Eco-Friendly Design: Transforming Lawns into Living Habitats

What You Will Learn

Transform lawns into thriving, pollinator-powered ecosystems that cut maintenance and boost soil health. This course demonstrates how thoughtful plant selection and strategic, layered planting create resilient, low-input plant communities that largely take care of themselves.

What you’ll learn:

• Ecological Foundations: How ecosystems function and why planting layers matter
• Species Synergy: How carefully chosen combinations support pollinators, improve soil health, and reduce irrigation, fertilizers, and other inputs
• Design Concepts: Practical methods to turn ecological principles into actionable planting plans that utilize existing conditions and are easy to maintain
• Transition Strategies: Steps to move from traditional landscaping to a nature-forward approach that sustains biodiversity and beauty with less effort

Course outcomes:

• Build pollinator-friendly landscapes that bloom across seasons and provide reliable habitat
• Develop soil health through diverse, complementary plant communities and organic matter cycling
• Create low-maintenance designs that conserve water, reduce inputs, and are aesthetically stunning
• Produce actionable planting plans tailored to your site, climate, and upkeep goals

Focus: Foundation of ecological landscaping

course outline