http://www.aslacentralstates.org/

Central States ASLA, Des Moines, IA (2026)

03/05/2026

Thank you to and for being a Bronze Sponsor at the Central States ASLA Conference in St. Louis! They will be found at booth #24!

03/05/2026

Thank you to Robi Decking for being a Silver Sponsor at the Central States ASLA Conference in St. Louis! They will be found at booth #50!

03/04/2026

From Roots to Renewal: Native Landscaping and the Making of Place

There are many compelling reasons to prioritize native plants in landscape design. Native species provide essential food and habitat for pollinators—many of which are in steep decline—while improving soil health, adapting naturally to local conditions, and increasing long-term landscape success. In the face of biodiversity loss, landscape architects are uniquely positioned to lead this effort by incorporating a predominance of native plants in their designs.

Despite the advantages, widespread implementation has faced challenges. A historical shortage of native plants in the nursery trade has limited their use. In 2022, I was invited to participate in a panel discussion to address these challenges. That conversation ultimately led to the founding of the Oklahoma Native Plant Network (ONPN), a network of growers, contractors and designers. ONPN promotes the production, marketing, and use of high-quality native plants through education, industry collaboration, and public engagement, with the goal of conserving and restoring Oklahoma’s landscapes. Since its founding, noticeable increases in native plant availability have already occurred.

Through my association with ONPN, I have learned from native plant growers and contractors, gaining insight into strategies that improve both design outcomes and ecological performance that will benefit other LA’s.
Key considerations include referencing the National Wetland Plant List (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) to match plants with appropriate site conditions and plant compatibility; prohibiting plants treated with neonicotinoids, which pose long-term risks to pollinators; using smaller plant material—plugs to quart sizes—for most applications; and prioritizing locally grown native plants whenever possible.

Visit the link in bio for more session information and register for the 2026 Central States conference in St. Louis!

03/03/2026

Thank you to Proven Winners for being a Bronze Sponsor at the Central States ASLA Conference in St. Louis! They will be found at booth #21!

03/03/2026

Thank you to for being a Bronze Sponsor at the Central States ASLA Conference in St. Louis! They will be found at booth #23!

03/02/2026

The Central States conference session info is live!! We’ve added times and descriptions for each session on our website. Check out our exciting lineup of speakers and tours at our link in bio!

Reminder: Early bird registration ends THIS FRIDAY. Join us in St. Louis in April!

03/02/2026

The Living Museum: Behind the Scenes at the Missouri Botanical Garden

Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis is one of the nation’s oldest botanical gardens in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark. The Garden offers 79 acres of beautiful horticultural display, historic architecture, and one of the world’s largest collections of rare and endangered flora. Since its founding, the Missouri Botanical Garden has not only served as an oasis in the city, but also as a leading institution of scientific research and global conservation. Its mission is “to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life.”

This field session will introduce visitors to the Garden’s history, living collections, and conservation work. Multiple tours will be offered during the session, featuring recent projects such as the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center Landscapes and the Linnean House Renovation - both projects carried out by a design team consisting of Ayers Saint Gross, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, and Arbolope Studio. Beyond the overall design and development of the exterior spaces, the landscape architectural design team worked closely with the Garden’s Horticulturalists to research and select thousands of rare plant species from growers throughout the country and research sites around the world, all for use in this legacy landscape. Within the Visitor Center and the Linnean House next door (the oldest Orangerie west of the Mississippi), custom artworks by Arbolope bring science and art together as part of the interpretive visitor experience. Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit the Garden’s back-of-house greenhouses. This field session will be jointly led by members of the design team from Arbolope Studio as well as Garden staff from multiple divisions, providing diverse insight into the design process and implementation of these projects.

Visit the link in bio for more field session information and register for Central States in St. Louis!

Photography:
1. Serhii Chrucky / Esto
2&3. Missouri Botanical Gardens
4&5. Arbolope

02/27/2026

Remembering Significance, Reclaiming Landscape: Basin Spring Park Rehabilitation Plan

The Basin Spring Park Rehabilitation Plan provides a comprehensive framework to guide the City of Eureka Springs’ continuing efforts in preserving, enhancing, and managing one of its most historically and culturally significant landscapes. Rooted in extensive historical research, site analysis, and community engagement, the plan evaluates the park’s defining landscape features, circulation patterns, and character-defining elements to ensure that future improvements respect its historic significance while accommodating contemporary use.

Two conceptual treatment approaches were developed to explore varying levels of preservation, selective alteration, and enhancement, helping stakeholders understand trade-offs and long-term impacts. Recommended actions are organized by urgency and feasibility, supported by preliminary cost estimates and a phased implementation strategy to guide realistic decision-making, funding coordination, and long-term management—particularly important for small communities stewarding historic landscapes with limited resources.

This presentation highlights how understanding landscape significance can guide practical rehabilitation strategies, demonstrating how historic parks can be thoughtfully adapted to meet present-day needs while safeguarding their cultural legacy for future generations.

Visit the link in bio for more session information and register for the 2026 Central States conference in St. Louis!

02/26/2026

Thank you to for being a Gold Sponsor at the Central States ASLA Conference in St. Louis! They will be found at booth #14!

02/26/2026

Thank you to for being a Silver Sponsor at the Central States ASLA Conference in St. Louis! They will be found at booth #47!

02/25/2026

When Community Leads: Collective Impact on the MLK Cultural Boulevard

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in St. Louis is a major east–west corridor running through one of the city’s most historically significant African American communities. Like many MLK-named corridors across the United States, it reflects a national pattern in which symbolic recognition has not been matched by sustained investment in infrastructure, environmental health, safety, or local decision-making authority.

The MLK Cultural Boulevard effort began with the understanding that meaningful change would require more than physical improvements. It required addressing how power, governance, and investment decisions are structured. Over a 15-month period, the planning effort was organized around a collective-impact model that balanced community authority and engagement. Residents, institutions, and partners were convened around shared goals, with engagement treated as shared authorship rather than consultation. Paid community liaisons and defined leadership roles ensured that community voices held real influence in shaping priorities and long-term direction.

Working closely with 4theVille - the client and local nonprofit who facilitated this work, Landscape architects conducted corridor-scale analysis of environmental conditions, mobility and safety, land ownership, cultural systems, and development constraints. This analysis informed integrated frameworks for public space, mobility, culture, development strategy, and governance, and articulated multiple corridor character conditions capable of supporting long-term resilience and reinvestment.

The process was tested by real-world disruption. An EF3 tornado in May 2025 struck the corridor and surrounding community during planning, requiring the framework to adapt toward recovery while maintaining long-term goals. The resulting plan demonstrates how landscape architecture can lead corridor-scale planning by designing systems that integrate community leadership, resilience, and stewardship over time.

Visit the link in bio for more session information and register for the 2026 Central States conference in St. Louis!

02/24/2026

Reminder! Early bird registration ends in less than two weeks! Register by March 6th for discounted rates at the link in bio.

Central States ASLA

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