Cascadia Conservation District

native plant garden

Native Planting 101 Recordings

Native Planting 101 Recordings

Incorporating native plants into your landscape

Mel Asher: Native Plantings: Getting Started!

Don Schaechtel: Lessons Learned From 14 Years of Native Plant Gardening

Presentation PDF

Weed Management Plan Templates by Julie Sanderson

Additional weed resources:

Betsy Dudash: Using Native Annuals in Your Landscape:

Al Murphy: Using Plants Adapted to our Xeric and Changing Climate:

March 1 @ 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Drought Tolerant Alternatives to Lawns – Mel Asher

Mel will describe how to establish eco-friendly ground covers, as an alternative to irrigated lawns in your home landscape, including how to correctly seed native grasses and flowers.

Presentation Slideshow HERE

Drought-Tolerant Alternatives to Lawns
by Mel Asher (Derby Canyon Natives- 
[email protected]

USFS Seed Zone Map- https://www.fs.usda.gov/wwetac/threat-map/TRMSeedZoneMapper.php

March 15 @ 7:00-8:00 PM – Using Native Plants to Create a Fire-Resistant Landscape – Al Murphy

Al Murphy will discuss the advantages and methods of using native plants to provide a fire-resistant landscape and reduce the potential loss of structures in a wildfire prone environment.

“Using Native Plants in a Fire-Resistant Landscape” by Al Murphy

March 29 @ 7:00-8:00 PM – Panel Discussion and Q&A

The 4 presenters will discuss topics and questions provided by workshop participants.

Presentation Materials HERE

March 8 @ 7:00 – 8:00 PM – Creating Wildlife Habitat in Your Home Landscape – Betsy Dudash

In this session, Betsy will discuss the elements of a successful habitat, introduce several plants (especially shrubs) that work well locally, and suggest some spots in your yard for transforming into a wildlife oasis.

Presentation Slideshow HERE

“Creating Wildlife Habitat in Your Home Landscape”
by Betsy Dudash- 
[email protected]

March 22 @ 7:00-8:00 PM – Heritage Gardens: What Are They and How to Create One. – Liz Jackson

Discover what makes Heritage Gardens of the Columbia Basin unique from other native plant gardens. Liz will describe examples such as; using water-smart techniques, highlighting culturally significant plants, and a plant list that meets the certification criteria.

Presentation Slideshow HERE

“Heritage Gardens: What Are They and How to Create One
 by Liz Jackson- 
[email protected]

2025 NATIVE PLANTING 101

This FREE virtual workshop will be held via Zoom every Wednesday evening in March at 7:00 PM. Register here! 

Local experts will discuss how to incorporate native plants into your landscape (if that means a small in-town patio, or an expansive rural homestead). Using native plants can reduce water use and improve water quality, create habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, provide color and contrast throughout the year and be used to reduce wildfire risks.

This year’s speaker line-up:

Soil plays a vital role in planting. “The right plant in the right place.” In this talk, Betsy will introduce the basic soil types, explore the benefits and challenges for plants growing in them, and introduce you to some native plants best suited to each. She’ll also address if, and how, you should amend your soil.

Mel will discuss the basic concepts of using natives in the home landscape, including plant selection, design, planting/seeding, and watering. She will also discuss the challenges of landscaping in the Inland Northwest, and potential pitfalls to avoid when using native plants.

Three years ago Natalie bought a 100 year old bungalow in the middle of Yakima. She will describe how she transformed the standard city lot, which had almost nothing but some grass and a few invasive trees. She will show how each section of the lot has been adapted to dry gardening, traditional perennial border, vegetable garden and shrub border, that will require minimal maintenance and water in the future.

Al Murphy is a Master Gardener and a retired forester. He spent his 37-year career with the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management working in most of the western United States and Washington DC. Al spent over 20 years on National Fire Overhead teams. While working for the BLM, at the National Interagency Fire Center, he provided financial and technical assistance to local communities throughout the west. He has received multiple national awards recognizing his leadership in interagency fire management. Assisting communities in reducing losses from wildland fires has been Al’s passion for many years.

Native Planting 101 Workshop background information

Native Planting 101 workshop provides participants with benefits and methods of incorporating native plants into their home landscapes.
This free virtual workshop features local plant and natural resource experts and includes:
  • Alternatives to lawns
  • Pollinator and Wildlife Gardening
  • Firewise Landscaping
  • Heritage Gardens
Specifically tailored to our lands in Chelan County!

Previous years topics have included; “How To Get Started with Native Plants”, “Using Native Annuals in Your Landscape”, “Drought Tolerant Alternatives to Lawns”, “Creating Wildlife Habitat in your Home Landscape”, “Using Native Plants to Create a Fire-Resistant Home Landscape”, “Native Plant Selection and Maintenance” and “Using Plants Adapted to our Xeric and Changing Climate”.

 

Questions? Contact [email protected] or (509) 436-1601

Thank you to the WA Department of Ecology for funding staff time to host this workshop series!

Check out the resources below for more information on native planting.

  • The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation –  www.xerces.org