The Wildlife Gardener is BACK

Hi Gang,

I am often asked to recommend someone who can help with invasive plant ID and removal, design, native plant choices, and even creation of a wildlife garden, pond, and / or meadow.   “The Wildlife Gardener” (Josh Nemeth and Dustin Welch) right here in Cape May County was always my “top of the list” recommendation.  I trusted them to “do right” by their customers.  They knew native plants.  They grew native plants.  They were passionate about wildlife gardening utilizing native plants most important to wildlife.  They understood design, fun plant combos, and which plants would work best in different settings.  And they worked hard!  They created many, many, many gardens and wildlife habitats here in South Jersey for over ten years.

In 2023, Josh Nemeth moved to New Mexico to become the state’s District Resource Manager for the SW Region.  Of course he loves it, working outside, and he liaisons between land users and the state land office.  Then in 2025, Dustin Welch had an opportunity for a full time job with Natural Lands in Cumberland and Salem Counties as their Assistant Preserve Manager.  I was so happy for both of them to have full time jobs, health benefits, and outdoor jobs (something they both excel in).

At the same time, I was at a loss, especially when asked to recommend someone to help with the creation of native plant gardens.  And rightly so.  I have heard far too many horror stories.  I especially love the one where a woman in Avalon (or maybe it was Stone Harbor) lined up a local nursery to re-landscape her property with native plants for butterflies and hummingbirds.  When she returned from her winter quarters she found Butterfly Bush and a ton of other non-natives and even invasive plants covering her property.  And believe you me, she had paid a pretty penny for this redo.  She called the nursery owner and expressed her dismay at all the non-natives and other “junk” plantings.  He replied, “They’re native, they’re everywhere!”  So in his mind he had done nothing wrong!  That is the sad reality.  Business owners are jumping on the band wagon, offering their services, but they are clueless about native plants, habitat gardening, avoiding neonics, etc.  Many even have their crews dig up Milkweed and other native perennials and toss them into the trash.  They plant horrific invasives like Purple Loosestrife and Rugosa Rose (don’t get me started, I just found it planted at a “new” open space park at Norbury’s Landing).  They use leaf blowers, mulch volcanoes, take away leaves, and charge for mountains of icky treated wood mulch, etc.  When done, their landscapes  are dead zones, far from wildlife friendly.

Well, I am thrilled to share that I am no longer at a loss when asked to make a recommendation.  The Wildlife Gardener is BACK!  Dustin and Brittany Welch are now collectively operating as The Wildlife Gardener! They grow native plants on their humble acre in Goshen (Cape May Court House), NJ, for retail sale and restoration plantings. In addition, they offer consulting on wildlife habitat restoration and garden design to benefit the wildlife in your own back yard while conserving soil and water.

Dustin has been with The Wildlife Gardener since 2013; a transplant to Cape May County from Northampton County, PA. Along with Josh Nemeth, they have provided advice, design, and maintenance on many gardens throughout Cape May and surrounding counties. Dustin took over the business in 2023 when Josh and his family moved to New Mexico to pursue public land management. Dustin is an avid birder, moth enthusiast and the muscle of the operation. Now, he is passing the torch to Brittany, as he recently became Assistant Preserve Manager with Natural Lands, stewarding over 10,000 acres in Cumberland and Salem County NJ.

Brittany has worked in the conservation field for over 10 years helping landowners address natural resource challenges with sustainable solutions through conservation planning and stewardship with New Jersey Audubon and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Her love of native plants stemmed from her first job in college collecting wild seed, propagating plants and maintaining a nursery and seed collection plots through her work with Rhody Native in Kingston RI. She is excited to be stepping into The Wildlife Gardener and returning to her roots while raising their daughter and pursuing a consulting role for native gardeners, farmers, and landowners looking to address resource challenges and transform their properties to benefit wildlife.

Dustin and Brittany were married in June 2022, and welcomed Miss Isla Grace in January 2024. She is the hype ma’am, the greeter at plant sales, and brings the cheer with a little bit of chaos! Together they are embarking on a new season of The Wildlife Gardener with Brittany at the helm and Dustin providing guidance behind the scenes. They look forward to continuing to provide native plants, habitat design and conservation consulting and sharing their journey with the wonderful people of Southern New Jersey.

— The Wildlife Gardener —
To make an appointment for a consultation
please email [email protected]
or call Brittany Welch at 609-706-3279

They post their retail native plant sale days on
Facebook: The Wildlife Gardener
& Instagram: NJWildlifeGardener
These dates are also shared on Pat Sutton’s Gardening Gang alerts!
If social media is not your flavor, they invite you
to reach out to have your name added to their mailing list

They had several sale days in May, with additional dates TBD in June.
They also have sales by private appointment, so if you can’t make a retail sale day but would like to browse their availability, please reach out to schedule a visit!

p.s.  If you have benefited from The Wildlife Gardener and would like to share your story, please add it in the comment section below (include your town and county).

p.p.s.  If you have found a hard-working, knowledgeable person/company to help you incorporate native plants into your landscape, or to help you with invasive plant ID and removal, wildlife garden design, creation, maintenance, wildlife-friendly spring clean-up, etc., please share your experience and their contact information (name, business name, e-mail, cell phone, city, state, and county) in the comment section below, so fellow readers can benefit and also support them.  We really need to “grow” this livelihood (wildlife garden landscaping), don’t we!