Eco Gardener Program
THE LILLIAN KAWASAKI ECO GARDENER PROGRAM
Make your beautiful garden the envy of your neighbors while simultaneously saving water and creating a productive ecosystem in your backyard! The Lillian Kawasaki Eco Gardener Program teaches residents about the multiple benefits of planting a sustainable garden through a series of in-person and virtual classes. Whether you attend one or all of them, you are certain to walk away with knowledge about sustainable garden design concepts as well as plant and material selections for creating an attractive, water efficient garden. All classes are FREE, but require registration.
The Eco Gardener program educates residents on popular topics that cover sustainable landscape design, drought-tolerant plants, stormwater capture, edible gardening, and irrigation basics. See descriptions of each class below, then click the sign-up button when you are ready to register! If you’d like to sign up for our mailing list or are interested in hosting a workshop in your community, please use the sign up botton to contact us.
UPCOMING CLASSES
To register for an in-person or virtual class, please choose from the selections below and click the RSVP link. You will be re-directed to our landing page on the Green Gardens Group (G3) website to register. You can attend one, or attend them all!
IN-PERSON CLASSES
WRD's in-person classes are hosted by our partners throughout our service area. We appreciate them opening up their venues to us and ask that you follow all of their safety protocols once onsite.
VIRTUAL CLASSES
Our virtual classes can be attended via Zoom from the comfort of your own home. Classes are taught live by a knowlegeable instructor. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask all of their gardening questions.
- Thurs Jun 27, 2024 | 6pm - 7pm | Virtual Webinar | Goodbye Grass! Qualify for a Turf Replacement Rebate
- Sat, Jun 29 | 10am - 12pm | Revitalize Your Traditional Garden
Fred Hesse Jr. Community Center: 29301 Hawthorne Blvd, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
- Sat Jul 13 | 10am - 12pm | Small Space Gardening
Wilmington Waterfront Promenade, Banning's Landing: 100 East Water Street, Wilmington CA 90744
- Wed July 24 | 1pm - 3pm | Landscape Transformation on a Budget
City of La Mirada Civic Center: 13700 La Mirada Blvd, La Mirada, CA 90638
- Thurs Sep 12 | 6pm - 7pm | Virtual Webinar | California Friendly Watershed Wise Landscaping
WRD Eco Gardener Program
Class Offerings
Watershed Wise Landscaping Basics
This class is the foundation for designing a garden that uses the principles of gorgeous and watershed-wise landscaping: building a healthy living soil sponge, holding rainwater on the property, selecting local native plants that minimize water use and maximize biodiversity, and managing the irrigation.
Drought-Tolerant Gardens
Learn how to identify critical steps for successfully designing a drought tolerant landscape. Topics include developing a palette of climate-appropriate plants with a focus on California natives, applying key design principles, and laying out a successful planting plan.
Small Space Gardening
Be it a small yard, patio, or even containers, discover the many opportunities to create inviting gardens. Learn about design tips around container and plant selection, hardscaping opportunities, and creating garden rooms in limited outdoor spaces.
Rainwater Capture
It’s not about how much rain falls from the sky, but how much rain your landscape can hold on to. This workshop focuses on nature-based solutions for passive and active capture of rainwater in your landscape. Discussion includes considerations in selecting a site-appropriate rainwater capture method, designing swales and berms, and directing water into and out of rain gardens.
Edible Gardening
As food prices increase and the nutritional value of vegetables decreases, creating your own successful edible garden is more valuable than ever. Topics include growing vegetables and herbs in planters, optimizing soil health for maximum benefits, successfully irrigating edibles, and planning for all year-round plantings.
Landscape Transformation on a Budget
For many, removing turf and replacing it with a Watershed Wise landscape is overwhelming and cost prohibitive. This workshop helps attendees understand the expenses, prioritize the choices, and determine how to minimize costs. Learn when to invest in a landscape professional and when to get creative with materials and techniques.
Gardening Myth Busters
With so much information available, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. This class covers common landscape misconceptions that may surprise you. We’ll discuss what plants really need to thrive, the benefits of working with natural systems, and lots of myths about irrigation.
Irrigation Fundamentals
These days we can’t afford to waste a single drop of water. This class teaches you how to make the most of your irrigation system. Topics include understanding the role of soil in optimizing irrigation, the nuts and bolts of how an irrigation system works, and converting to more efficient irrigation systems.
Revitalize Your Traditional Garden
(aka Coming up Roses) With so much focus on removing turf and installing new Watershed Wise gardens, what about helping our ‘traditional’ gardens thrive? In this workshop we’ll cover how to maintain traditional ornamental plants such as roses, boxwood, and camellias by building healthy soil, managing irrigation, and protecting vital trees and shrubs in times of drought.
MAILING LIST OR HOST VENUE REQUEST
To sign up for our Eco Gardener mailing list, please click the link below and share your contact information. If you would like to host a class in your city, you can also use the form to request more information on partnering with WRD.
Host Venue Request Form: we are updating our class request form and will post it when available