Beyond the Garden Fence: Creating Native Landscapes that Inspire Others

with Kate Brandes on Zoom

Monday, Oct. 19, 26, Nov. 2nd, and 9th at 6:30 pm- 8:00 pm EST 

Fee: $160

Registration opens September 22nd.

 Beyond the Garden Fence: Creating Native Landscapes that Inspire Others 

This is a practical garden design workshop for people who want to create native landscapes that are beautiful, ecologically functional, and inspiring to others. 

Instructor: Kate Brandes 

Course Description 

A native plant garden can do more than support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. It can become a space that invites neighbors and communities to create native gardens of their own. 

In this four-week interactive online course, participants will learn practical principles for designing beautiful, ecologically functional native plant landscapes while exploring how thoughtful design influences the way people experience and understand native gardens. Drawing on examples from Native Plants for the Small Yard, we’ll explore how to assess site conditions, define gardening priorities, select plants for sun and shade, layer plants by height, create season-long interest, and develop a simple landscape design. 

We’ll also explore why some native gardens are embraced while others face resistance, and how thoughtful design can help bridge that gap. Participants will develop a plan for their own garden while considering how design choices can make gardens with ecological benefits more welcoming and inspiring to others. 

Whether you’re starting from scratch or reimagining an existing garden, you’ll leave with a practical design plan and new ways of thinking about your landscape, not only as habitat for wildlife, but also as an opportunity to encourage biodiversity beyond your own property. 

Course Expectations and Goals 

This course combines practical garden design with discussion and reflection about how native landscapes can inspire others. Throughout the four weeks, participants will develop a concept plan for their own garden, applying each week’s lessons to a real landscape they hope to create or improve. Between sessions, participants will observe their site, refine their plans, and build upon their designs as they move from defining goals to selecting plants and creating a cohesive planting plan. 

No previous landscape design experience is required. Participants are encouraged to share ideas, sketches, photos, and examples from their own gardens as we learn together. The course is designed to be collaborative, supportive, and accessible to gardeners of all experience levels. 

Course Outline 

Week 1: Begin with Purpose What do I want my garden to accomplish? 

Every successful garden begins with a clear vision. In this session, participants will learn how to assess site conditions, identify opportunities and constraints, and define their priorities before selecting plants. We’ll discuss how goals such as supporting pollinators, attracting birds, creating seasonal beauty, reducing maintenance, managing stormwater, or providing privacy influence design decisions. We’ll also introduce an important idea that will carry through the course: gardens communicate. The choices we make influence not only wildlife, but also how other people experience and understand native landscapes. 

Key Topics 

● Assessing sun, shade, soil, and moisture 

● Right plant, right place 

● Defining your gardening priorities 

● Matching design decisions to your goals 

● First impressions and how people experience gardens 

Week 2: Designing Your Landscape How do I turn my garden goals into a planting plan? 

This session focuses on the practical foundations of garden design. Participants will learn simple techniques for arranging plants to create landscapes that are attractive, functional, and ecologically diverse. We’ll discuss layering plants by height, selecting species for season-long interest, and creating visual rhythm through repetition. By the end of the session, participants will have the framework for a concept plan they can continue refining throughout the course. 

Key Topics 

● Plant selection for different site conditions 

● Layering and garden structure 

● Designing for bloom succession 

● Creating visual interest throughout the seasons 

● Developing a simple concept plan 

Week 3: Refining the Design How do I create a garden that both wildlife and people will love? 

Once the basic concept plan is in place, we’ll discuss creating focal points, designing inviting edges and pathways, planning for long-term growth and maintenance, and incorporating visible cues of care. Participants will refine their garden plans while considering how thoughtful design can make native landscapes more approachable, beautiful, and inspiring to others. 

Key Topics 

● Refining planting plans 

● Focal points, edges and pathways 

● Designing for year-round appeal 

● Visible cues of care 

● Balancing ecological function with aesthetics 

● Planning for maintenance and long-term success 

Week 4: Beyond the Garden Fence How can my garden inspire others? 

A well-designed native landscape can influence far more than one property. In our final session, we’ll explore how home gardens can become demonstration landscapes that encourage neighbors, schools, and communities to embrace native plants. We’ll discuss what research tells us about how people adopt new ideas, and how thoughtful landscape design can spark curiosity, conversation, and broader support for biodiversity. Participants will share their concept plans and discuss the ripple effects they hope their gardens will have. 

Key Topics 

● Gardens as demonstration landscapes 

● How design influences perception 

● Inspiring neighbors through visible examples 

● Encouraging biodiversity beyond your property 

● Final project presentations 

Course Materials 

Recommended 

● Brandes, Kate. Native Plants for the Small Yard ○ A lower resolution free PDF is available here. 

○ A higher resolution paper or Kindle copy is available here. (Note that all proceeds go to the Lehigh Gap Nature Center). 

● A notebook or garden journal 

● Quarter-inch graph paper 

● Pencil and eraser 

● Colored pencils or markers for planning exercises 

● Round stencils like these (recommended for sketching planting plans) 

Instructor Bio 

Kate Brandes is an environmental scientist, educator, and author of Native Plants for the Small Yard. She works as a Professor of Practice and Director of Environmental Studies & Sciences at Moravian University, where she teaches environmental science, geology, science communication, and courses in the environmental humanities. 

A Penn State Master Gardener for many years, Kate has worked with homeowners and communities to design and install native plant gardens that support biodiversity while creating beautiful, welcoming landscapes. Her approach to garden design has been developed through years of hands-on experience creating native landscapes, helping others do the same, and learning what succeeds in real gardens. 

Kate’s work explores the relationship between ecology, community, and place. She combines practical garden design with insights from environmental science and the social dimensions of environmental action, encouraging participants to see their gardens not only as habitat for wildlife, but also as places that can inspire neighbors and communities to create more resilient, biodiverse landscapes.