Starts on: October 23, 2026 @ 9:30am
Ecological Landscape Design
Register Now:Friday, September 23, 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m. (online) & Saturday, October 31 & Sunday, November 1, 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m. (in-person)
This immersive three-day course introduces the foundational principles of ecological landscape design for home gardeners and emerging professionals. Students will learn to observe and assess a site, understand its ecological context, and practice hand-drawing conceptual site plans. Through this process, they will learn to develop design interventions that enhance both ecological function and beauty. The course emphasizes drawing inspiration from Maine’s natural plant communities and using native plants to create a strong sense of place, while supporting wildlife through intentional design.
Through a combination of lectures, discussion, field observation, and applied exercises, participants will explore core design principles in a practical context. We will consider stewardship, environmental impact, and material choices as integral parts of the design process. The course highlights how native plants, site conditions, wildlife habitat, and human experience can work together to create gardens that are vibrant, meaningful, and grounded in Maine’s landscapes.
Instructor Bio(s)
Rachel Emus is an ecological horticulturist and landscape designer based in Downeast Maine. With fifteen years of horticultural experience and a diploma from the London College of Garden Design, her approach is grounded in a deep reverence for native landscapes and the traditions that sustain them. In 2025, she was named an award finalist by the Society of Garden and Landscape Designers.
Drawing on her work as Garden Manager for Native Gardens of Blue Hill, Rachel brings hands-on experience stewarding and developing gardens composed of Maine native plants. Informed by a background in ethnoecology and organic food systems, she works to foster ecological relationships and a strong sense of place through a humble, attentive approach to working with natural systems.
Materials and Equipment Needed
Learn ecological landscape design through hands-on practice, site observation, and native plant strategies to create resilient, place-based gardens.