Water Wise Gardening

Usually we have plenty of water in the maritime Pacific Northwest—sometimes we feel like we have too much of it. But during the summer months we live in a Mediterranean climate with dry summers and very little rain fall—a total average of only 1.3 inches for July and August, the two warmest months of the year. For the home gardener, increasing our understanding of water wise gardening helps with the water bill and very likely cuts down on garden chores.

If you want to feel more confident about your gardening skills, OSU is launching a new online Water Wise Gardening course that will cover the steps necessary to create a water-efficient garden: planning and design, plant selection, soil improvement, using mulch and turf, irrigation and maintenance. (This course accompanies WaterWise Gardening: Choosing the Right Plants.) This self-paced online course is approximately five to six hours long and you have six months from the date of registration to complete the coursework. WaterWise Gardening courses are taught by Oregon State University faculty and include access to a wealth of practical, research-based information and resources. Cost: $125.