Is Your Gardener A Green Gardener?

PHOTOS: This is a Santa Clara Valley garden “before” (all lawn, basically) and “after” as a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant landscape.

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From West Valley Clean Water Program:

Your landscaping provides more than curb appeal; it creates an outdoor living space that can have a big impact on your water consumption and your family’s health. Planting and maintaining a healthy and sustainable garden is easy when you hire a Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener.

If your current landscape maintenance service is not Green Gardener trained, you can let them know about the upcoming series of evening classes, starting Sept. 9th (English-speaking) and Sept. 10 (Spanish-speaking) in Sunnyvale, through Sunnyvale-Cupertino Adult Community Education.

One local resident who hired a Green Gardener trained landscape designer, and a Green Gardener trained installer said: “I couldn’t be happier. It is so low maintenance! We only water 45 minutes once a week using a drip system.” In addition to savings on maintenance, she received a rebate from Santa Clara Valley Water District for water savings based on replacing her lawn.

This resident is also enjoying other benefits from the new landscaping. “We had flowers all winter long. There’s such a variety of color and always something blooming.”

If you don’t already have a gardener, hire a “Green Gardener” – a complete list of trained Green Gardeners is available at www.mywatershedwatch.org/residents/green-gardener-program/find-a-green-gardener/

If you like your current gardener and are interested in having them implement more sustainable gardening practices, ask them to attend the upcoming Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener training. You might even be helping them to grow their business. To sign up for a class, call ACE registration at 408.522.2741.

Class information can be found at www.mywatershedwatch.org/residents/green-gardener-program/become-a-green-gardener/

After completing the training, your gardener will be ready to use sustainable landscaping practices, such as grass-cycling, seasonal irrigation controller programming, integrated pest management, mulching and more. Your gardener will also be able to select the right plants based on your local garden conditions.

Being a Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener has its advantages. Landscape professionals who complete this 10-week course enjoy the title of Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener and all the perks that come with it, including opportunities for continuing education, and promotion on the Watershed Watch Campaign website and outreach materials.

About the Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener Program

Classes are taught by Master Gardeners, and are currently offered in cooperation with Adult and Community Education (ACE) in Sunnyvale, through funding provided by the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP).

The 10-week training program is designed for landscape maintenance workers, landscape contractors, and professional gardeners. The training, conducted in separate English and Spanish sessions, includes topics like irrigation scheduling and troubleshooting, plant placement, pruning, mulching, compost, fertilizers, air quality and integrated pest management practices to reduce the need for pesticide use.

All gardeners who complete the required hours of attendance and successfully complete the final test will receive a Santa Clara Valley Green Gardener card and certificate of completion. Names of the graduates and companies they work for will appear on the Green Gardner website and will also be listed on distribution materials to the public.

This program has been in operations since April 2008.

About SCVURPPP

SCVURPPP is an association of 13 cities and towns in Santa Clara Valley, the County of Santa Clara and the Santa Clara Valley Water District who share a common permit to discharge storm water to South San Francisco Bay.

About Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County

Master Gardeners is a volunteer organization that supports the educational activities of the University of California Cooperative Extension and operates for scientific and educational purposes, promoting horticultural education and service to the community and provide continuing horticulture enrichment for its members.