Lawn Replacement

Transforming a lawn into a water-wise garden is a great way to conserve water while growing food, medicine, habitat, and community! Our program offerings walk participants through the process of transforming lawns on their own from start to finish, and include topics like sheet mulching, converting irrigation from sprinklers to drip, setting irrigation timers for low-water use plants, determining a water budget, and selecting the right native and/or water-wise plants.

Graywater Systems

In the state of California, installing a graywater system is a great way to reuse wastewater generated from bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines to water non-food plants in a household landscape. Installing a graywater system on your own can be intimidating, so we offer an assortment of in-person hands-on workshops, tours, and online webinars to give participants the skills, tools, and resources they need to feel confident installing a system. Our graywater programs include graywater basics, designing a system, permit considerations, and appropriate plantings.

Rainwater Harvesting and Rain Gardens

Being water-wise isn’t just about using less water, it’s about being really smart with the water we do have! Our rainwater programs give participants the skills, tools, and knowledge to Slow, Spread, Sink and Store rainwater on their landscapes, using both in-ground and above-ground techniques. Our program offerings include designing rain gardens, building swales and basins, installing rainwater tanks and barrels, and applying mulch to increase the water holding capacity of the soil.

Garden Design & Installations

A good design is the cornerstone of an ecological garden. Our garden design programs equip participants with the skills and considerations they need to draft up their own designs. We host programs that offer an overview of the design process and even multi-day workshops to support participants in reaching final designs that cover everything from base mapping to plant selection, hydrozoning and earthworks. Additionally, we offer several garden installation workshops each year, giving participants hands-on experience with sheet mulching, installing irrigation, and planting, so that they can feel confident implementing their own garden designs.

Soil Health & Carbon Sequestration

Healthy soil is a natural resource that is worth investing in to slow down climate change and prevent drought. Soil regeneration has so many benefits, including creating channels for micro-organisms to thrive, increasing carbon sequestration, preventing erosion, growing healthier plants and increasing water retention! Our soil programs teach participants how to nurture healthy soils through sheet mulching, plant selection, keeping soil covered, and avoiding certain landscaping practices.