Bona Terra

Native Plant Growers | Conservation Landscaping

Expert-grown natives and Chesapeake Bay-friendly landscaping design + installation

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) photographed by Andrew Cannizzaro, image licensed under CC BY 2.0

Check out what we’re up to, see what’s in bloom, and learn more about native plants and our growing practices by following us on social media.

I’m not sure where the idea of waiting till temperatures are above 50 degrees to clean up came from but the reality check is that native plants are a part of the ecosystem year round. That includes stems and detritus that are an essential part of the food web and the foundation of garden diversity, especially in a small urban or suburban garden oasis. #leavetheleaves #leaveyourstems #leavethedeadwoodbehind #cleanless #organicgardening #partoftheecosystem #nativeplantsofnorthamerica #nativeplantnursery

The Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) seen here fills every inch of its niche area, growing in the toughest locations. You can see why this plant does well in hard soil with little organic material, and can thrive in rocky, shallow-soiled areas.

If you share this use the hashtag #taxinvasiveplants and then call your local elected officials and remind them that inaction on invasive plants legislation causes expensive and irreparable damage to our environments every day. Aside from our direct damage to the environment by carving up habitat, the plants we’ve brought here form other continents have been quietly smothering our native ecosystems for hundreds of years. The easiest thing we can do to start to stem the tide is demand a tax be placed on invasive plants just like a tobacco or alcohol tax and use that tax to combat invasive species. #baninvasiveplants #taxinvasiveplants #invasivespecies #invasiveplants #bonaterradc

Everyone knows butterflies are super cool and butterflies know it too. But we should be taking the same enthusiasm for butterflies and applying it to all groups of insects by asking ourselves questions like, what habitat is there for the kaleidoscope of hundreds of thousands of flies and beetles in my yard? Who will keep all of the insects in balance and play a critical role pollinating if I don’t make habitat for some of the worlds 30,000 species of wasp? Is there room for some of the 14,000 species of harmless ground nesting bees and 6,000 stem or abandoned beetle burrow nesting bees? What have I done to help the 160,000 species of moths in this garden who do so much work while everyone else sleeps? Are my plants attracting butterflies because they are nutrient rich wild genetic flowers or are they hybrids full of sugar and void of the essential nutrients used by over 17,000 species of butterfly to lay eggs of the next generation? #bees #wasps #butterflies #lepidoptera #diptera #bonaterradc #moths #hoverflies #savetheinsects #savethepollinators #nativeplants #nativeplantnursery

#bonaterdc #nativeplantsofnorthamerica #dcnativeplants #dcnative #nopesticides #savethebay #nativeplantnursery #shoplocal

High up on a cliff face sits a popular urban garden plant. They’re popular in large part due to human eye catching, kitschy and colorful cultivars that have been bred and domesticated losing some wild traits wildlife need along the way. One trait that holds true for wild and domesticated Heuchera Americana is that deer all know they are a highly prized treat. Deer have pushed natural populations into the unreachable crevices of cliffs and anywhere above the browse line. Some interesting things happen as a result; generations of Heuchera a. have spent their lives hiding in the cracks of rocks that only support a limited variety of microbes for Heuchera a. to compete with. Without the selective pressure of having to defend itself from the cornucopia of life found in richly organic soil it has lost some of its ability to defend itself. So they can be hit or miss in a garden depending on organic content, microbes present and the deer/rabbit populations. Fortunately there are some things that can be done to help Heuchera a. along. Be sure they are going in moderate to well drained soil with minimal organic content. Keep the irrigation light or that extra water will fuel the microbes that attack their taproot and crowns. Mulch should be used at a minimum or better yet use plenty leaves or leaf mulch. Use them in a planter!! And finally choose a location next to a decorative stone, stepper, wall, sidewalk, road or any other impervious object; Heuchera a. just love to stick a tap root under those things. #heucheraamericana #heuchera #bonaterradc #straightspeciesnatives #localnursery #nativeplants #nativeplantsofvirginia #nativeplantsofmaryland #organicnursery #wild #wildgenetics

Locust Borer Beetles (Megacyllene robiniae) is a species of longhorn beetle endemic to eastern North America and has an exclusive parasitic relationship with the Black Locust Tree (Robinia pseudoacacia). As adults, these yellow-and-black-striped beetles are often mistaken for wasps or bees from afar, but are easily identified by the W-shaped third stripe on its back. While the adults are pollinators, feeding on Goldenrod (Solidago) pollen, the larvae can do serious damage their larval host.

Native Plant Sales

Expert-grown natives delivered to your project site

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Garden Design

Designs inspired by natural communities

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Hardscaping

Water-conscious stonework and artisanal woodworking

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Portable Milling

On-site tree removal and lumber milling

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Native Plant Sales

Our native plant nursery is carefully maintained by experts using sustainable practices. We focus on growing local ecotypes within 100 miles of our nursery in Anne Arundel County, Maryland using minimal fertilizer and no pesticides, herbicides or growth hormones.

Our plants are available for sale to landscape professionals with a $300 minimum order, with delivery included. Our goal is to provide stewards of the Chesapeake Bay with native plants, whose lack of availability has historically been a challenge in conservation efforts. See our inventory by clicking below.

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Native Garden Design

We have designed and installed hundreds of native gardens in the District over the last 11 years, and are happy to help you through the process from an initial consultation to garden installation:

First, our landscape designer will visit your home for a consultation. During the meeting, you and the designer will discuss how you use the space and what you envision for planting. The designer will determine the lighting and soil conditions on-site, and finally take measurements and photos.
The designer will compile all of the information they gathered into a custom landscape design, and send this to you along with a plant list and estimate for the job.
You and the designer will work together to finalize your drawing with any edits.
Once you approve the drawing and estimate, we ask for 50% payment before putting you on our installation queue.
Finally, we will reach out to you once your project is scheduled!

Some of our past hardscaping work

Hardscaping

Our stone- and woodworking experts can guide you through planning and installing patios, walkways, walls and more. We specialize in environmentally conscious hardscaping that is built to last.

Lumber from our sawmill put to great use!

Portable Sawmilling

Have a tree that needs to be converted into usable boards? Our portable saw mill can help! We can produce lumber from dying or disease trees that need to be felled.

Portable sawmilling is an affordable way to get expensive cuts of wood with a much smaller carbon footprint than their counterparts at the lumber yard: the lumber we produce is air dried, and requires no transport (or packaging) from a mill to a store to your home. Finally, many of our clients appreciate being able to hold onto a memento from a beloved tree.

Bona Terra, LLC

bonaterra@bonaterradc.com

(202) 507-9648

We are a small family-run landscaping business and native plant nursery located in Washington, DC. Our urban landscape design, growing practice, and installation business specializes in artistic installations, bay-friendly native gardens and sustainable practices.

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