match from the interesting varieties still available which include Whorled Milkweed, American Mountain Mint, Common Boneset, Hyssop Leaved Thoroughwort, ZigZag Goldenrod, Nodding Onion, Culver's Root, Calico Beardtongue, White Turtlehead, Blue False Indigo, Rose Mallow, Tiarella Foamflowers, Alumroot (Native Coral Bells), Brown Eyed Susan, Coastal Joe Pye Weed, Downy Wood Mint, Pale Purple Coneflower, Woodland Phlox and More!

Also offering a limited variety of native landscape ready plant plugs in some of our most popular varieties. These are just $3.75 each or 3 for $10.00! Get them while they last.

Varieties include Giant Hyssop, Rattlesnake Master, Wild Bergamot, Scarlet Bee Balm, Spotted Bee Balm. Wild Columbine (get it in the ground now for early spring blooms), Clustered (Short Toothed) Mountain Mint and Obedient Plant (False Dragonhead)

Larger native plants also available, including gallon sized perennials and 2-3 gallon shrubs - priced as marked at the Stand.

Current varieties include a wonderful native honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens, Butterfly Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Low Bush Blueberry, Bayberry, Clethra (straight species and 'Hummingbird'), Viburnum, Black Chokeberry Cinnamon Fern. Goatsbeard, Purple Coneflower, Blue Lobelia, Cardinal Flowers, Purple Lovegrass, Blue Flag Iris, 'Jacob Cline' Bee Balm, New York Aster, Goatsbeard, Black Cohosh, Marsh Marigold and Smooth (Foxglove) Penstemon

Accepting special orders for bird friendly native shrubs for your fall planting needs. Message us or stop by the Roadside Stand.

And finally, don't forget to bring a bucket to get your organic compost - magic dirt from Earth Care Farm in Charlestown, RI! It is a must for every great organic garden.

Now accepting credit cards along with cash, check and Venmo.

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See More Details About the Roadside Stand

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Next Year's Great Garden Starts Now!

Fall is a perfect time to plant native plants. The soil is warm and ideal for native plants to spread their deep roots. Autumn sunshine is just right for young plant to store energy, for many native plants the high heat of summer is harder on them than the cold days of winter. And let's face it, digging in the garden on a beautiful September day sounds like a lot more fun than working outside in this 90+ degree heat. Some potted plants may look a bit tired right now from sitting in a plastic pots this summer, but it is their root system that you are planting, not what's above the dirt. Get going on the garden now for healthy plants and bright summer color next year.

Giving Back to the Community - Supporting Conservation

What happens when you spend your dollars locally? Great ripple effects. Thanks to the amazing support we received from all of you at our Springtime Roadside Stand we were able to send off a donation of $1,164.00 to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust to help support the habitat restoration work happening at the Johannis Wildlife Preserve along the Palmer River in Barrington, RI. When you support small, local businesses you support your community. #ShopSmall it matters!

Always Available, Prickly Pear Cactus Pads

The inspiration for our name, Prickly Pear - Opuntia humifuso - is grown on site and is always available. Rhode Island's native cactus is a wonderful addition to a sandy, sunny area of your yard. Our large cactus patch is thriving even during this year's heat and severe drought. Cactus pads are available any time and can be used to start your own cactus garden.

Learn More About the Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus

Time to Rethink the Traditional Lawn?

Did you know, our "Life in the Garden" blog posts are now a monthly feature in the local Barrington Times? This month we discussed the many reasons it is time to rethink traditional lawns including the nine billion gallons of water used on lawns along with the 80 million pounds of pesticides and the dangerous runoff into our local waterways. The article also discussed evolutionary and revolutionary ways to rethink lawns. Read the entire piece at the link below.

Click here to read our latest "Life in the Garden" article as featured in the Barrington Times

URI Master Gardener Free Soil Testing Event and Garden Advice Kiosk happening Saturday, August 27 from 9-12 at Prickly Ed's

Putting the right plant in the right place is an essential component of gardening, and the soil is at the root of garden success. It is important to test your soil every few years. To take a sample use a spade to collect a thin slice of soil from the root zone, about 6 inches down. Take about 1⁄2 cup from each of several spots in the same area (for example, the lawn or the vegetable garden) and mix them together. Allow the soil to air dry on newspapers. Put about 1 cup of the mixed soil into a clean plastic or paper bag and label it with the area it came from. Bring up to five soil samples to the Roadside Stand between 9am - 12pm on Saturday, August 27th and the URI Master Gardeners will test the texture and PH for free. Master Gardeners will also be on hand to answer your garden questions.

Learn More about URI Master Gardener Soil Testing Services

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Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch

6 Barneyville Road,

Barrington, RI 02806-2715

(401) 248-4785

Please note, use the address above for mailing or for GPS but the Roadside Stand/Native Plant Emporium is located in Swansea, MA directly next door to the address listed above. Just look for the sign and for the big red barn.

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Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch, Roadside Stand, Apothecary and Native Plant Emporium is a super small, hyperlocal, roadside stand located directly on the border of Barrington, RI and Swansea, MA focused on making the area a little bit wilder one yard at a time! Offering great native plants, prickly pear cactus, magic dirt, unusual pollinator friendly annuals, organic herb and vegetable plants, lots of solicited and unsolicited advice & random curiosities designed to get your yard really buzzing. You can read all about us on our website, including the story of where the name Prickly Ed's Cactus Patch came from.