Inspiration and Insights from a Pro

Mariana Borelli of Wildflower Native Plant Nursery

As I’ve focused more on sustainable landscaping over the past few years, I’ve realized how difficult it can be to source native plants. Yes, the local mainstream nursery has a few tables labeled as natives, but a) that section is small, b) it often features cultivars rather than straight species and c) the plants are not necessarily native to our local ecoregion, but instead to somewhere in the broader U.S. To get to a nursery that focuses exclusively on ecotype native species, I’ve had to drive long distances, often an hour or more.

To add to the challenge, over the winter, I designed a plan for a new bed, using all the fancy-pants ideas I’d been gleaning from various landscaping and ecological gardening classes. It turned out that the 15 or so species I’d selected had to be purchased from five different and far-flung vendors; no one place carried them all. I was highly motivated and thus willing to do the legwork involved, but I’m aware that not everyone has that much bandwidth for their garden.

So I was delighted to learn that Mariana Borelli recently opened Wildflower Native Plant Nursery right here in my hometown of Bethesda, MD. Her nursery is a fabulous local resource set in a lovely and inspiring – but also relatable – residential garden, and Mariana happens to be a fount of valuable advice and information. A few days ago I had a chance to sit down for a chat with her and to take some photos.

A sampling of Wildflower Native Plant Nursery’s wares. It’s plant-shopping as a restorative experience.

The Path to Opening a Native Plant Nursery

As a young woman, Mariana – who’s originally from Argentina – dreamed of running her own plant nursery in Patagonia. Life intervened, though, with moves, a corporate career, marriage and family. That seedling of an idea was set aside for other priorities.

Meanwhile, she remained an avid gardener. She had a lightbulb moment when she saw a sign promoting native plants. “It just made sense,” she recalls, “The environmentalist in me said, ‘of course!’” Once Mariana started adding native species to her Bethesda garden, she quickly saw the impact of her plant choices. The natural phenomena she’d been reading about began to unfold before her eyes: her yard was attracting more bees, birds, butterflies, moths and toads. Also, birds were coming down from the tree canopy to forage more among the shrubs and perennials. “I realized this was something I could do to restore biodiversity.”

Like me, Mariana was driving long distances to buy her plants. At these remote destinations, she’d discover that many of her fellow customers hailed from our neck of the woods, namely the close-in DC suburbs, sparking the realization that there was unmet local demand. Then, a pandemic-related workplace reshuffle gave her the impetus she needed to revive her youthful dream – only now with a focus on native species – by opening her own retail nursery in Bethesda this spring. She hasn’t looked back since.

Mariana shows off the flowers of a delicate-looking but sturdy path rush (Juncus tenuis) plant.

Celebrating the Cycles of Nature

The major difference between traditional and native-plant gardening, in Mariana’s view, is the intention behind the process. In a traditional garden, the main focus is on creating a beautiful space. In a native-plant garden, the pursuit of beauty is secondary to the goal of creating a healthy ecosystem. Which is not to say that aesthetics are peripheral; a thoughtful native garden is both gorgeous and environmentally constructive.

Also, she points out, a native plant gardener celebrates all aspects of nature, including consumption and decay. Caterpillar-chewed leaves are applauded. Fallen leaves and dormant stems are left in place to provide wildlife habitat and soil nutrients. Felled logs become focal points. Birds and beneficial insects are not only welcomed, but invited.

Evidence of a caterpillar feast on the leaf of a wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia): an imperfection to be celebrated.

Mariana’s Pro Tips for Native Plant Newbies

1. Assess your conditions. I sometimes fall prey to wishful thinking when I have my heart set on a plant. “Oh, sure – that spot gets plenty of sun,” I’ll tell myself. Cue to an image of a sun-loving perennial sulking in said (deeply-shaded) spot. Mariana advises you not to follow my example! Honestly assess the quantity and quality of your sunlight, soil type, moisture levels and physical space, she says. Then adhere to the adage of “right plant, right space.” Choose the plants that suit your conditions rather than the other way around.

1. Consider what natural areas your space resembles. Do you have lots of tree canopy, with dappled shade and loamy soil from leaf litter? This would lend itself to a woodland garden. Do you have wide open spaces and lots of sunlight? Think about a meadow. Is your garden at the bottom of a hill where moisture collects? You might have the makings of a rain garden. Mariana recommends visiting nearby wilderness areas to get inspiration from nature’s own landscapes, including woodlands, meadows and wetlands, among many others.

1. Be patient. I’m quick to assume my garden’s a flop when it doesn’t look perfect right away. That fancy-pants bed I planted this spring? It currently brings to mind a teenager's first attempt at growing a beard: patchy, uneven and awkward as hell. Mariana assures me, however, it can take two to three years for native plants to get established. Many species have deep roots, for example, and they put all their energy into building that underground foundation before throwing up much in the way of foliage or flowers. Mariana endorses the saying, “the first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap.” Just make sure your plants are happy, she notes, and they should reach adulthood in due time.

1. Choose companion plants wisely. Mariana recommends making sure the plants you’re choosing have compatible site requirements. Sun-lovers should be paired with other beach bums, for example. Also, you’ll want vigorous spreaders to be combined with equally assertive partners, so one doesn’t overtake the other. Well-behaved plants will fare better if they cohabitate with fellow rule-followers.

Spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata) is always a showstopper. It looks to me as though it popped into a Victorian hat shop on the way to the garden. It is also more well-behaved than some other Monarda species.

The Easiest Way to Create a New Garden Bed

When Mariana has a patch of lawn she’d like to convert into a native-plant garden, she’ll simply rake a one- to two-foot pile of leaves onto that space in the fall. She’ll hose it down or wait for a rainstorm to soak in and compact it. Then she lets that leafy blanket sit over the winter. By spring, the underlying grass and some of the leaves will have decomposed, clearing space and providing organic matter to the soil. With minimal cost or effort, her new bed is ready!

Morning light through whorled tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata).

Managing Invasives

There’s no point in pouring blood and treasure into native plants if you’ve got invasives lurking around. They’ll eventually take over. Mariana’s preferred method for removing them is manual pulling. She’ll give the soil a good soaking two days beforehand, loosen the roots with a pitchfork, then dig out the whole kaboodle with a soil knife. A trowel would also work. After clearing a space, she’ll wait a couple of weeks before planting anything new. This gives her a chance to pull up any stragglers that had been lurking just below the surface. Once she’s confident she’s removed 95 percent of the invasives, she’s ready to put in her new natives. If there will be a delay before planting, she’ll put down a layer of mulch thick enough to deter weeds and invasive regrowth.

For really persistent plants, such as Chinese wisteria, she’ll spot-treat with an herbicide. She’ll prune the plant down to a stump, use a paintbrush to carefully apply the herbicide to a cut on a branch, then cover the treated plant with a bucket or tarp to prevent wildlife from feeding there and rainwater from washing the chemical into surrounding soil. This strategy should be used only as a last resort, though. Herbicides will cause a lot of unintended damage if they’re not properly handled.

Leaves of wild bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia) glittered with morning dew.

A native bee alights on self-heal (Prunella vulgaris).

Dew beading on northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium).

A sign in a corner of Mariana’s yard. Naturalist John Muir is credited with the original version of this quote. While he was headed to the forest rather than his backyard, the restorative power of nature he was seeking can surely also be found in the living, pulsing ecosystem of a native plant garden.

If you live in DC or its Maryland or Virginia suburbs, make an appointment to visit Mariana at Wildflower Native Plant Nursery! You’ll be happy you did.

Bees’ Keys

I’ve always admired The Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place” as a meditation on the comforts of love. But it also seems an apt paean to the wonders of finding what you need – whether that’s a garden or a new neighborhood native plant nursery – right at home.