Join HNP Co-Founder Doug Tallamy and ecological landscape designers Rebecca McMackin and Benjamin Vogt for a dynamic panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of ecological horticulture. Moderated by Margaret Roach, NY Times columnist, the conversation will address practical tips, tackle common misconceptions, and explore the deeper philosophy behind creating vibrant landscapes that benefit both ecosystems and communities.

• Practical ones: like how to get a diverse, dynamic design started if you’re not a professional designer, or whether cultivars of native plants—nativars—really provide ecosystem services the way straight species do, or just look pretty.
• Thorny ones: from the hesitation to un-mow your un-diverse lawn because you heard it will create tick habitat (not true!), to dealing with unhappy feedback about your wildish landscape from neighbors or a homeowners’ association.
• And there are philosophical questions, too: like how even our individual efforts on a small scale can support not just plant and wildlife communities but human communities—and why it’s urgent that we shift our horticultural mindset to an ecological one.

The presentation, covering topics like these and more, will be moderated by longtime garden writer Margaret Roach. An opportunity for audience questions will follow, so bring yours!