Remote Design

Ecosystem-First Remote Design

You’re ready to plant a native garden yourself! Do it right the first time; save money and labor by allowing us to guide you through the process.

About Remote Design

Gardens are three-dimensional living sculptures that change over time. There are infinite possible ways to make a garden, and Bona Terra specializes in guiding you towards the native garden options that best fit your needs. We empower homeowners to make long-term environmental impacts. 

After years of local experience installing gardens and continuing our mission to find solutions that are cost-effective and resource-friendly, we have found that site visits are not necessary for the vast majority of residential gardens.  By filling out the below form you’ll provide all of the information needed to create a site specific design without the expense of a designer travelling to the site. 

Whether you’re concerned about the cost of your garden, your environmental impact, or receiving accurate advice, Bona Terra’s Remote Design Service creates resource-conscious, easy-to-implement gardens that grow with you.

About Your Designers

Since 2012, Sarah and Jeremy (a brother and sister team) have been perfecting a cost effective system to expertly create designs for native plant gardens, specifically in the DC region. 

Jeremy and Sarah have created, installed, and maintained thousands of native gardens in and around the DC-area, and have the practical skills to take any space from seed to established garden.

Sarah will lead you to a plan that works best for you now and into the future. She specializes in guiding homeowners through the process, prioritizing the relevant information about the conditions of the space, and working with clients to fulfill their needs. Sarah’s advice during consultations alone will save you more in time and money than you pay for the design. 

Jeremy (owner of Bona Terra) uses his extensive experience with native plants– from growing to maintaining to observing in the local wilds– to bring you the very best garden advice and plant selections in the DC-area. 

How Does the Remote Design Service Work?

  1. Fill out the form to the best of your ability. If you’re unable to fill out any portion of the form, we can help guide you through it in the consultation with Sarah.
    • We recommend submitting this form 3-5 weeks before you expect to pick up the plants to ensure your design is based on available inventory.
    • Print and fill-out the pre-consultation checklist so you are prepared for your consultation with Sarah.
  2. After the form is submitted, you will receive a follow-up email from Sarah to schedule your consultation. During this time, Sarah will collect any remaining data, ask follow-up questions, let you know what to expect, how to prepare the space, answer your maintenance questions, and find out your garden preferences or special considerations. After the 15-minute Remote Design portion of the consultation is completed, you can extend your consultation to ask any native plant or garden questions for $2.32 per minute or $120 per hour, whichever is less.
  3. After the consultation, Sarah will send you an invoice for your Remote Design which must be paid before design work begins. If you decide to not move forward with the design portion, we will bill you for the consultation only.
  4. Once the invoice for the Remote Design has been paid, within 10 days Sarah and Jeremy will collaborate on a garden design and plant list. Jeremy will provide any additional feedback and notes for the homeowner.
  5. Sarah will generate a simple design that will contain a plant map and a list of plant species including quantities and sizes. Submit this plant list to Beth by copying and pasting it into the Plant Sales Form to place an order for native plants. Sarah will provide the link to the form with your design.
  6. If you need revisions we will bill $2.32 per minute or $120 per hour, whichever is less.

What you can expect from the Remote Design Service

  • Plant selection that is focused on restorative practices.
  • Plant selections that match your maintenance skill level. A landscape can only be restorative if it is paired with realistic maintenance. All of these designs are either low or the lower end of medium maintenance. 
  • A simple plant map with plant selections, plant sizes, and spacing that fit your budget.
  • Estimated quantities of soil amendments, mulch, and fertilizer that match your soil preparation plan, square footage and species of plants. Use our Soil Preparation Guide to choose the best site prep method for your garden.
  • A list of plant sizes and quantities for easy ordering.
  • 15 minutes of phone consultation included in the outlined price. 

Remote Design Form

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Thank you for your response. ✨

I’m using this form for:(required)
If your consultation needs to exceeds 15-minute allotment, we will bill extra time at $120 per hour or $2.32 per minute, whichever is less(required)
If you decide to not move forward with your remote design after receiving a consultation, we will bill you for the consultation time only. (required)
Who is installing the garden (soil prep and planting)?(required)
What is your soil preparation method? You can select more than one option.
How deep has your garden been tilled/do you plan on tilling?
Who will be maintaining the garden?(required)
What is your plant density budget? Keep in mind that until your plants are fully grown there will be open space between them. Weeds love that open space. You can reduce the amount of weeding you have to do by planting densely.(required)
I understand that my plant list is based on Bona Terra’s current inventory. This inventory regularly changes, so prompt orders after receiving the design is the best way to ensure I get all of the plants recommended.(required)

Drag and drop or click to select a file.

Drag and drop or click to select a file.

Is your property fenced?(required)

Drag and drop or click to select a file.

When this form is completed, click “Submit Remote Design Form” to email it along with your photos and map (if necessary) to sarah@bonaterradc.com

This completes the Remote Design Form. If you are interested in applying for our Plant Grant to receive FREE seedlings incorporated into your Remote Design, you can apply by completing the remainder of this form. Otherwise, skip to the bottom and click “Submit Remote Design Form”

The Plant Grant is a part of Bona Terra’s mission to make native plants accessible to as many people as possible, thereby contributing to the revival of our imperiled ecosystems. By filling out this section of the Remote Design Form, you will be eligible for a Bona Terra Plant Grant to incorporate FREE native seedlings into your design.

These seedlings are meant to supplement your garden plan in the following ways:

  • To increase plant diversity
  • To reduce the cost of making the garden larger
  • To increase the plant density, thereby reducing the amount of labor in maintenance (weeding) and increasing the overall success of your garden.

You will be agreeing to follow Bona Terra’s guidelines and rules for dividing and planting these seedlings in your garden. Before agreeing, please read the Seedling Division Guide and watch the Seedling Division Demonstration video.

Now that you have read the Seedling Division Guide and watched the Seedling Division Demonstration video, how will you be planting the seedlings after division?