The city of Savage and the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District will be holding a Rain Garden Education Workshop for local residents on Wednesday, May 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Savage City Hall (6000 McColl Drive). The workshop will be taught by Metro Blooms with local landscape ecologist Rusty Schmidt.

This Part A workshop, in Savage and elsewhere, will teach attendees how to design and install rain gardens; effectively use native plants, trees and shrubs; and employ eco-friendly lawn care practices, including redirecting downspouts and minimizing or eliminating fertilizers. Attendees will receive a packet of support material. The cost to attend the workshop is $10 per person.

Those who attend the Part A workshop may also sign up for one of the 10 small-group (Part B) coaching seminars, in various locations, which furnish individual help with rain garden design. The cost for the coaching seminar is $10 per person. At the seminar, participants may schedule an on-site consultation with a design assistant for $40. For dates and locations of the Part B seminars and plant sales, see www.metroblooms.org [1]. The site can also be used to register for Part A and Part B workshops.

By mail, send a check payable to Metro Blooms to Noelle Hechtman, 3629 Quebec Ave. S., St. Louis Park, MN 55426. Include name, address and ZIP code, phone number with area code, e-mail address (if you have one) and the workshop number that you wish to attend.