# Event Details - **Event Name**: PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 10 Oct, 2026 at 10:00 am – Sat, 10 Oct, 2026 at 12:00 pm (-07:00) - **Event Description**: Discover how designing with plant communities can create beautiful, resilient landscapes where plants thrive together with fewer resources.About this EventPlanting Design: Creating Plant Communities That Thrivewith Marion McNew, FAPLD, CPLDOwner, Mount Hood Gardens, Inc.How can we create beautiful planting designs that are also resilient, resource-conscious and easier to maintain?Join APLD Oregon for a presentation with landscape designer and horticulturist Marion McNew, FAPLD, CPLD, exploring the plant community principle — an approach to planting design that begins with the ecological preferences and natural habitats of plants.About the ProgramFor much of its history in the U.S., planting design has been driven primarily by aesthetic considerations. The plant community approach asks us to begin with a different question: What conditions does each plant need to thrive, and which plants naturally grow well together?By considering soil, moisture, aspect, growth patterns and the ecological character of plants, designers can create dynamic plant communities that are beautiful, resilient and lower-maintenance.Marion will introduce the principles behind this approach and explore how they can inform contemporary landscape design.Topics will include:Designing according to plants’ ecological and habitat preferencesCombining plants into compatible, relatively stable communitiesCreating layered plantings with repetition and a living ground-cover layerKeeping soil covered to retain moisture, support the soil food web and suppress weedsReducing reliance on resources such as supplemental waterCreating a naturalistic sense of place through thoughtful plant selectionThe approach is particularly well suited to naturalistic and woodland gardens, woodland edges, rock gardens and wetland plantings, but its underlying principles can inform planting design across a wide range of landscapes.From German Planting Traditions to Contemporary DesignThe plant community principle has deep roots in German horticulture. Richard Hansen and Friedrich Stahl's influential Perennials and Their Garden Habitats, published in 1981, helped establish an ecological framework for understanding and designing with perennial plants. Hansen studied under renowned plantsman Karl Foerster, a major influence on Germany's habitat-based planting tradition.These ideas would go on to influence a broader movement toward naturalistic planting design. Designers including Piet Oudolf helped bring the “New European Garden” to international prominence, while Oehme, van Sweden & Associates pioneered the “New American Garden” with bold compositions of perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses.Today, these ideas feel more relevant than ever as designers seek landscapes that combine beauty, biodiversity, resilience and responsible use of resources.About Marion McNewMarion McNew, FAPLD, CPLD, is the owner of landscape design/build company Mount Hood Gardens, Inc. in Hood River, Oregon.Marion holds a Master's degree in Horticulture from the University of Hannover, Germany, where she was first introduced to the plant community principle while studying horticulture.APLD Oregon members may remember Marion from her February presentation, The Art of Garden Making. We are delighted to welcome her back for a deeper exploration of the horticultural and ecological principles that shape successful planting design.Who Should Attend?This program is designed for landscape designers, landscape architects, horticulturists, garden designers, landscape contractors, nursery professionals and other landscape-industry professionals, as well as anyone interested in ecologically informed planting design.APLD members and nonmembers are welcome. APLD members free, non-members $25.CEU and CEH eligible. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events5/banners/83f7f980-b525-11f1-8735-773c5ddedb48-rimg-w631-h740-dcc88808-gmir.jpg Marion McNewMarion McNew, FAPLD, CPLD, holds a Masters Degree in Horticulture from the University of Hanover, Germany and was first introduced to the plant community principle while still in college. This February she gave a talk to our APLD Oregon community about the Art of Garden Making. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events8/banners/840dcb70-b525-11f1-8735-773c5ddedb48-rimg-w1200-h670-dc486848-gmir.png - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/portland/planting-design-creating-plant-communities-that-thrive/100002001154649426 - **Event Categories**: art - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Portland - **state**: OR - **country**: United States - **location**: Mt Scott Community Center & Indoor Pool - **lat**: 45.4826591 - **long**: -122.5890176 - **full address**: Mt Scott Community Center & Indoor Pool, 5530 Southeast 72nd Avenue, Portland, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/716dbe95bdb7eb324384131ac3dc99adacd292829cf935b4f719bd9d3c8cf115-rimg-w1080-h1350-dcc86848-gmir.jpg?v=1789930870 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive being held? - **A:** PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive takes place on Sat, 10 Oct, 2026 at 10:00 am to Sat, 10 Oct, 2026 at 12:00 pm at Mt Scott Community Center & Indoor Pool, 5530 Southeast 72nd Avenue, Portland, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive? - **A:** PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive is organized by APLD Oregon. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Portland, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "PLANTING DESIGN: Creating Plant Communities that Thrive", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/716dbe95bdb7eb324384131ac3dc99adacd292829cf935b4f719bd9d3c8cf115-rimg-w1080-h1350-dcc86848-gmir.jpg?v=1789930870", "startDate": "2026-10-10T10:00:00-07:00", "endDate": "2026-10-10T12:00:00-07:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/portland/planting-design-creating-plant-communities-that-thrive/100002001154649426", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Mt Scott Community Center & Indoor Pool", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "5530 Southeast 72nd Avenue", "postalCode": "97206", "addressLocality": "Portland", "addressRegion": "OR", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "45.4826591", "longitude": "-122.5890176" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Discover how designing with plant communities can create beautiful, resilient landscapes where plants thrive together with fewer resources.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-20", "availabilityEnds": "2026-10-10T12:00:00-07:00", "validFrom": "2026-09-20", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "0.00", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/portland/planting-design-creating-plant-communities-that-thrive/100002001154649426" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-20", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-20", "url": "https://allevents.in/portland/planting-design-creating-plant-communities-that-thrive/100002001154649426", "price": 0, "name": "Non-APLD member Admission" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-09-20", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-09-20", "url": "https://allevents.in/portland/planting-design-creating-plant-communities-that-thrive/100002001154649426", "price": 0, "name": "APLD members /Sponsors - FREE" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "APLD Oregon", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/apld-oregon/23456853", "description": "The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) Oregon is a community of professional designers fostering a collaborative environment of connection, learning, and inspiration since 2003. At the heart of our chapter is a deep commitment to education, professional development, and combating climate change." } ] } ] ```