Our principal and founder, Larry Weaner traces his success to a lifetime of observing nature.  As a child, he observed the wild vegetation along the railroad tracks behind his childhood Philadelphia home.  His observations over the ensuing 40 years inform an array of influential projects, from small residential properties to major public spaces.

Larry founded LWLA in 1982 after receiving his Associates Degree in Ornamental Horticulture from the Pennsylvania College of Technology and has gone on to design prestigious public and private landscapes. He served on the Board of Directors and as the Environmental Committee Chair for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Larry’s New Directions in the American Landscape educational series, established in 1990, is credited as the town square for ecology-based landscape design.

Larry’s book, Garden Revolution: How Our Landscapes Can Be a Source of Environmental Change (Timber Press, 2016), is a literary reflection on his life’s work and foundational ecological principles.  It received the American Horticultural Society Book Award in 2017.

Larry has been recognized with numerous awards throughout his career, from an Honorary Membership in the Garden Club of America (2015) to the American Horticulture Society’s prestigious Landscape Design Award (2021).

When he’s not engaged in garden design, you may find him composing music. A self-taught composer, Larry’s contemporary and jazz compositions often mirror his landscapes, incorporating elements of improvisation, innovation, and emotional connection.