Book a Lecture

Leslie is often asked to share her thoughts on gardens, design and sustainable landscapes. She is currently accepting invitations for her illustrated lectures.

Perfection Reimagined: Embracing the New Gardening Ethos

What makes a garden beautiful? This eternal question is evoking new answers as gardeners everywhere deal with shifting realities: extreme weather, declining pollinators and birds, changing horticultural zones. It can be overwhelming. Yet, embracing these challenges can allow us all to be active agents of positive change.

Leslie will share stories, garden practices, and her design principles; lessons in learning that “less can be more”, with photos of her garden–River Hills–along with other gardens that she has worked on.

Making the Garden Pivot: From Traditional to Ecological

As environmental conditions continue to shift, our gardens must evolve with them. In this lecture, Leslie Needham will share thoughtful and approachable strategies for incorporating native plants into your garden, making the transition feel inspiring rather than overwhelming. Native landscapes are not only ecologically valuable, but can also be deeply beautiful, layered, and refined.

Learn low-stress methods for transitioning from the formal garden styles of the past to a more natural landscape that attracts birds, butterflies, and other vibrant forms of biodiversity. Rather than requiring a complete reinvention, Leslie encourages gardeners to approach the process as a gradual evolution. Through practical design principles, including establishing focal points, shaping circulation and seating areas, and thoughtfully integrating native plantings into existing landscapes Leslie will demonstrate how to create gardens that support biodiversity while maintaining a strong sense of place.

Lecture Archive

2026

Virtual Garden Club with Margaret Roach

Acorn Garden Club, Philadelphia, PA

Hollister House & Garden, Washington, CT

Boulder Ledge Garden Club, Bronxville, NY

Native Plant Center Conference, Valhalla, NY

Bad Grass at White Hart Inn, Salisbury, CT

Bronxville Public Library, Bronxville, NY

Greenwich Land Trust, Greenwich, CT

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY

2025

Rusticus Garden Club, Bedford, NY

Garden Club of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

North Country Garden Club, Locust Valley, NY

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY

2024

Bedford Garden Club, Bedford, NY

2023

Bad Grass at White Hart Inn, Salisbury, CT

2022

Hollister House & Garden, Washington, CT