About the Landscape Design Council

Organization:

The Landscape Design Council of Massachusetts (LDC) is a membership organization that brings people together who have a shared interest in landscape design, history and preservation. LDC provides opportunities to connect, collaborate and support each members in their interests and endeavors. LDC offers continuing education programs through lectures, workshops and tours, as well as opportunities to practice the skills members have acquired. LDC also awards grants and awards to prominent members and organizations in their community

Members:

LDC members are National Garden Clubs (NGC) members who successfully completed Landscape Design School. Completion of two courses, qualify students to become Provisional Members of the LDC. Completion of four courses qualifies them to become NGC accredited Landscape Design Consultants. Consultants apply what they learned to encourage and promote excellence in landscape design, architecture and practice in individual and community projects. They also serve as judges at flower and garden shows. Inspired by their accomplishments in LDC, some members further their education and pursued advanced degrees in landscape design or master’s degrees in landscape architecture. Many have gone on to establish their own businesses or work in related fields.

Programs: 

LDC programs promote excellence in landscape design, history, preservation and practice through lectures, workshops and tours of public and private sites. Past tours included residential gardens, private estates, grounds of houses of worship, cemeteries, nurseries, industrial developments, museums, historic landmarks, shopping malls, public parks and national reservations. It also hosted practice judging workshops at the Rhode Island Spring Flower and Garden Shows and provided judges and a clerk for exhibits at the New England and Boston Flower and Garden Shows. 

Recognition:

The LDC recognizes excellence in landscape design, history, preservation and service to the community with scholarships, grants and awards. 

Interested in Joining?

Persons who have successfully completed two courses in the Landscape Design School may be eligible to join the LDC as provisional members.  After successfully completing four courses, they may be eligible for full membership.  If interested in joining the LDC, contact Membership Chair Penni Ferris Jenkins at LDCMA.membership@outlook.com. Information on the Landscape Design School in Massachusetts can be found here.

History:

Origin of the Massachusetts Landscape Design Council, 

formerly the Landscape Design Critics Council

During the 1959-60 GCFMA presidency of Isadore Smith (Mrs. A. William Smith),* Landscape Design Study Courses were introduced as a forerunner of the accredited Landscape Design Study Course of 1961. Harriet Field, Mildred S. Parker, president of GCFM (1960-62,) Evelyn Cole established the Landscape Design Study Courses in Massachusetts. Cole conducted the first series in Massachusetts beginning May 7, 1961.

The Landscape Design Critics Council, predecessor of the LDC, was established on October 14, 1963, at the Midtown Motor Inn in Boston. Cole presided at the organizational meeting of the Council and presented “National Council Landscape Design Critics Certificates” to the forty-five students who had successfully completed the four-course program. It was then moved and passed that “in appreciation of Mrs. Alfred Cole’s excellent organization ability in conducting these courses and not being able to take the courses at the same time, we confer honorary membership on her.” Election of officers followed. Thus, the LDC launched with forty-six participants as charter members.

“While buildings may decay and crumble,

the plants of every age are still with us and need only to be collected and

replanted to speak for the time and its people.”

Isadore Smith