Held on February 26th and 27th, 2025, this year’s Annual Conference had plenty to offer on wide ranging topics such as Community, Business Owner Focus, Advocacy a well as our more typical topics such as Design, Pest Management, and Green Infrastructure. We had over 300 people attend the conference and participate in discussion.
ELA introduced a new Marketplace experience for businesses and clientele alike. The ELA Marketplace is your all-in-one digital hub for the ecological landscaping industry. It’s more than just an online directory—it’s a community-driven, interactive ecosystem where professionals, vendors, and experts connect, learn, and collaborate.
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- Content Hub – Stay informed with expert articles, industry insights, and vendor resources.
- A Recommendation Engine – Ask for and share trusted recommendations with industry peers.
- An Interactive Buyers Guide – Find and engage with vendors offering sustainable landscaping solutions.
- An AI Concierge – Get instant, intelligent suggestions tailored to your needs.
- An Industry Events Calendar – Stay on top of conferences, workshops, and networking events.
- A Vendor Networking Platform – Connect with suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers directly.
Where knowledge meets opportunity, and community meets innovation.
Please visit our ELA Marketplace: ela.associationmarketplace.ai
Check out the demo video for more information.
For the second year, ELA offered an in-person day to allow for personal connection and networking among members. Three options were provided including a meet-up at New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and at Stoneleigh a natural garden.
The day at New England Botanic Garden was full with the hints of spring. A bright blue sky and some more seasonable temperatures greeted us as we arrived at the garden. A nice change from the icy snow pack of the last few weeks. Nick Novick presented So you want to make a meadow. Creating and managing native plant meadows and why they matter. We had over 50 people in the room to hear about Nick’s over 20 year experience with creating and managing meadows, where to start, how to plant and the evolution of this unique habitat. One take away that was particularly helpful was to think about the ground layer – under all those tall beautiful meadow plants there is bare soil that can be planted with shade loving plants! Although we did not speak about plants specifically, Nick gave some good information on how to decide how many species, selecting seed according to quantity rather than percentage and the ins and outs of figuring out how to get a good mix. All of us know that meadows are transitional habitats and that what comes up the first year will not reflect how it looks in the long run. Planting ruderal species like tickseed (Coreopsis spp.) or brown headed coneflower (Rudbeckia hirta) provide plenty of color and show in the first years. Those species usually give way to slower growing perennials and grasses to provide a stable (or more stable) meadow.
Before and after the program people greeted one another, had an opportunity to chat and exchange contacts and catch up. People roamed the garden and the conservatories deep in conversation and enjoyed the atmosphere of the botanic garden. This opportunity to gather is key to our continued connection and support of not only each other, but also of the Ecological Landscape Alliance.
The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History hosted a post-conference meet-up for the second year in a row. Featuring two speakers, Tim Boland and Adam Kohl, and more than 50 people, the after-conference event was a great way to connect with those in the Cape Cod region. Tim Boland, executive director of the Polly Hill Arboretum on Martha’s Vineyard, spoke about Conserving North America’s Rare Trees, regaling the crowd with stories of expeditions to collect seed from rare southeastern US native plant species like mountain camellia (Stewartia ovata), and fevertree (Pinckneya bracteata). Adam Kohl works as a Field Botanist and Environmental Scientist for Oxbow Associates Inc., who took the audience on a deep-dive into the many interactions between local insects and local plants. Thanks to local representatives Barbara Conolly and Julie Esteves for arranging the meet-up, and providing a great spread of refreshments for attendees!
In the Philadelphia area, the in person meet-up of over 20 people including board members, Julie Snell (Vice-President ELA), Mark Highland and Tom Smarr was hosted by Stoneleigh, A Natural Garden. Located in Villanova, PA, Stoneleigh is the public garden of Natural Lands, a land conservation organization. ELA members and future members were treated to an informal reception in the Main House (otherwise closed to guests) and presentation by Stoneleigh’s Director, Ethan Kauffman, followed by a guided tour of the garden with Ethan and Samantha Nestory, Stoneleigh’s Engagement Manager.
Stoneleigh, formerly the Haas family home, was donated to Natural Lands in 2016. Since then, Ethan and the Stoneleigh team have transformed the private estate into a public garden. They are inspired by the diverse landscapes within Natural Lands preserves, using them to inform new garden designs and propagate native plants in the Stoneleigh greenhouse.
The team’s innovative approach focuses on showcasing native plants in beautiful and unexpected ways. As Ethan aptly stated, “We love to experiment and try new things. There is still so much to learn about gardening with native plants.” Stoneleigh is free and open to the public, offering a valuable resource for learning and enjoyment.
