The Root of It: Where Your DC Natives Garden Really Comes From

Bees, wasps, butterflies, seedlings. DC Natives is all about sweating the small stuff, because we know it takes root and grows into something bigger — like the recent choice we made to change where our, we mean, your plants come from.

That choice: Jeremy Tidd of Bona Terra, who grows pesticide-free native plants using restorative methods right here in the D.C. area. When we can, we buy from him first. Supporting local growing means fewer miles between nursery and garden bed, and a grower who understands D.C.’s specific soil and conditions. That’s what we mean when we say “DC natives.”

But wait, there’s more! We’ve shifted most of our orders to plug-size plants, small starts that come 32 to a tray, instead of individual gallon pots. Because they’re smaller and lighter, they travel using far less fossil fuel to ship — saving enough to add a few names to our pollinator garden list. As a bonus, these shallow-rooted, fibrous starts also settle into soil faster and need less water while establishing. Again, you’re at the top of mind when we’re planning!

Here’s what sourcing looks like on our end: every yard gets a site visit first, so we know sun, soil, and drainage before we order. Then it’s coordinating suppliers, tray counts, and delivery windows, sometimes for several gardens in the same week. Besides Bona Terra, we also work with North Creek Nurseries (a nursery based in Landenburg, PA.) and Babikow, a wholesale grower, for volume orders.

If you’re interested in growing your own patch, start small with a 4×4 foot area, one tray of plugs, spaced about a foot apart. Ask your nursery where the plants originated and how they were grown — genetics matter for pollinators.

Bought your own recently? Tell us your experience and one thing you’d do differently. Feel free to drop a comment on our socials on Instagram at @dcnatives.