Got Out There! (Summer '25)

On the first day of fall, I’ve taken a moment to reflect on the many get-out-there moments I had the pleasure of partaking in this summer. It’s easy to let such experiences slip by with little reflection, lost to the urgency of never-ending quotidian tasks. That being said, each of these trips, events, and gatherings enriched my summer enough that I felt compelled to share them with those who may find reciprocal interest. Each one deserves its own long-form post, full of details, intricacies, delights, and insights—but with respect to time, I’ve done my best to editorialize.

June –

LAF Innovation and Leadership Symposium

The LAF Innovation and Leadership Symposium was held in at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and for the fourth consecutive year in a row, I was inspired by the research, thought processes, and relevant dialogue around the practice of landscape architecture shared from one stage. The six Fellows brought questions of land sovereignty, alternative approaches to environmental communication, sobering remarks about the urgency of climate responses, and hopeful strategies to repair broken landscape systems. Above the findings themselves, I found myself moved by the people who were behind these endeavors and who were committed to swimming upstream against the business-as-usual culture that can engulf our industry, marring our vision of the larger context in which we practice.

Design Masterclass by Phyto Studio

There doesn’t seem to be a point when one knows “enough” about plants, especially as they relate to each other, the built-environment, and the natural world. I was glad to have sat in on Thomas Rainer’s “Plant System Revolution” presentation to brush up on the fundamentals in his seminal book Planting in a Post-Wild World and to get a peek into the design thinking behind the many landscapes expertly touched by his firm Phyto Studio. The lengthy, but engaging class included an interactive planting session where capital “T” Theory of Design was put into practice with a lively assemblage of nursery plants in the midst of the National Building Museum’s ornate and spacious atrium. As a final treat, we each left with a potted plant—a living reminder that has since taken root at home.

July –

POASLA Design Awards Presentation

Among professional fields, landscape architecture stands out as one of the most supportive, collaborative, and genuinely congenial. I believe this stems from our shared values of making spaces, neighborhoods, cities, and the world more livable and responsible. When a project succeeds in that mission, it feels natural to celebrate and learn from it. That spirit was alive at the ASLA Potomac Chapter Awards presentation, where reclaimed spaces, innovative research, and revitalized landscapes were all honored. The local nature of the awards underscored how fortunate our region is to have such an ardent pool of designers, thinkers, and practitioners. Kudos to the winners and to POASLA for shining a light on exceptional local work.

August –

Ernst Conservation Seeds Visit

When I mentioned that each of these deserves its own short-form essay, this 8-hour visit truly takes the cake. After nearly a year of anticipation and planning, I made it out to Meadville, PA to visit a special colleague of mine, Mark Fiely, head horticulturalist at Ernst Conservation Seeds. Leading projects based around the practice of meadowscaping, I’ve leaned on and learned from the deep expertise of the folks who supply much of the East Coast with native seeds and have been growing their business since 1964. Having grown to a 13,000+ acre operation, with complex seed harvesting facilities and dazzling shows of seasonal color, this place was a dream to visit. From state-of-the-art technology to never-been-done-before inventive ways of gathering, separating, and sorting seeds, I was truly blown away by the process it takes to make native seeds available for the use and restoration of landscapes. I met new species of plants, walked through a frolic of monarchs, and got swept away in seas of many different types of late-summer blooming flowers. Please ask me more about this one, I will gladly do my best to give you the 8-hour abridged tour with additional photos!

September –

Blandy Experimental Farm Visit

Another glowing example of the robust culture of our local design community was my trip to Blandy Farm in the delightful company of other women who share the joy, wonder, and appreciation of our environment. I’ve had very earnest plans to visit the Virginia State Arboretum for the last several years, but it was only this month that I had the pleasure to visit, upon finding out that the UVA Extension facility, Blandy Experimental Farm, has earned the namesake. Our group had the great privilege to be part of several tours of the property, led by ecologists, groundskeepers, and bird-watching aficionados, as well as spend the night on site, surrounded by serene, scenic views of the Blue Ridge mountains. Just under an hour and a half from the Northern Virginia area, this spot is a must-visit, and with Ginkgo-Gold days on the horizon, there truly isn’t a better time to visit! 

Trivia: Can you guess where the upright boxwood variety Buxus sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’ originated?

Designing Ladies

Earlier this year I joined a remarkable set of women leading the group Designing Ladies, an informal, but long-standing collective that connects women in design across the DMV through camaraderie and casual get-togethers. We ended the season with a "sketch & sip" meetup, encouraging the practice of sketching for the joy of it. We agreed that these abbreviated sessions help loosen the grip of perfectionism, which so often steals the pleasure of scribbling. Designers sometimes need permission to put perfection on pause - I know I do, and it was pleasurable to sit in the company of others who feel the same.

Happy Fall! 🍂