Idaho Master Gardeners’ Summer Horticulture Class Series Presents:
Water-Wise Gardens: Creating Beautiful, Drought-Resistant Gardens, Landscapes and Meadows will be held on Tuesday, July 26, from 6 to 8 pm at the Coeur d’Alene Library Community Room. The cost is $10 per person and pre-registration is required.
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – Water rationing in the home landscape may be a reality in the near future as drought conditions worsen in the western U.S. The University of Idaho, Kootenai County Idaho Master Gardener’s Summer Horticulture Class series is offering a class to home gardeners to help them learn how to create efficient irrigation systems, water more efficiently, and incorporate native, drought-resistant plants into their landscape.
How gardens and landscapes are watered is key to being water-wise. BiJay Adams, General Manager of the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District, will lead the discussion on efficient watering practices and discuss how to create an efficient irrigation system or how to retrofit a system already in place.
“Outdoor irrigation is the single largest use of potable water in the United States,” Adams said. “Through education and planning, landscapes can be well maintained using 30 to 50% less water.”
The class will cover how to improve the design and efficiency of your irrigation system to keep your landscape healthy and save you money. Efficient irrigation systems protect the quality of our water by reducing runoff and keeping pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and automotive fluids out of storm drains, drywells, the aquifer and river.
The class will also provide suggestions and designs for incorporating specific, drought-resistant, native plants into the home landscape. “When people think of drought-resistant gardens, they often imagine a yard full of rocks and succulent plants, or xeriscaping,” said Kara Carleton, program coordinator for the Idaho Master Gardener program. “But that’s not what drought-resistant means in Northern Idaho. We have many beautiful native flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees that are low maintenance and drought-resistant once established. Being water-wise doesn’t mean you have to remove your lawn. “It’s entirely possible to have a lawn and garden and still be water-wise,” said Carleton. “There are several types of turf grasses that are drought-tolerant with the right care.” The class will also offer suggestions and show samples for drip system designs, alternatives to turf grasses, native plant flowerbed designs, and tips for creating and maintaining a sustainable lawn while supporting the health of our soil, waterways and our aquifer. CEUs for professionals who attend may be available, contact us for details.
To register for Water-Wise Gardens: Creating Beautiful, Drought-Resistant Gardens, Landscapes and Meadows visit: https://tinyurl.com/yuy8p5eh for online registration and payment, or call 208.292.2525, or download the registration form at www.uidaho.edu/extension/
You may also utilize and share this QR code to spread the word about registering for all of our current class offerings in Kootenai County.