Classes
Metropolitan now offers free virtual classes in landscape design and irrigation principles to help you plant, care for and maintain a beautiful water efficient garden. Choose from several class themes to address your garden’s needs. All classes are led by Green Gardens Group virtual instructors.
California Friendly® and Native Landscape Training
This training helps you design a beautiful garden using California Friendly® and native plant landscaping principles.
Learn how to:
- Implement the watershed approach in your yard
- Create a living soil sponge that holds on to water
- Treat rainwater as a resource by contouring the land to capture it
- Select and arrange plants to maximize biodiversity and minimize water use
- Control your irrigation to minimize water waste
Schedule of Classes
Introductory Video
Produced by Green Gardens Group
Turf Removal and Garden Transformation Workshop
Removing grass from your yard can sound like a big task. This workshop is here to teach you how to transform thirsty grass into a beautiful, climate-appropriate water efficient garden.
Learn how to:
- Evaluate your landscape’s potential
- Plan for your garden transformation
- Identify the type of turf grass in your yard
- Remove grass without chemicals
- Build healthy living soil
- Select climate-appropriate plants that minimize water use and maximize beauty and biodiversity
- Implement a maintenance schedule to maintain a beautiful garden
Schedule of Classes
Introductory Video
Produced by Green Gardens Group
Garden Design Workshop
A watershed garden is designed to capture and retain as much rainwater as possible. This workshop covers the critical steps needed to successfully design your own watershed-wise landscape.
Learn how to:
- Contour your garden to help capture rainwater
- Create a list of climate-appropriate plants for your garden
- Place plant symbols on a site plan to address plant needs, plant function and basic design guidelines
Schedule of Classes
Rainwater Capture
Learn how to make rainwater stay in your garden. This course reviews best practices for capturing rainwater to help keep it in your landscape.
Learn how to:
• Select appropriate rainwater capture methods
• Site and size raingardens
• Manage water entering and exiting a rain garden
• Maintenance and troubleshooting
Schedule of Classes
Irrigation Basics & Water Use Efficiency
This course covers best practices for irrigation and water use efficiency in your garden.
Learn about:
• Overview of an irrigation system
• Irrigation and the soil moisture balance
• Typical irrigation problems in the landscape
• Converting to drip irrigation
Schedule of Classes
Drip Irrigation Maintenance & Troubleshooting
Help your plants thrive with appropriate irrigation techniques. This course teaches you how to make drip irrigation systems more efficient.
Learn how to:
• Understand soil moisture balance
• Identify key components of a properly installed drip system
• Avoid common obstacles and challenges
• Develop a successful maintenance practice
Schedule of Classes
Deciphering Your Irrigation Controller
Irrigation controllers help run your watering system. This course teaches you all about the type of controllers available to you.
Learn about:
• Irrigation’s role in maintaining a soil moisture balance
• Purpose and potential of weather-based controllers
• Basic terminology and programming principles
• Special functions (cycle & soak and seasonal percentage changes)
Schedule of Classes
California Friendly® Maintenance Guide
The Waterwise Garden Guidebook
To find your member agency, register for a class, or find additional classes, follow the link below. This search only finds providers in Metropolitan Water District’s service area.
Find My Agency