Knowledge is power: those who are not professional landscapers may still want to know a thing or two about landscaping!

Today, a number of states, including California, Arizona and Nevada, have been experiencing drier conditions or have been classified as being in the midst of droughts. Many water districts in these states have been vigilantly monitoring drought susceptibility and precipitation patterns thus encouraging residents to adopt water conservation efficiency measures. One of the most interesting ways to learn about water efficiency practices and conservation on a daily basis is by enrolling in a free landscaping class as offered through many water districts and cities.

In the West, the following are just a few of the major water districts offering free landscaping courses:

• The Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC): Class topics include how to “design and maintain a California friendly landscape,” “improve your irrigation system to decrease water waste and runoff,” and “incorporate California friendly and native plants into your landscape.”
• The San Diego Water Authority (SDWA): SDWA oversees the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College. Visitors are encouraged to come to the demonstration garden and see how they can learn to improve their landscape and watering practices. The garden is home to plenty of water-saving classes which cover specific topics on landscaping, responsible gardening practices and even some on embracing artistic principles in the garden!
• The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD): this one is of particular interest as you can improve your landscaping skills without even leaving the comfort of your home. MWD directs visitors to water-smart gardening and landscaping classes, either online or in person. The MWD offers courses on water conservation and plant care/selection, efficient irrigation techniques, plant identification courses and more. Interested individuals can simply enter their zip code on the website and find the closest in-person class to their residence, or enroll online online.
• The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) offers tips on landscaping in a drought, designing and planning landscapes with lower water-use plants and watering groups for your specific Nevada region. Landscaping tips on pruning, compost, soil and fertilizer and more are also offered completely free of charge. The SNWA also offers free professional landscape designs to incorporate and emulate.
• The Arizona Water Company (AWC) teaches about Xeriscape (planting native and/or lower water-use plants in drier regions), efficient irrigation practices and responsibly planning for a garden with minimum water runoff.