Wing and a Prayer: Pollinators Take Flight, Ecological Design Takes Root

RDG team member Elena Zachary steps into leadership at a beloved native plant nursery in Cummington, MA.

At Regenerative Design Group, we focus on design rather than installation, but many of us find ourselves outdoors just the same—tending gardens, growing food, stewarding land, or simply staying close to the ecosystems we work to support. That hands-in-the-soil connection isn’t just a pastime; it’s part of how we understand the landscapes we design.

For Elena Zachary, it’s also a path forward. After three seasons working alongside founder Amy Pulley, Elena is preparing to take over Wing and a Prayer Nursery. Known for its seed-grown straight species, ecological integrity, and one-on-one support for gardeners, the nursery has become a go-to resource for pollinator-friendly plants and local biodiversity.

Bridging the Gap Between Design and Supply

“It’s not like a commercial retail space,” Elena says. “It’s very small and homey and sweet. Amy has a wealth of knowledge, especially about insects and pollinators, and people really enjoy coming to visit.”

Elena first stopped by the nursery in May of 2023 as a curious customer. She left with a flat of plants—and an open invitation to come help out. She kept coming back.

Now, as Amy transitions away from operating the nursery, Elena is preparing to take the reins. For her, this new chapter builds directly on the work she’s done as a designer at RDG.

“I think it’s important for designers to understand where plants are coming from and how they’re being sourced,” she says. “Native plants often don’t look like much in their first year, and they take time to grow. Having experience on both the nursery side and the design side gives me a better understanding of the full lifecycle.”

That perspective also brings opportunity. The nursery’s ability to grow ecotypic, seed-propagated plants aligns with RDG’s values, creating the potential for deeper collaboration.

“It can be helpful to have a nursery that’s small and nimble and able to say, ‘Yeah, sure, I can grow you 37 Coreopsis lanceolata,’” Elena says. “And from the grower’s perspective, it’s really useful to have a sense of what’s coming down the pipeline—what plants people are going to be looking for.”

Envisioning What’s Next

“There’s a growing demand for plants that are both ecologically supportive and useful to people in everyday ways,” Elena says. “I’m excited to explore that overlap.”

She hopes to gradually expand the nursery’s offerings to include more

edible native plants, dye plants, and medicinal species. She also plans to continue Wing and a Prayer’s role as an informal learning space, offering workshops and garden consults for small-scale home gardeners.

“Not everyone can afford a full design through a firm,” she says. “But a lot of people want help with one part of their yard or want to understand what to plant in a tricky spot. That’s the kind of support I’m excited to offer.”

A Shared Ethos

Like RDG, the nursery is rooted in community, built on relationships, and driven by a passion for landscapes that nourish life. This care and intention mirror the ethos that brought Elena to RDG in the first place.

“RDG is full of people who have an itch to get their hands in the soil. Everyone has a side project or a farm or a garden. It’s part of what makes the culture here so rich.”

We’re proud to support Elena as she steps into this new role. Her transition isn’t a departur

e—it’s a continuation of the same values that brought her to

RDG: ecological care, curiosity, and supporting regenerative systems from seed to site.

Elena will continue to collaborate with RDG and others in the region as she builds out her vision for Wing and a Prayer. And we’ll be cheering her on from just down the hill.