Workshop introduces landscape possibilities

The South Platte Natural Resources District staff is preparing to host Landscape Wise, a workshop for urban homeowners wanting to learn more about practices to maximize the use of water, fertilizer and the land around their homes.

Scheduled for Saturday, April 27, the workshop will be held at the South Platte NRD offices, 551 Parkland Dr. in Sidney. It will provide inside how-to information on a variety of subjects, and weather permitting, will also go outdoors for hands-on practice and application of methods introduced at the beginning of the day.

“As an organization, the NRD is installing some of the practices we’ll be talking about during the workshop,” says Ryan Reisdorff. “Being able to have hands-on training as part of our workshop is something new, and we’re excited with the opportunity.”

Reisdorff administers the Section 319 grant from Nebraska Dept. of Environmental Quality that makes the workshop possible. Such grants focus on maintaining water quality, which is also the workshop’s main interest.

Rain gardens – their design, installation and use – comprise the bulk of the workshop. Reisdorff says rain gardens come in all shapes and sizes, and the workshop will show how the average homeowner can make a difference even on a small scale.

“Rain gardens are planted landscape (flower) beds that capture rain/storm water from impervious surfaces such as roof tops or driveways,” says Reisdorff. “These gardens are meant to catch the rain water for the benefit of plants and infiltrate the water slowly rather than having it pass rapidly over an area, which has many environmental benefits.”

He said for many homeowners who already have flower beds or other landscaping near down spouts, rain gardens may be more easily added to the landscape concept.

The workshop will cover the basic concepts of rain gardens, design/placement/do’s and don’ts, and plant selection.

Another practice, the use of rain barrels, can be used by homeowners to reduce costs associated with landscape watering. Rain barrels catch runoff from parts of a roof, saving it for beneficial use when it might otherwise become runoff.

Tree Planting 101 will begin inside with information on the best trees for use in our area, along with general information on planting and care.

The last part of the workshop will be held outdoors, where speakers will give on-the-ground demonstrations and give participants the chance to try their hand with the practices. Among the illustrations will be tree planting, where participants will see common mistakes and how to avoid them to ensure better results for long-term tree health.

Registration for the workshop is from 7:45-8:00 a.m. and the workshop should conclude by noon. While not required, those wishing to attend may pre-register by calling the NRD at 254-2377.