You're invited to free workshops to help King County homeowners rethink landscape design ideas, get tips for building healthy soil, lawn care, natural pest control and even rain gardens.
Garden professionals will share design tips and ideas for healthy, natural yards at workshops on Nov. 10 and 17, 2016. Workshops are 7-9 p.m. at the Maple Hills Elementary School gym, 15644 204th Ave. S.E.
Register at naturalyardcare.org and click "Workshops," or call 206-686-6427 and provide your name, phone number and address.
The first workshop, "Beautiful Landscapes Start with Good Design and Growing Healthy Soil," features Doug Rice, landscape architect and former co-host of "Yard Talk." Rice will offer professional advice and resources in garden design. Lisa Taylor, formerly with Seattle Tilth, will discuss how to improve your yard's soil — and grow attractive, robust plants — by mulching, composting and top dressing.
The second workshop features rain gardens, natural lawn care and natural pest control with Ladd Smith from In Harmony Sustainable Landscapes. Smith will discuss rain garden designs and natural ways to grow a beautiful, healthy lawn. Dan Corum will share the latest advice about the best products, methods and tools for controlling pests, learned during his years as "Dr. Doo" at Woodland Park Zoo.
Natural yard care workshops provide tips from the pros to help homeowners reduce pesticide and fertilizer use that can harm health and pollute stormwater.
Natural yard care and rain gardens can also help slow and absorb rainfall that rush off changed landscapes and create flooding or other problems.
Workshops are sponsored by King County's Stormwater Services.