Association of Professional Landscape Designers 2022 Year-in-Review
The Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) is dedicated to advancing the profession of landscape design and to promoting the recognition of landscape designers as qualified and dedicated professionals. This year, APLD's programs and initiatives promoted the industry in a variety of ways.

 
APLD's certification program allows landscape designers to set themselves apart from the competition. Earning the "Certified Professional Landscape Designer" CPLD credential is a standard of excellence that is available for APLD members and non-members who have been practicing landscape design for a minimum of two years. Candidates for certification agree to comply with the APLD Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and have their work vetted by trained Review Panel Experts to ensure that they are using best practices and are competent and highly capable in landscape design.
This year, the association's International Landscape Design Awards program honored designers from around the world for their creativity and craftsmanship. APLD named Bobbie Burdick of Burdick & Associates in Ellsworth, Maine the 2022 Landscape Designer of the Year for her Granny Cottage/Infinity Roof project. The beautiful property is perched on a hillside in a quaint village on a coastal Maine island. Highlighted by dappled glimpses of the ocean through the forest canopy, Bobbie's clients envisioned expanding their property with outdoor living spaces that do not obstruct views. The judges agreed that the design, artistry and workmanship were masterful and a perfect application for a green roof.
This is the second year in a row that APLD's Best of Show award went to Gavin McWilliam with McWilliam Studio in Buckinghamshire, Great Britain. This year, he won for his Show Garden, Between Heaven and Earth. The judges agreed that this project was a real showstopper! They said it is a visual delight! The concept envisioned is beautiful, anchoring nature and contemporary design in an aesthetically pleasing manner that flows seamlessly. One judge said, "Garden spaces should evoke all the senses. Between Heaven and Earth is a glorious stirring of everything we have within. Very well done."
APLD continued its outreach to the next generation of landscape designers. In March, it offered an educational session at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition held at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C. called "The Design Process: Concept to Outdoor Space" The event brings together top landscape and horticulture students, top industry companies and dozens of the biggest industry manufacturers and suppliers. "As all facets of the green industry see challenges with recruiting skilled professionals, and the career of landscape design is no different," explains APLD President Eric Gilbey. "Building awareness of how great and rewarding our career can be for anyone with the interest is a crucial step we must all take to further grow our profession."
APLD is also committed to environmental stewardship; and promotes sustainable landscape design and management, as well as the conservation of energy and resources. APLD's Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet is a grassroots initiative that advocates for an affordable sustainable alternative to plastic horticultural pots that contribute to the proliferation of plastic pollution. APLD is working to raise awareness about the dangers of plastic horticultural pots to our earth and it is asking individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations to sign its names in support for more sustainable alternatives. To learn more and to join the coalition, visit www.healthypotshealthyplanet.org.
For more information on APLD, visit www.apld.org.