SMWD: Upcoming Events

A thriving garden brightens any home – and saving water and money while improving your yard is a sure way to bring a smile to your face.

As part of SMWD’s Operation Conservation program, a series of free Home Gardeners Workshops are available to SMWD customers to assist in reducing outdoor water usage. The four Thursday evening classes – March 18, April 15, June 3 and July 15 – are taught through a series of slides, hands-on demonstrations, displays and exercises at the District’s office at 26111 Antonio Parkway in Las Flores. Refreshments will be provided and classes are limited to 50 attendees. We’d love to see you there!

To make a reservation, please call Tina Trotta at (949) 459-6645 or email martinat@smwd.com.

California Native Plants

When:		Thursday, March 18 6:30pm-8:30pm
Where:		SMWD Headquarters 26111 Antonio Pkwy, Rancho Santa Margarita
RSVP:		Contact Tina Trotta at 949/459-6645 or martinat@smwd.com to register.

SMWD’s California Friendly and Native Plants Workshop takes the guess work out of gardening with native plants. The workshop introduces you to 25 common and useful plants that are drought tolerant, and provides an in-depth look into which plants work best in the garden. Selected clippings of various plants will be on display, and a book with useful information about each of the plants will be available.

Landscape Sprinkler Systems

When:		Thursday, April 15 6:30pm-8:30pm
Where:		SMWD Headquarters 26111 Antonio Pkwy, Rancho Santa Margarita
RSVP:		Contact Tina Trotta at 949/459-6645 or martinat@smwd.com to register.

The class looks at major design and maintenance principles of both overhead (pop-up) sprinklers and drip systems. Some topics to be discussed are California’s water supply, types of drip irrigation systems and maintenance for sprinkler systems. A variety of sprinklers will also be on display.

Soils, Watering & Fertilizing

When:		Thursday, June 3 6:30pm-8:30pm
Where:		SMWD Headquarters 26111 Antonio Pkwy, Rancho Santa Margarita
RSVP:		Contact Tina Trotta at 949/459-6645 or martinat@smwd.com to register.

How long should you run your sprinklers? How does soil condition affect plant growth and watering? This helpful class will answer these questions and more. Other topics include how to select fertilizers and how to conduct a relatively simple irrigation system test on lawn areas using coffee cups. Control clocks (timers) will also be available for an instruction on programming.

Efficient Irrigation

When:		Thursday, July 15 6:30pm-8:30pm
Where:		SMWD Headquarters 26111 Antonio Pkwy, Rancho Santa Margarita
RSVP:		Contact Tina Trotta at 949/459-6645 or martinat@smwd.com to register.

This class provides valuable tips on how to irrigate your landscape more efficiently so that your plants get the water they need while preventing runoff. The principles of efficient irrigation is also covered, as well as system uniformity, maintenance, pressure and evapotranspiration (ET).