This year the first day of Fall is on Saturday, September 23, 2023. For some of us, Fall means the shortening of daylight hours, the changing colors in our gardens, and Back-to-School. The Fall 2023 Watershed Approach to Landscaping Series schedule has been announced and we have your information and links below. Registration opens on August 1st at 9am.

This series of classes is based on the Watershed Approach to Landscaping philosophy with the purpose of engaging the public in current thinking on conservation practices and assisting home gardeners in the step-by-step process of creating their own beautiful, environmentally sensitive, water-wise landscapes. The Watershed Approach to Landscaping booklet is published by the Marin Municipal Water District and is the textbook for this program, provided to students at no additional cost. This series includes the six workshops listed below. Each workshop is $69, or take all six classes for $334 (and save $80)!

Watershed Approach to Landscaping textbook, Marin Municipal Water District

Series: Watershed Approach to Landscaping Fall ’23

Take all six classes for $334 and save $80.

Register here

Design Inspiration: Gardening with a Sense of Place

Learn about the environmental qualities that make Marin such a special place—the watersheds in which we live and garden, our varied microclimates, our native plant communities and the wildlife they support. We will look at plant specimens and plant types, focusing on the special attributes that allow them to survive in our Mediterranean climate. With this knowledge, you will be able to create a garden that truly reflects a sense of place within your own watershed.

5956 | Torgovitsky | IVC | 
Saturday 10:10am-12:30pm | Sept 9

Register here

Designing Your Home Landscape

Whether you envision your garden to be for entertaining, quiet relaxation or family fun, sustainable landscape design is a collaboration between the needs of the designer and the needs of the earth. Learn the basics of successful landscape design and how to create a site plan and planting plan for your home garden that both reflects your vision and supports our environment.

5957 | Draheim | KTD |
Saturday 10:10am-12:30pm | Sept 16

Register here

Design Your Garden as a Mini Ecosystem

Identify and plan for the environmental factors influencing your garden design decisions. Explore climate zones, hydrozones, microclimates and shade/sun patterns. Learn the basics of mapping your yard as a sustainable mini-watershed system, designed for rainwater capture and dispersement.

Irrigation Hydrozones

5960 | Draheim | KTD |
Saturday 10:10am-12:30pm | Sept 23

Register here

Irrigating Efficiently: How Much Water Does Your Garden Need?

A plant’s type, location in the landscape, and the local climate all play a major role in determining its irrigation needs. Learn to determine how much water your plants need and when they need it. Learn the basic components of an irrigation system, which types are best for your garden, and how to set an appropriate irrigation schedule.

garden irrigation

5962 | Draheim | KTD |
Saturday 10:10am-12:30pm | Sept 30

Register here

Building Healthy Soil in Your Garden

Healthy soil is a living ecosystem that supports all other life on earth. Learn about the basic soil types common in Marin and how they can be improved with easy methods mimicking natural processes. You’ll also learn about different styles of home composting, the simple science behind decomposition and how to best maintain a healthy, vigorous garden using only organic, sustainable practices.

Lose your lawn and build healthy soil

5963 | Torgovitsky | IVC | 
Saturday 10:10am-12:30pm | Oct 7

Register here

Planning for Marin Gardens

Choosing the right plant for the right place is key to a successful garden. In this class you will learn about pollinator and butterfly gardens, gardening with deer and wildlife, fire-resistant plants, plant communities appropriate for different garden types and tips on maintaining these gardens. You will learn what resources we have in our area to purchase native and Mediterranean landscape plants and a bit on how to propagate them yourself to begin a home watershed garden.

A Swallowtail butterfly nectaring on Coyote Mint

5965 | Torgovitsky | IVC |
Saturday 10:10am-12:30pm | Oct 14

Register here

See you in class!