Gardening Classes

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Mark Guthrie teaches a group of people in chairs surrounded by plants at a nursery.

The Saving Water Partnership sponsors free gardening classes each spring and fall to help you create and maintain beautiful, healthy landscapes that use water wisely. Classes are taught by landscape professionals who share practical guidance on plant care, soil health, and efficient watering practices.

Registration is now open! View upcoming sessions and reserve your spot today. We hope to see you there!

Designing Your Own Water Smart Permaculture Paradise 

What if your garden could thrive with less water and less work, while offering more function and beauty? In this interactive, plant-based seminar, we’ll use the nursery around us to explore how permaculture and water-wise gardening come together. Learn how to choose climate-adapted plants, build healthy soil, and design simple plant communities that conserve water and support life—so you can create a resilient, thriving garden with confidence. 

  • Date: Saturday, May 30
  • Time: 10:00 – 11:00 am
  • Location: West Seattle Nursery 
  • Presenter: Jessi Bloom, best-selling author and owner/lead designer of N.W. Bloom EcoLogical Landscapes 
  • To register: Register here
  • Questions? Email Maika Mattson at maika@westseattlenursery.com or call (206) 935-9276 

Resilient Native Plants: Combining Beauty with Water Conservation

Enjoy the resilient beauty of Northwest native plants. Naturally suited to our wet winters / dry summers, discover low-maintenance and water-saving wonders to add seasonal interest to our yards, year after year. Peggy Campbell shares favorites for sun, shade and part shade — along with tips to start them off right.

Knockout Gardens – Winning the War on Water Use 

Get inspired by plants that make a knockout statement when grown together. Learn how to create stunning plant marriages; how to use short plants to support taller specimens to avoid stakes or ties; and how to use trees and large shrubs already in your landscape as focal points to create gardens with seasonal interest that will knock your socks off. 

  • Date: Wednesday, June 17
  • Time: 6:30 – 7:30 pm
  • Location: Virtual 
  • Presenter: Marianne Binetti, author, NW horticultural expert, syndicated columnist, TV and radio host 
  • To register: Email kirstenk@kcwd90.com or call (425) 255-9600 

The Unthirsty Landscape: Drama without the Drinking 

Come learn new tips and techniques to use less water but still have a beautiful landscape! You will learn how and when to water your container gardens, shrubs, and flower beds to keep them healthy without wasting water. You will also learn how to mulch, which mulch you should use, and how to catch rain to water your plants. 

  • Date: Thursday, July 9  
  • Time: 6:30 – 7:30 pm
  • Location: King County Water District #90 Office | 15606 SE 128th St, Renton, WA 98059 
  • Presenter: Marianne Binetti, author, NW horticultural expert, syndicated columnist, TV and radio host 
  • To register: Email kirstenk@kcwd90.com or call (425) 255-9600 

Container Gardening Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t have a ton of space to garden? Want to liven up your porch or deck?  Popular gardening educator Marianne Binetti will share her tricks for growing glorious gardens in compact containers.  Learn the most sustainable ways to fertilize, water, and design with containers.

  • Date: Saturday, July 11
  • Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • Location: West Seattle Nursery
  • Presenter: Marianne Binetti, author, NW horticultural expert, syndicated columnist, TV and radio host
  • To register: Register here
  • Questions? Email Maika Mattson at maika@westseattlenursery.com or call (206) 935-9276

Automatic Sprinkler Systems – How to Water Your Yard and Garden Efficiently 

Have an in-ground irrigation system? Thinking about installing one? Do you want to reduce your water bill while maintaining a beautiful garden and landscape? Mark Guthrie, Landscape Water Efficiency Program Manager for the Saving Water Partnership, will explain how you can make your irrigation system more efficient and use less water. Topics include how to set your irrigation timer, choosing the best irrigation equipment for watering plants, and how to use your water meter to check for leaks.  

  • Date: Wednesday, July 15
  • Time: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
  • Location: King County Water District #90 Office | 15606 SE 128th St, Renton, WA 98059 
  • Presenter: Mark Guthrie, Landscape Water Efficiency Program Manager for the Saving Water Partnership; ecoPRO Certified Landscape Professional; Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor 
  • To register: Email kirstenk@kcwd90.com or call (425) 255-9600 

Fall and Winter Chores to Make Your Spring Gardening Easier

The fall season is the best time to prepare for the spring! Ladd Smith will teach fall natural yard care techniques that will ease your spring labor. Learn what to do if you have poor soil, how to improve your soil with mulch, the benefits of trees and native plants, and the best practices for planting in the fall.

Fall and Winter Chores to Make Your Spring Gardening Easier 

The fall season is the best time to prepare for the spring! Ladd Smith will teach fall natural yard care techniques that will ease your spring labor. Learn what to do if you have poor soil, how to improve your soil with mulch, the benefits of trees and native plants, and the best practices for planting in the fall. 

For other local class offerings, please click on the following links:

Other Local Classes