2025 NNLA Summer Field Day
On Thursday, September 11th, NNLA hosted its annual Summer Field Day event at Heartwood Preserve in Omaha, NE. Located between Pacific Street and Dodge Street, west of 144th Street in Omaha, NE, Heartwood Preserve is a 500-acre mixed-use urban development offering a wide variety of retail, commercial, residential and recreational facilities. With roughly 80 acres devoted to green space, eight miles of bike paths and open trails and over 10,000 newly planted trees, Heartwood Preserve works to integrate its built structures within the natural beauty of the area.
The 72 attendees met at Heartwood Park in the gravel plaza planted with locust trees. An introduction to Heartwood Preserve was given by Nancy Sohns and Sarah Perry of S&N Landscape Design. Then, a panel of landscape professionals discussed the challenges and rewards that have come with being a part of the Heartwood Preserve development. Much of the discussion was geared toward managing the landscape as well as client expectations. Experts in lawn care and chemicals were also involved in the panel, which offered some diverse perspectives on the topics discussed.
The group then walked over to 30Hop, where they were treated to lunch, which was sponsored by S&N Landscape Design. For many, this hour of socializing and relaxing with fellow industry professionals in a fun atmosphere was the highlight of the day. Joining us at lunch for a brief presentation was David Meyer of Meyer Studio Land Architects. Prior to launching his studio, David was a longtime partner at PWP and co-founded both Schwartz Smith Meyer and Meyer Silberberg. He has been an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley for 25 years, where he teaches the capstone studio for graduate students in the School of Environmental Design. David grew up in eastern Iowa and earned his degree in landscape architecture from Iowa State University. David spoke fondly of how the Heartwood Preserve project allowed him an opportunity to return to his midwestern roots with prairie-inspired designs and plant selections. David shared that he intends the green spaces at Heartwood Preserve to be “meaningful, evocative, and beautiful.” He explained that, in many areas of the development, the intent is to “allow nature to participate in the design and to morph what we have begun.”
David then led the attendees on a walk and talk tour of the Heartwood Preserve greenways, where he offered his inspirations for the design and how that design aspires to seek a richer, more beautiful way to meet program requirements and enhance the human experience. David was quick to point out challenges, such as the hill at the north entrance. The seed mix used was not quick to germinate, and dense weeds have filled in, either coming in on the wind or that were present in the soil. He pointed out that he wished that the stones used to terrace the sides edge of one of the basins were cut shorter so that it was at a more human scale to climb. David shared frustration at the placement and sheer volume of cautionary signage throughout the site, as many signs were placed on axis, disrupting key views and the intended welcoming experience of the greenways. It was evident that considerable care was taken in the selection and treatment of each material used on the site. One example of this attention to detail was the stone silos built around the unsightly overflow structures in the basins. It took a functional and necessary element and elevated it to an architectural feature through intentional design. NNLA appreciates the generosity of David Meyer with his time and expertise during his time at the Summer Field Day.
Finally, as the attendees walked back up to the northeast end of the development, Joel Kayser of Well Rooted Gardens, Jason Keuhl of Mirage Nursery Sales, and Aaron Oltmans of Plains Tree Farm Inc. & Oak Prairie Nursery, gave a workshop on the importance of pruning and training trees from the first day of planting. Early and careful pruning can prevent future issues in the tree’s development and growth from ever happening. Tree identification was also covered as the group shared tips and tricks to identify trees in a variety of stages of growth.
NNLA members in attendance earned 3.0 continuing education hours toward their yearly Nebraska Nursery & Landscape Professional (NCNLP) requirement.
Thank you to our sponsors: Great Plains Nursery, Greenlife Gardens, Mulhalls Landscape, Papio Valley Nursery, and S&N Landscape Design.