Start Date
03/16/2026
End Date
03/16/2026
Description
Native plants are gaining in popularity. Even mainstream media outlets are touting the importance of these beneficial species. Find out from leading practitioners in design, plant use, evaluation, and production about the growing trend of adding ecological value to landscapes large and small. Discover ways to incorporate these sensibilities into your own gardens.
The New Beautiful: Designing Naturalistic Spaces with Intention
Designers are becoming agents of change in the ways they create and manage landscapes. With deeper appreciation of ecological values and an evolving perspective on what makes a garden beautiful, land stewards are choosing a new palette of plants and approaches that develop spaces with a heartbeat and spirit. Explore new strategies such as “cues for care” that showcase native plants in a welcoming manner.
Leslie Needham is an award-winning landscape designer and principle of Leslie Needham Design. She earned a certificate in landscape design from The New York Botanical Garden and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia. She has been featured in several media outlets, including Martha Stewart Living and The New York Times. Her home landscape has been selected for the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Gardens.
Native Plants as Workhorses
Horticulture is a process of experimentation to find the right plants that will thrive in a specific landscape. Discover which species and assemblages to use for design challenges to solve issues such as creating native lawns, outcompeting aggressive non-natives, and revegetating difficult growing conditions.
Ethan Dropkin, a landscape designer at Larry Weaner Landscape Associates, followed his childhood love of plants into related careers. He earned master’s degrees in landscape architecture and horticulture from Cornell University and regularly contributes to citizen science projects such as eBird and iNaturalist.
Knockout Natives: Top Garden Performers
Mt. Cuba Center has been trialing species and cultivars of native plants for more than 20 years. Hear about the region’s top performers and greatest hits of Carex, Hydrangea, Monarda, Solidago, Vernonia, and more. Find out how they performed horticulturally and ecologically, which standouts would be valuable additions to your garden, and the impact these assessments have on availability in the nursery trade.
Sam Hoadley is Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center, where he evaluates native plant species, old and new cultivars, and hybrids in the Trial Garden. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sustainable landscape horticulture from the University of Vermont.
The Native Plant Pipeline: How Growers are Evolving with Demand
Pinelands Nursery has been growing native plants since 1983 and now sells more than 5 million plants a year. With demand for native species increasing beyond restoration projects and into backyards, find out how the nursery, under second-generation management, is adapting production methods, plant offerings, and business strategies to meet the needs of a changing marketplace.
Tom Knezick is President of Pinelands Nursery, a leading producer of native plants for ecological restoration. He hosts the Native Plants, Healthy Planet podcast, is president of the New Jersey Nursery & Landscape Association, and was recently honored with a Horticultural Industry Leadership award from Nursery Management. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and management from SUNY Cobleskill.
Location
Valhalla, NY
Distance Learning
No
Course Equivalency
No
Subjects
Horticulture / Plants
Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Hours
3.0
Learning Outcomes
1) Learn about the growing trend of adding ecological value to landscapes large and small from leading practitioners in design, plant use, evaluation, and production.
2) Discover ways to incorporate ecological sensibilities into landscapes.
3) Explore new strategies such as "cues for care" that showcase native plants in a welcoming manner.
4) Learn which native species and assemblages to use for design challenges to solve issues such as creating native lawns, outcompeting aggressive non-natives, and revegetating difficult growing conditions.
5)Learn about the region's top performers in trials of native species and cultivars, how they performed horticulturally and ecologically, and which would be valuable to add to a landscape.
6)Learn how a native plant restoration nursery is adapting production methods, plant offerings, and business strategies to meet the needs of a changing marketplace.
Instructors
Leslie Needham, Ethan Dropkin, Sam Hoadley, Tom Knezick
Course Codes
Provider
The Native Plant Center