Wildflower Native Plant Nursery: Bethesda MD

Checking in with Mariana who famously opened a native plant nursery in her backyard.

spring plants on market table with sun streaming through — Early Morning at the Nursery

Mariana Borelli, founder of Wildflower Native Plant Nursery, is going into her fourth year in business! I wanted to check back in with her to see how things are going. Turns out things are going wildly well.

An obvious question I forgot to ask when I first visited: why open the nursery in your backyard? Mariana explained in her home country of Argentina, it is very common for small business owners to have a business in the front of their home or on the first floor with the family living on the second floor. For her nursery, the backyard was a natural!

Our conversation was filled with interesting insights and learnings. I came away with an even stronger conviction that, if you are able, this is one of the best places to go for perennial plants, particularly if you are just getting started. Here is why.

Personalized advice and attention

Typically, at this by appointment only nursery, you get Mariana's individualized attention if you would like assistance in choosing your plants. She can help you get started, give you tips on how to start and answer any questions you may have. For someone from Argentina, she sure knows a lot about our flora and fauna.

A commitment to making sure plants you select are right for your garden situation

Mariana will tell you if the plant you have just fallen for is not right for your growing conditions. She loves it when customers bring photos of their gardens because it helps her assess whether, indeed, you do have full sun or part shade. She wants you to succeed and will help you do so.

Quality of the plants

When I asked Mariana what has most surprised her about her venture into the world of a home grown nursery business, she said it was caring for the plants. Initially she was really in it for the wildlife. The plants were a means to supporting wildlife. Mariana has been surprised by how much she enjoys nurturing the plants. For example, early on she realized removing the middle row of a flat of quarts means the remaining plants respond almost immediately by growing more fully. Plants that are not at their very best are removed from the sales tables and cared for until they are back to top form. She clearly takes a great deal of pride in her plants which is good news for us as customers.

As we chatted, I learned so much more. Mariana's nursery sells only straight species and she has developed a bank of knowledge about which straight species are best for which situations. There are many straight species asters out there for example. Mariana has suggestions for which to grow if you have rabbits in your garden (avoid smooth aster) and which to grow if you want a neater, mounding aster (aromatic aster). She is beginning to modify the selection of plants she is selling based on their attributes, opting to focus more on plants that will look good and grow well in gardens in our area as opposed to trying to carry some of every species. Her favorite plants at the moment? Self heal (Prunella vulgaris) and slender wood oats (Chasmanthium laxum).

Self heal

Self heal is a ground cover. Mariana likes it for its semi-evergreen nature, tendency to bloom through the growing season and ability to adapt to a range of soil types. That's a great combination of attributes! Self heal produces lavender spikes of flowers on short stems. It spreads very well in moist conditions. Drier soils will keep it more in bounds. I grew this plant for the first time last summer in containers which did not work out. In a container, if it has the moisture it requires, it takes over the container and if kept on the drier side, browns out. I'm planning to try my remaining plants in the ground this year. If you have experience growing this, please do share.

Slender wood oats

Mariana is also a big fan of the grass, slender wood oats, a grass that grows well in shade. This is the smaller relative of the commonly available wild oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), a perennial grass known for its ability to grow in dry shade and interesting winter seed heads but also for its ability to spread vigorously in certain situations. Slender wood oats are shorter and, Mariana, says do not spread in the same aggressive way. Izel Plants recommends using slender wood oats as a filler between perennials. Mariana loves the seed heads. I have not grown these. Please share if you have.

All in all, certainly worth a trip to Bethesda to visit this small magical nook of a nursery!

Happy Gardening.