Whether you’re designing a whole garden from scratch or looking to create new planting areas, it can be daunting to know where to start. In this crash course to naturalistic planting design, you will learn the importance of working with your site conditions, naturalistic design techniques, sustainable maintenance practices, and what plants to use – everything you need to design your own native garden with confidence. A tour of the gardens with Leah to follow the lecture. This program takes place in person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, April 12, 2025. About the Instructor: Leah Blanton is a planting designer and horticulturist, using her artistic eye and plant knowledge to create functional urban landscapes for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, where she designs a diverse range of public horticulture projects in Philadelphia. She co-owns an ecological garden design company and earned her certificate of Sustainable Garden Design from the New York Botanical Garden.