Traditional landscape maintenance seeks to preserve a predetermined, static plant composition. But in nature, plant compositions always change over time. In this session, garden designer Larry Weaner will show how the ecological processes that govern plants in the wild can be incorporated into designed gardens to significantly reduce management requirements. Techniques that guide instead of fight nature will include; controlling weed seed deposition – introducing dense ground layer plantings that suppress weeds and eliminate mulch – avoiding weed generating soil disturbance – and assisting plant proliferation, which in addition to providing free plants can enhance landscape self-sufficiency. Even the simple act of weeding will be re-examined, showing how you can reduce the time and increase the effectiveness of your weed control efforts. Finally, Larry will illustrate how design and management decisions can be co-mingled to provide a more interactive landscape experience – and a deeper connection to the land.

Larry Weaner is one of the most experienced practitioners of ecological planting in the US.