Space is limited to 30 participants so register early. Groups of 3 or more are eligible for a discount.

Overview

How can your landscape improve the quality of our groundwater? What can be done to reduce watering needs and reliance on city water? What can be done about that wet spot in your yard?

In this class you will learn where your landscape fits in our larger watershed and how it can improve the health of our urban streams and groundwater. Through hands-on exercises, you will learn how to design and implement rain gardens and prairie gardens as parts of an elegant ecosystem that enhances the beauty and resiliency of your landscape.

At the end of the class you will be able to:

• Describe our water and prairie heritage.
• Design swales and rain gardens to maximize water use.
• Mitigate wet areas in a landscape.
• Design a pond.
• Build a rain garden.
• Establish a native prairie garden with minimal effort.

All attendees will receive a copy of the Iowa Rain Garden Design and Installation Manual.

Teachers

Fred Meyer and Liz Maas are the primary teachers. Guest speakers include Amy Bouska, Jason Grimm, and Jeff Smith. All teachers are passionate about helping residents improve our neighborhoods through the elegant design of water flow systems. See teacher biographies.

Excellent pre-classes

• Any introductory permaculture course.
• Seeds of Sustainability: Gain a fundamental ecological worldview that enhances learning and skills in all other classes.
• Design an Abundant Landscape: Learn how to design an entire landscape.

Excellent follow-up classes

• Create an Edible Landscape: Learn how to implement your design and choose plants for your garden beds.

Also of Interest

• Purchase rain barrels
• Learn more about rain gardens