Boston Flora

Tag: New Directions in the American Landscape

  • Wednesday, March 12, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Eastern – An Experiment in Lawn to Meadow Conversion: Exceeding Expectations

    Learn how Sara Weaner Cooper converted her lawn into a wildflower meadow while leaving the turf in place and avoiding herbicide, heavy physical labor, and unhappy feedback from neighbors. After two growing seasons, the results have exceeded expectations enough to be featured in The New York Times in 2024. This Grow Native Massachusetts webinar will take place March 12 at 7 pm – free and open to all. Sign up at https://grownativemass.org/Our-Programs/calendar. Sara is Executive Director of New Directions in the American Landscape.

  • Friday, October 20, 3:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern – Artful Plant Community Design: Selection, Arrangement, Stewardship, Online

    Selecting and arranging plants is central to – if not the heart of – fine garden design. Plant community-based design is no different; it simply uses natural vegetative models as its primary template. In this online New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) presentation, Larry Weaner will illustrate how to associate plants with their preferred environment, create plant compositions that function as integrated communities, and accommodate compositional change over time. But the word garden is not lost in this “wild” shuffle. He will conclude by revisiting fine garden design to show how an ecology-based plant palette can express, and even enhance, many different landscape styles. The October 20 session begins at 3 pm but will be recorded and viewable to registrants for 3 months following the live presentation date. $42. Register at https://learning.ndal.org/courses/artful-design-2023

  • Tuesday, February 15, 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm – Native Meadows: Let’s Get Real, Online

    Wildflower meadows were introduced to the American gardening public in the 1960’s along with tie dye tee shirts and kaleidoscopic acid trips. But just like those 60’s acid trips, the colors never lasted. Alternatively, by planting site-adapted native perennials, managed according to the ecological processes that govern open field vegetation in the wild, long-lived vibrant meadows can be consistently achieved. In this August 12 online presentation by Larry Weaner, plant selection criteria, planting procedures, and management techniques will be illustrated through a series of residential case studies, including some over two decades old. $25. Register at www.ndal.org

    NDAL (New Directions in the American Landscape) was founded in 1990 by Larry Weaner, and has presented programs throughout the US focusing on innovative theory, practical application, and an expansive vision of “Natural Design.” Programs also draw from a variety of disciplines, including agriculture, anthropology, history, and fine art. In 2016, NDAL received the first Regional Impact Award from the Native Plant Trust. This talk is cosponsored by the American Horticultural Association, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and Wild Ones – Native Plants, Natural Landscapes.

  • Wednesday, February 17, 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm – Bird-Friendly Home Landscapes, New England, Online

    What can we do to support birds visiting our homes this spring and beyond? In this online NDAL (New Directions in the American Landscape) workshop on February 17 from 1 – 2:15 pm Eastern time, we will take an in-depth look at native plants that you can plant to make your home more bird-friendly to our year-round residents and those stopping over on their migration journeys. In this workshop, we will explore the importance of choosing native plants and how to select native plants to attract specific birds to your yard. Jillian Bell leads, and the fee is $28. Register at www.ndal.org. The session is cosponsored by the American Horticultural Society, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and Wild Ones- Native Plants, Natural Landscapes.

  • Tuesday, February 2, 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm – Navigating Race & Inclusivity in Community Gardens

    Well-meaning people have been organizing since the dawn of the local food movement to create vibrant, urban garden spaces in an effort to build and support their communities. However, these efforts, which are often oriented towards the goal of ameliorating social issues such as lack of access to food and green space for marginalized people, sometimes undermine themselves in terms of equity and inclusivity. How can we ensure that our work as community organizers and gardeners is doing more help than harm? Sama Mirghavameddin, who teaches at University of California, Berkeley, will describe some actions (often unconscious) that can potentially turn an inclusive space into an unwelcoming one, and explore what we can do to create a beautifully diverse garden community. This February 2 webinar, beginning at noon Eastern time, is part of the New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) Ecology-Based Landscape Virtual Series, cosponsored with the American Horticultural Society, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and Wild Ones – Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. Free, but registration required at www.ndal.org

  • Saturday, November 19, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm – SALT Conference: Deconstructing the American Landscape

    Professional landscapers, gardeners, and designers are choosing to use native plants for many reasons — not only because they are beautiful and hardy, but also because they provide essential food and shelter for wildlife and help to maintain a unique sense of place. Join the New England Wild Flower Society and the Connecticut College Arboretum for this day-long conference on Saturday, November 19 from 8:30 – 4 at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut to discuss the demise of the American lawn, the definition of “native,” and the future of native plants in our built landscapes.

    Conference Highlights

    Keynote: The Future of Native Plants in the Built Landscape, Larry Weaner, Principal, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates

    Award: New England Wild Flower Society will present the Regional Impact Award to New Directions in the American Landscape

    Presentations:

    The Evolving American Lawn, Judy Preston, Connecticut Outreach Coordinator, Long Island Sound Study
    Low-maintenance Plants for the Deconstructed Landscape, Dan Jaffe, Horticulturist, New England Wild Flower Society
    Ecological Functions of Native Plants, Claudia West, Author and Ecological Sales Manager, North Creek Nurseries
    Roundtable Discussion: Defining Native, moderated by Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture, NEWFS

    Registration is $65 before November 1 and $80 thereafter, for NEWFS members, and $75 before November 1 and $90 thereafter for all others. On line registration at www.newenglandwild.org.

  • Wednesday, April 1, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Native Meadows: Let’s Get Real

    Native meadows are increasingly popular, particularly as alternatives to lawn, yet few types of landscapes are more misunderstood. Inadequate planning and use of poorly adapted plants commonly lead to failure. Better results can be achieved when the patterns and processes of naturally occurring meadows are incorporated into all aspects of design, installation, and management. More than one-year wonders, meadow plantings modeled on actual meadow communities provide long-term, easily managed landscapes that harbor a myriad of birds and butterflies, and provide color and texture throughout the year.

    Join native meadow expert Larry Weaner on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 pm at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway in Cambridge, to learn concrete, practical ways of creating dynamic and stunning long-lived meadows. Case studies of both multi-acre projects and small-scale residential meadows will be shown.

    Larry Weaner has been creating native landscapes since 1977. His firm has a national reputation for combining ecological restoration with garden design traditions. His projects have received numerous awards and been included on tours given by the American Horticultural Society, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, and many other organizations. He is the founder of New Directions in the American Landscape, a conference series with a national following that has run for more than two decades. This free program is sponsored by Grow Native Massachusetts.

  • Wednesday, February 16 – Friday, February 18 – Natural Landscape Design: Meadows & Woods

    New Directions in the American Landscape (NDAL) will hold a three day course at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston, Massachusetts beginning Wednesday, February 16 through Friday, February 18, entitled Natural Landscape Design: Meadows & Woods, featuring instructors Henry Art, Ian Caton, Jean Marie Hartman, Sylvia Kaufman, Larry Weaner, and Tom Wessels.  Demand for high-performing, ecologically beneficial landscapes is increasing, and  yet many design and management professionals remain unsure how to incorporate ecological patterns and processes into their work.  This three day course explores how meadow and woodland ecosystems can be replicated in diverse design situations.  Presenters skilled in ecology and design guide participants through the relevant concepts and practical steps necessary for creating beautiful, self-sustaining landscapes.  For complete biographies of the speakers, log on to www.ndal.org, where you may also download the registration form.  Registration and refreshments will begin each day at 8:30 am, and a detailed schedule will be sent in the registration packet.  Fees are $210 per day or $585 for the entire course, with a discount for Tower Hill members and students with a current ID.  You may also telephone 203-834-0174, or email jwebster@lweanerdesign.com, for more information.