DESIGN IDEAS TO SHRINK YOUR LAWN

Explore the possibilities of less lawn with award-winning author Evelyn Hadden! In her colorful presentation "Design Ideas to Shrink Your Lawn" you'll encounter fresh ideas from large-scale (Stroll Gardens, Woodland Gardens, Lawnless Front Gardens) to small (Welcome Gardens, Herb Gardens, Island Beds), and you'll return to your own yard with a renewed sense of its possibilities.

Are you interested in using landscaping to lower your heating and cooling costs? What about different ways to catch and soak up runoff before it creates pooling, erosion, and other problems? Want to plant some edibles, create more privacy, add habitat for birds or butterflies? Or do you just want a dose of inspiration to help you design a new garden area?

• Where to start if your family is uncertain about shrinking the lawn,
• How to add outdoor "rooms" and what they get you,
• Native plants, hardscapes, and other low-maintenance elements,
• Functional plantings that solve problems and provide services, and
• Many models for lawnless landscapes.

Hadden introduces many strategies rather than supplying detailed instruction in any particular one. For instance, she won't take you step-by-step through the process of building a Rain Garden or give you a list of appropriate plants. Instead she describes Rain Gardens and how you might use them, showing real-life examples. You'll also see examples of Swale Gardens, Shoreline Buffers, different styles of Slope Gardens, and other ideas that can address runoff depending on your site, your situation, and your preferences.

Across the country, people are gaining variety, year-round interest, birds and butterflies, and relief from the routines of mowing and watering. Let their landscaping ideas inspire you!

ECO-FRIENDLY GARDENS

Help your garden to function more like a self-sufficient natural community.  Award-winning author Evelyn J. Hadden presents new information about how to encourage natural processes like nutrient cycling, drought tolerance, runoff absorption, and insect population control.

See many examples of healthy, sustainable landscapes that are also comfortable and rewarding places for people to spend time in. Eco-friendly ideas include Rain Gardens, Slope Gardens, Vegie & Herb Gardens, Pavement Islands, and more!

• Who lives in your soil?
• Why are decomposers essential for healthy natural communities?
• What services can a well-designed landscape provide for you?
• How can you let nature do more of the work?

This talk is specifically designed for gardeners who want to add sustainability and wildlife habitat, as well as functionality and beauty, to their gardens.

2-PART SERIES

Schedule two talks for even more impact and in-depth learning. DESIGN IDEAS TO SHRINK YOUR LAWN will get your mind bubbling with new ideas for your garden, and ECO-FRIENDLY GARDENS will show you how to implement your ideas in a sustainable way, for maximum benefit to you, your land, and your wildlife visitors.

Note that these talks have "perennial" names, but they are frequently updated with new ideas, photos, and resources and will be customized to your desired length and audience.