Membership in APLD® and the APLD California Chapter comprises standards of practice, categories of membership, and many benefits. Click here to read about APLD’s Mission, Goals, and Standards of Practice.

California Chapter Membership: Beginning with 2008, all APLD members residing in California are also required to join the Chapter. The additional annual dues for Chapter membership are quite modest ($35.00, or $20.00 for students), and bring significant benefits in return.

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If you have more questions about Chapter membership, please read our California Chapter Membership FAQs.

APLD Membership Categories

APLD offers several membership categories suited to landscape designers, landscape design students and educators, and other green industry professionals:

  • Professional - standard membership for individuals who are professional Landscape Designers.
  • Certified Professional - requires a formal peer-review process that evaluates a designer's built work as well as other criteria. You must first join as a Professional member. Certified members use the designation APLD.
  • Emeritus Certified Professional - permanently certified members who have reached the age of 70 and are still working as a Landscape Designer.
  • Retired Certified Professional - a professional member who was permanently certified at the time of retirement.
  • Certified Fellow - a certified professional member selected by the Board of Directors as a Fellow; uses the designation FAPLD.
  • Educator - a professional landscape design educator or teacher who is not a practicing Landscape Designer.
  • Student - an individual actively enrolled in a landscape design, landscape architecture, or horticulture program that requires at least 37 credit hours or 600 contact hours of design and horticulture related coursework to graduate. Student members may not be practicing landscape design for free or in a fee-generating capacity unless it is part of a student internship related to their design program. Student membership is limited to four years; two sub-categories are available. Read more...
  • Industry Partner - members who are in fields related to landscape design.
  • Professional Partner - members whose international level of APLD sponsorship includes membership.

Current APLD dues are listed on the APLD web site. California Chapter dues are $35.00, or $20.00 for students regardless of type of program.

APLD California Chapter Member Benefits

Many landscape designers are sole practitioners. Chapter members often join APLD and the Chapter to actively seek out the frequent networking opportunities provided through our local programs.

Among the many other benefits are:

  • Invitation to District meetings that host dynamic, informative speakers.
  • Inclusion in educational workshops and seminars.
  • Invitation to special Chapter member-only events.
  • Access to Chapter members’ roster.
  • Optional participation in District and Chapter board meetings.
  • Participation in garden tours, mentoring programs, and other special member-only events and programs.
  • Inclusion of your designs in the APLD California Chapter Presentation Portfolios, displayed as part of our Chapter and District presence at local flower and garden shows, trade shows, and other venues.
  • Inclusion of your name and contact information on this web site's Find A Designer page.
  • Participation in the Chapter’s exclusive Yahoo group, where members routinely share professional tips and experience.

APLD Member Benefits

  • Access to our Certification process.
  • Identity of Certification (APLD used after your name), upon completion of certification requirements, and with it professional credibility and personal growth.
  • Continuing Education and the opportunity to earn CEUs at international and regional conferences, and other events.
  • Complimentary industry publications including APLD's The Designer and its monthly Design Online e-Newsletter.
  • Listing in APLD's international directories with web presence.
  • Opportunity to participate in the Speakers Bureau and Members in Print & On-Air.
  • Opportunity to participate in the annual Design Awards program.
  • Opportunity for your garden pictures and/or design practice to be featured on the international APLD website.
  • Access to the members' only section of the APLD web site.
  • Access to key business forms and committee documents.
  • Access to legislative database on current state title and practice acts.
  • Opportunity to serve on national issues APLD committees.
  • More...

To learn more about APLD Certification, click here.