City of Roseville

 
Week 1 - February 1
River-friendly landscaping the watershed-wise way

The days of mowing a lawn once a week, trimming shrubs into spheres and squares, overusing fertilizers and pesticides, and watering with sprinklers that gush water are fleeting and unnecessary. The goal for Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life requires a fresh approach to our landscapes and their care – the watershed-wise way. Learn how to work with nature to build and protect healthy, living soil; capture rainwater as a resource; select and care for California native and climate-appropriate plants; use highly efficient irrigation; manage pests without toxic chemicals; and support the health of our waterways. Fundamental principles will be covered to set the stage for the upcoming classes that will dive deeper into these topics and provide practical practices for your fabulous California garden.

Week 3 - February 15
Practical irrigation

Irrigation doesn’t need to be complicated. In this class, you’ll learn down-to-earth ways to improve the efficient use of water. Discover how to replace an irrigation controller, a simple way to schedule the watering of your garden, and how to change a spray system to drip to keep water where it’s needed and not in the gutter. It’s all much simpler than you think.

Week 5 - March 14
Backyard bounty, edibles in every garden

Produce more garden yum! What is your edible style? Low-water edibles integrated into your landscape? Raised bed bounties in a separate corner? Potted patio pleasures outside your kitchen to harvest for your next meal? Together we’ll explore beginner basics and fresh ideas for experienced gardeners from a garden designer’s watershed-aware perspective. Regionally based knowledge and resources provided. Eat your garden!

Week 7 - March 28
Pest prevention & management

Our gardens are full of life, although sometimes it’s with unwanted visitors like insects, weeds, and diseases. This class will cover pest prevention practices that will avert disaster and put your concerns to rest. You will learn effective physical, mechanical, and biological pest management options, and last-resort organic and least toxic pesticides to do the job so you avoid using toxic synthetic pesticides that can be dangerous to you, your family, pets, and the environment.

Week 2 - February 8
 Understanding soil health and your role as its caregiver

Soil is not just a dirty word or a planting medium for growing plants and trees. Discover why soil is more important than you think and how to become an exceptional soil caregiver for productive, pest- and drought-resistant plants. This class will cover components of how your soil functions and impacts plant health, ways plants and soil biology collaborate, and tools and techniques to utilize (and avoid). Discover how to create a robust, regenerative ecosystem for healthy, living soil that yields thriving gardens for the betterment of your family and our environment.

Week 4 - March 7
Right plant, right place

This secret can make or break your garden! Laugh with us through the good, the bad, and the ugly as we explore how to choose and site plants for our intense dry heat and windy winter storms. Hint: CA Natives rule! Bonus: Get the low-down on the best ‘unlawn’ options for the Sacramento region. Lively discussions encouraged! Learn how to reduce maintenance, lower water use, and have the most gorgeous habitat yard in the neighborhood with least effort. 

Week 6 - March 21
Pruning with purpose for your California garden

This class addresses pruning in California gardens. We’ll cover California native and low-water plants, grasses, perennials, shrubs, hedges, ornamental trees, and more. Your purpose is to create a garden that is successful here in California, is resilient, and works with our natural systems. You’ll learn to prune with unique goals for plant health, longevity, and resiliency. We provide resources to give you guidance beyond the end of the class. (This class will not address fruit tree/shrub pruning. Enjoy other UEC workshops on these topics.)