With the ASLA Annual Meeting coming up fast, I would like to remind everyone about the PPN Networking Reception on Friday, November 15 at 5:15pm and the Planting Design PPN Meeting on Sunday morning, November 17, 10:10-10:45am, where we will look at a summary of the results from our 2013 Planting Design Survey and strategize together for the information you’d like to receive from your PPN in 2014. See you there!
Here’s a glance at the events and education sessions with a particular emphasis on planting design.
As landscape architects and designers, a detailed and sophisticated grasp of plants is key. Learn how to get the most mileage and best performance from your horticultural selections by attending SUN-A04 Effective Strategies for Horticultural Sustainability in Planting Design on Sunday, November 17, 11:00-12:30pm with speakers Patrick Cullina of Patrick Cullina Horticultural Design & Consulting and W. Gary Smith of W. Gary Smith Design. Rising demand for heightened visual drama requires increasingly ambitious planting design. Today’s sustainable landscapes require a more versatile and sophisticated range of strategies for achieving a variety of aesthetic results. This session will explore the creative application of horticultural practices across a spectrum of landscapes.
SAT-B02 Planting Design: Inspiration and Creativity from Nature and Art on Saturday, November 16, 1:30-3:00pm, features Sandra Clinton, of Clinton & Assoc. Landscape Architects; Bruce John Riddell, of Bruce John Riddell Landscape Architect, LLC; and W. Gary Smith, of W. Gary Smith Design. Notable design requires more than mixing and matching the attributes of plants, studying native habitats and ecosystems, and using a set palette of plants. Three landscape architects accomplished in both horticulture and ecology share some of their best sources of inspiration for innovative planting design.
On that note, establishing collaborative working relationships with experts in the nursery trade is vital for learning about current cultivars, rediscovered species, and sourcing excellent specimen material. This topic is covered in detail on Monday, November 18’s session, MON-A01 Planting: Unlocking Creativity Through New Avenues of Designer/Grower Collaboration. Speakers include nursery owners Chet Halka and Theodore Kiefer as well as Edmund Hollander, FASLA and Michael Van Valkenburgh, FASLA.
Other sessions of interest to the PPN include:
FRI-B09 Feasibility of Native Species and Natural Communities on Green Roofs
Friday, November 15, 10:30-12:00pm
Donald Leopold, PhD, & Timothy Toland from SUNY-ESF; and Darren Damone, Andropogon Associates, Ltd.
As cities expand and habitat is displaced, maintaining species diversity in urban areas has become increasingly critical. This session will describe the design and construction of the new SUNY ESF Gateway Building green roof and recent related research into native species and natural plant communities.
SAT-A07 The Art and Science of Designing Native Landscapes: Meadows, Grasslands, and Woodlands
Saturday, November 16, 11:00-12:30pm
Jean Marie Hartman from Rutgers University; Larry Weaner, Larry Weaner Landscape Associates; Thomas Hoblyn, Thomas Hoblyn Landscape & Garden Design; Eric Groft, Oehme, van Sweden & Associates, Inc.
Designed meadows, grasslands, and woodlands offer environmental, managerial, and aesthetic benefits, yet designers often struggle to establish them. In this session, a plant ecologist, landscape architect, and meadow design specialist will discuss proven approaches for successfully establishing meadows and grasslands from seeds and live plants.
SUN-A01 Inside the LA Studio with Patrick Blanc
Sunday, November 17, 11:00-12:30pm
Patrick Blanc, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
The inventor of vertical gardens is both botanist and artist. His developments sustain plants without the need for soil and create biodiversity and beauty in systems that are both lightweight and need little maintenance. Blanc will discuss his vertical gardens in place around the world.
by Deirdre E. Toner, Co-Chair of the Planting Design PPN