The “Replace Your Lawn” (RYL) Workshop Series returns to Tree of Life Nursery this October!
All workshops start at 9:30 am on Saturdays in October. Attendance is free and no reservations are necessary.
Saturday October 3 – Planting Season Kickoff! Two Workshops…
We will be kicking off planting season with our popular Replace Your Lawn (RYL) Series as well as a tasting of native plant teas.
9:30 am – RYL I: Kill Your Lawn
The first step in transitioning to a more sustainable garden is removing your water hungry lawn. However, killing your lawn can be more involved than you would expect (depending on the type of grass you have) and the methods to get rid of a lawn are quite varied. Avoid unnecessary labor and learn several successful methods for lawn removal, depending on your turf type, budget, and timeline. Join Designer in Residence Rama Nayeri as she gives this practical, easy-to-follow talk about how to remove your lawn to make way for a fresh and more sustainable landscape.
10:30 am – Native Foods: Making Tea with Native Plants
Native foods expert Abe Sanchez will be at Tree of Life with an assortment of teas made from California native plants. Come try these soothing and refreshing teas and learn which plants you can use at home both in the garden and in your kitchen!
Saturday October 10
RYL II – Design Elements
Join Designer in Residence, Susan Trindle, as she gives this design talk about how to create a cottage garden look using California Native plants. Susan is an experienced landscape designer who has successful gardens planted all over Southern California. Come learn some of the design tools of the trade to implement in your own garden projects.
Download the handout Susan will go over in her talk below.
California Cottage – Susan Trindle
Saturday October 17
Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (OC-CNPS)
Membership Appreciation Day
The Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society will be at Tree of Life Nursery to celebrate membership to this statewide environmental organization. Members will be available to share their extensive knowledge of natives and to help you find the right plants for your yard. They will also be giving informative talks throughout the day on Plant Selection as part of our Replace Your Lawn series. The public is invited to join us and learn about the benefits of membership (like receiving 10% off all plant purchases at Tree of Life) while also getting some great plant advice! Sign up to be a CNPS member (or renew your membership) and receive a free plant or seed packet!
RYL Part III – Plant Selection Talks by OC-CNPS on October 17
9:30 – Coastal Influenced Gardens
David Pryor, Biologist and Ranger at Crystal Cove State Park, will cover plants that live naturally and beautifully along the immediate coast and into highly coast influenced Sunset Zone 24. Come learn how you can beautify your coastal garden!
10:30 – Creating a Woodland Theme
Join Dan Songster, co-founder of the Golden West College Native Garden, as he teaches you how a relaxing, multi-storied woodland garden can surround your home and save water at the same time.
11:30 – Coastal Sage Plants Bring Life to Your Garden
Orange County’s lower elevation predominant plant community, coastal sage scrub, contains a range of textures, aromas, flowers, and fascinating insects to enliven our gardens. Join speaker Jutta Burger, Ph.D. and Irvine Ranch Conservancy managing director of science and stewardship, as she teaches you how to incorporate this fascinating community type into your landscaping project.
1:30 – Goldilocks “Just Right” Plants for Your Yard
Brad Jenkins, former president of the California Native Plant Society will go over plants for Orange County that balance aesthetics, low water use, nativeness, availability, nature value, and garden friendliness in his Goldilocks talk.
Saturday October 24 
RYL IV – Creating and Caring for Your Native Garden
Now that you have killed your grass, and you are working on your design, what are you supposed to do? Designer in Residence Rama Nayeri will share from our booklet, “Creating and Caring for your Native Garden.” Topics will range from site and soil prep to planting, watering, pruning, and troubleshooting problems. Join us and you will learn how to create a thriving and enjoyable native garden. As we have practiced for years: “Maintenance is what you do for your car, you CARE for your plants!”
Saturday October 31
Replace Your Lawn V – Tour of Nursery Gardens
Come get inspired for your landscape project by seeing beautiful native plants in our nursery gardens. We will lead a tour of the nursery gardens and provide insightful discussion about how to get started with native gardening. On the tour you will be inspired by our mature native plantings, by seeing some of our newer plantings and by our extensive knowledge and abundant enthusiasm.
Featured Photo Credit: Sarah Bryant, Tree of Life Nursery © 2017