Nature By Design

A small garden center, but with an impressive selection. They specialize in native plants and environmental gardening practices. Based on my garden size and the amount sunlight it receives, the owner carefully spent a lot of time with me helping chose and arrange the best plants for my particular setup. I highly recommend this place whether it’s just for a few plants or your entire yard.

A great garden center whit a huge selection. A place that truly supports wildlife and native plants

What is YOUR idea of a nursery or garden center? That’s really what you need to answer before you listen to all these reviews. If you’re looking for something that’s going to be large-​scale and organized like Lowe’s or Home Depot, you will be sorely disappointed. But if you’re the farmer’s-market type, and like to learn what will thrive in your local climate, and want some knowledge about what you’re buying from the people who actually grew the thing from seed, then read on.
Calvert Avenue is a dead-​end road that appears to be something of a trades/​industrial area. Keep going past the dumpsters, garages, and stacks of pallets and piles of bags and dicey canisters, and you will reach a fence. When you wonder «well, there’s nothing HERE,» look to your right; you’ll see what was likely an empty lot that was bought and turned into a shady plant nursery.
The entrance is lined with heavy-​duty plastic tables that serve as the «checkout,» which is actually someone with a Square attached to their iPhone and handwritten itemized receipts. OLD SCHOOL. You’ll see muddy people walking around explaining the perfect plant for challenging backyard spots. You’ll see rows upon rows of plants and flowering ground covers and trees and herbs and so many other things. You’ll see laminated printouts of plant species that indicate light needs and blooming habits. You’ll wonder where to begin, and then a helpful person will ask if you have questions.
All of the plants at Nature By Design are NATIVE, which means that they are going to be sustainable additions to your landscape. They won’t require as much watering and care as greenhouse-​grown plants that have been babied and treated with chemicals.
(And let me take you aside for a moment… these small nurseries, the «mom and pops» of gardening, know their product, and usually employ organic practices when growing their plants. The big-​box stores rely on centralized grow-​houses, which use pesticides. Some of these pesticides have been revealed to be toxic to bees, so if you are trying to attract pollinators, stop shopping for plants at big-​box stores such as Lowe’s, Wal-​Mart, and Home Depot. They are changing, but it’s going to take a few years for them to have bee-​safe plants.)
We picked up some Mountain Mint and phlox, and learned a lot about winter-​hardy shrubs and various cultivars. We also were impressed with the knowledge and helpfulness of the staff, and the assurance that whatever we brought home from this nursery would be beneficial to our garden.
It’s muddy, it’s got bugs, and it’s natural. It’s very low-​key, and an excellent source of native Virginia plants. Highly recommend!

I LOVE this nursery! I first stumbled upon it five years ago when I got curious about native gardening after reading Douglas Tallamy’s «Bringing Nature Home.» I have been this nursery’s loyal and regular customer ever since. Randy and Carla, the owners, obviously love what they do and are very knowledgeable about local plants – the nursery specializes in native perennials, shrubs, trees, and annuals, with a stunning variety unmatched anywhere else in the DC area (and online!). Every plant I bought here has flourished in places where nothing else would grow – dry shade, clay soil, that badly-​drained patch that floods with every rain. The plant may not look like much when you buy it, but you can be sure that it is healthy and will do wonderfully if you plant it in the right spot (ask for advice if you are unsure, staff will be happy to help you) – and you can always find older plants looking beautiful right away.
Now that many of my Nature By Design finds are fully established, I hardly have to take care of them in my Alexandria garden: no weeding, no watering, unless we have a long drought; there is always something in bloom. And then there is the wildlife! Monarch butterflies, swallowtails, luna moths, and hummingbirds are all regular visitors, to say nothing of cardinals, robins, woodpeckers, catbirds, and gold finches. Many of these visitors are also born and grow up in our yard – so fascinating to watch. I am attaching several of my Nature by Design favorites, now thriving in my garden (several of our neighbors have become Nature by Design fans too thanks to them).
When you visit for the first time, don’t be discouraged by the location at the end of a bleak industrial road, and there aren’t that many frills once you are in the nursery – just healthy, useful, beautiful plants that are grown with a lot of care. This is a great local business.

Drive down Calvert Avenue and it’s all the way at the end — at a house. Parking is limited, probably only 5 spots. The staff is very knowledgeable and Randy was beyond helpful to us. We bought a small blueberry shrub and some blue irises. I’d go back!

Wonderful selection of native plants. Native plants require less fertilizer, less watering and less maintenance because they are already suited for life here in our climate. This place doesn’t have a lot of frills or fancy wagons, but they do have great plants that grow very well. I have not had any issues with any of the Numerous plants that I have purchased there. They are also very knowledgeable about the plants they sell too.

I thought this was the place for me based on their website and on a quick phone conversation I had with one of their employees. Unfortunately they didn’t respond to the two emails I sent them. Verdict: flakes.

Came by 2 hours after they were suppose to open, gate open but nobody to be found. Also located in someone’s backyard so that was pretty creepy. Walked around for 20 minutes calling and could not find anyone…

The garden center is not as dirty and creepy as lot of places. Wide selection of plants, not all of them always look fresh and lush. The «retail center» is an office housed in a little house with a desk and a bookcase. Not my idea of a garden center.

Out of the way Garden center stocking native plants adapted to this area’s soil and climate — for people sick of raking, mowing, watering, etc. Trees, shrubs, and flowers, including blueberry and milkweed. And surprisingly there are some cactus and Yucca varieties that are native to the area… who knew. The place feels very informal… almost like being in someone’s backyard and I like that. Unusual works of art decorate the yard — my favorite is the 7 foot tall praying Mantis eating the gentle little butterfly. Yum!