Lost Hen Farm is a unique tree and shrub nursery conveniently located between Emmitsburg and Thurmont. "We might be one of northern Frederick County’s best kept secrets," said Chris Mayo who owns the nursery with her husband Steve Boszormenyi.

What makes it such a secret is the high quality plant material available at Lost Hen. "Growing these plants is our passion," said Steve. Everything is propagated from scratch by Steve. Some are from seeds, others are grafted. Each plant is given lots of love and attention to make it flourish.

"The nice part about our products is that each one is grown here, in the same climate as your home," said Steve. "If they’ll grow here, they’ll grow anywhere," adds Chris as she notes the strong wind that often blows across their nursery.

Lost Hen Farm offers many native species and some ornamental species. A sampling of trees includes River Birch, Red Maple, White Pine, Silky Dogwood, Dogwood, Redbud, Green Ash, Willow and shrubs such as Lilac, Inkberry, Winterberry and American Holly, Leland Cypress, Boxwood and special Green Giant Arborvitae with is resistant to bagworms just to name a few. The farm also offers varieties of perennials, herbs, and annuals.

Steve is the hands-on grower of the operation and also a custom cabinet maker and Chris is a landscape architect by day. Steve shares his knowledge about how well the plant grows and how to care for it best while Chris can help you choose the plants that will look best together. They make the perfect team to offer you the perfect expertise. While they don’t do major landscape designs, they are very helpful with guidance. "Bring a picture of the area you are trying to landscape and we’ll help you choose the right plants and help you make your own plan," said Chris. They’ll even help you find a specific variety of plant if you are having trouble locating it.

Chris and Steve of Lost Hen Farm want to share their passion for plants with you. "We enjoy meeting and working with customers … we spend a lot of quality time with our customers, something you might not get at a large scale facility," they said.

Visit Lost Hen Farm on Hoovers Mill Road at the corner of Mud College Road in Rocky Ridge, Md. The farm is open Thursday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information call 301-695-8219 or 301-514-2500.