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Classes & Events
SMWD Educational Workshops
Santa Margarita Water District is proud to present hands-on workshops and classes by landscaping and design professionals.
Succulent Fountain Workshop: 
JOIN US IN PERSON!
Learn from a local landscape pro about how to convert a recirculating fountain into a stylish focal element. This in-person workshop will include tips to retrofitting an existing fountain or converting a new one to a succulent planter. We will be converting a tiered fountain in the SMWD WaterWorks Garden for this demo.
This 1.5-hour workshop will cover:
- Choosing a Fountain
- Soil and Drainage
- Succulent Plant Options and Irrigation Techniques
- Voucher for discounts at Stephen's Gardens (New Location!)
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO JOINED!
Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7 PM
This virtual workshop covered:
- The importance of trees in the landscape
- How to prioritize trees on your property
- How to plant and care for trees
- 3-ways to adapt your irrigation system to keep trees watered Note: Attendees of this class will receive a voucher to pick-up a free Soil Moisture Probe or full color Landscape Maintenance Guide.
ACCESS THE RECORDING TO SEE WHAT YOU MISSED: LINK TO VIDEO / Use Password: smwdtree
Designing Your Landscapes With Style:
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO JOINED!
Learn about SMWD's custom garden style templates from our in-house landscape architect. We will inspire you with 5 climate-friendly garden style templates: Cal Native, Meadow, Southwest, Mediterranean, and Home Orchard. And review how to apply our templates to any size landscape project. This in-person workshop will include a tour of the SMWD WaterWorks Garden.
Friday, Nov. 4th at 1 PM
This 2-hour workshop will cover:
- What is a Climate-friendly Landscape
- 5 Garden Style Templates
- Design Tips for Success
- WaterWorks Garden Tour
- Landscape Rebates
Deciphering Your Irrigation Controller
Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 6 PM
In this workshop you will learn how to:
1. Understanding irrigation's role in maintaining a soil moisture balance
2. Outline the purpose and potential of weather-based controller
3. Review basic terminology and programming principles
4. Identify special functions, i.e., cycle & soak and seasonal percentage changes
Reserve your spot today
Drip Irrigation Fundamentals
Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 PM
In this workshop you will learn how to:
1. Understanding Soil Moisture Balance
2. Key components of a properly installed drip system
3. Typical problems with drip and how to avoid them
4. Developing a successful maintenance practice
Reserve your spot today
Irrigation & Water Use Efficiency
Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 6 PM
In this workshop you will learn how to:
1. Overview of an Irrigation System
2. Programming a Controller
3. Why Drip Over Spray
4. Easy Ways to Conserve Water
Reserve your spot today
Rainwater Harvesting
Thursday, Dec. 15 at 6 PM
In this workshop you will learn how to:
1. Select a rainwater capture method
2. Swales and Berms
3. Cisterns
4. Rainwater storage sizing and calculations
Reserve your spot today
CA Friendly & Native Plant Landscape Training (Part 1)
Upcoming Dates: 12/13, 1/10, 1/26
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (Part 1)!
In this workshop you will learn how to:
1. Look at your yard as a mini-watershed
2. Build healthy, living soil
3. Hold rainwater on your property
4. Select local native plants that minimize water use and maximize biodiversity
5. Control your irrigation to minimize water waste
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (Part 1)!
Turf: Remove, Replace or Maintain it Organically (Part 2)
Upcoming Dates: 12/8*, 12/14, 1/5
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (Part 2)!
*This class is offered in Spanish
In this workshop you will learn how to:
1. Evaluate your landscape and plan your garden transformation
2. Identify the type of turf grass in your yard
3. Remove grass without chemicals
4. Build healthy, living soil
5. Implement a maintenance schedule
Click Here For Class Details and Register
MWD Garden Design Workshop (Part 3)
(Must have attended either Part 1 or Part 2 to enroll.)
Upcoming Dates: 12/6*, 12/8, 1/7
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (Part 3)!
*This class is offered in Spanish
This is a 90-minute webinar, 75 minutes of instruction and 15 minutes for questions.
In this class you will learn how to design a successful watershed wise landscape:
1. Sizing and siting the rainwater capture area
2. Developing a palette of climate-appropriate plants
3. Applying key design principles
4. Laying out a successful planting plan with hydrozones
Click Here For Class Details and Register
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Workshops & Classes by Others
SAMLARC Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation
Upcoming Workshops – View full schedule.
11/7/2020 Landscape Planning Workshop – RSM Homeowners learn more about SAMLARC Design Review Guidelines and planning a new landscape project from start to finish in this live recorded virtual class. View full workshop.
Tree of Life Nursery
The Tree of Life Nursery has a great series of workshops throughout the year. Without a doubt the most popular is their six-part series on how to Replace Your Lawn. View full workshop schedule.
OC Master Gardeners
The OC Master Gardeners host free workshops and interpretive native garden walks at Reata Park. View their events or call 949-809-9760.
California Botanic Garden
Located in Claremont, CA, the California Botanic Garden is devoted to California native plants, and all the wildlife and people who love them. They offer virtual classes year round. View their full class calendar.