Membership

Membership in APLD

APLD members come from varied backgrounds with differing levels of experience, each with their own design aesthetic. APLD members strive for professional excellence and believe in a commitment towards furthering our careers through education and networking.  APLD requires 10 hours of continuing education credits a year to remain a member in good standing.

APLD members are represented locally in ten 10 state chapters. APLD offers a virtual online chapter for those states that are currently not represented within their state.

There are 6 levels of membership within APLD, each with a corresponding membership fee. Upon joining nationally, you will also be requested to join a chapter.

Membership levels are:

• Emerging Professional: A designer who has less than 3 years of professional landscape design experience. Documentation of education and experience is not required.
• Professional: A designer who has more than 3 years of professional landscape design experience. Documentation of education and experience is not required.
• Qualified Professional: A designer who has 3 or more years of professional landscape design experience. Documentation of education and experience is required. Associates Degree (or higher) in landscape design-based education from an accredited institution or attendance in landscape design classes or seminars. Qualified Professionals can take an extra step and become certified. This step involves creating a 3 project portfolio. Each project must include a design intent statement, before and after photos, a hardscape plan, and a planting plan. This portfolio is submitted to an APLD review committee for peer review. If the portfolio is accepted, the member is now considered a Certified Qualified Professional.
• Student: Student members must be actively enrolled in a landscape design, landscape architecture, or horticulture program. A student member may not practice landscape design unless it is part of a student internship related to their design program.
• Allied: Those individuals practicing in related and associated fields: ornamental horticulture, public and private garden/estate management, garden writing/publishing/photography, architecture, interior design, lighting design, and green industry suppliers such as growers, nurseries, stone yards, landscape contractors, etc.
• Educator: A professional landscape design educator/teacher who is not practicing as a landscape designer.