Show them desirable landscapes (from their perspectives) that also meet the standards of what you are teaching.

Native plants are often the subject in my area. One problem that I see is that the teachers are so focused on getting excited about them being native that they see beauty in anything native. Then they show slides of very drab looking plantings thinking everyone else is going to be just as excited. The earthy crunchy folks are, but that is preaching to the choir. Others begin to think that all native plantings will look like boring and they wind up turning otherwise receptive people off.

Appeal to the heathens. Make them want the low water plants for any and every other reason than because they should. Make it about beauty and make the water issue the "oh by the way, this is also responsible". Tell your students to go out there and show the world beauty and function that is also sensible rather than having them preach responsibility and leave beauty and other functions as an after thought.

Just a thought.

Just an idea,

Do you have any pictures of existing gardens using primarily native plants, cultivars or sustainable, non invasives for your area. Nothing unkempt or weedy of course.

I've done a couple talks and that's what I use in my slide show - specifically pictures of native gardens (here in the Midwest) that have been maintained - that's key because otherwise folks get kind of scared if they look overgrown and it really puts them off.

I always include pictures with lawn included because realistically most folks are not going to rip up the entire lawn. Plus the lawn acts as a nice foil. Another trick is I always make sure the beds have a nice clean edge on them before I snap pictures which makes everything that much tidier looking.

But for the purists (and there's always a few in the audience) I do include a few pictures of what can be done if you decide to go all out and take out the entire lawn and go all native.

Hi GoNativeGal! That's a great idea, including at least a little green grass, and you can't beat a finished edge for a polished look to any landscaping endeavor.

My sister is one of those people who think natives look like weeds. I would include any ideas on alternatives to thirsty plants, not necessarily natives, and include information on the issue of non-invasiveness, and how it differs for different areas, where to get more information (websites, cooperative extension agency links, etc.).

Familiarize them with the High Country Gardens catalog. Good pictures of (stunning) xeric plantings and even a couple of landscaped yards. Also, they have a good discussion of three planting zones--the closest to the house uses the most water, then out to the most xeric.

For most people, it's a question of becoming familiar with previously unfamiliar plants.

It's as much about water management as it is about plant selection.

Try to grow more plants than you have water to sustain them and you have a bunch of sick plants. Reduce the number of plants to half and they can look lush.

If water equals money, then any runoff should be prevented. Proper use of grade and modification of soil physical properties can accomplish this.

Where rainfall is limited, increasing the hardscape area with 100% runoff and concentrating the water to a small area can support even some plants that are water hungry.

Even in dry climates you will find native plants that look poor, while down the road the same natives will be lush. Study the local conditions to understand why that is.

Show them how beautiful xeriscaped gardens can be, but, at least here in the drought-striken SE, soil preparation is totally different and this should be stressed. It is not just about plant selection. For example, you just can't pull up the petunias and replace them with Russian sage or any other drought-tolerant perennial. What a miserable failure that would be. Good drainage for these types of plants is key.

I've done waterwise gardening classes like this numerous times. You've gotten some great ideas but 1-2 hours is such a short timeframe to be able to present what is a fairly complex topic so you need to be precise in how you go through the material.

One thing that always gets attention from the start is if you can provide them with some stats on water usage and how that can be reduced with waterwise gardening. Most people are oblivious to the impact they, and more particularly their landscapes, have on the environment and providing them with a few facts and figures can be a real eye-opener. I'd also agree that you need to slide into the plant selection portion, so address what can be done to their existing garden to reduce water usage - proper watering techniques (time of day, duration, most efficient delivery system, etc.), soil amending/conditioning, timing/need for fertilization, grouping plants with like needs, mulching. Then gradually slide into perhaps rethinking plant selection - avoid saying they shouldn't plant thirsty, water loving plants (that always gets their back up) but suggest that they limit them and consider grouping them to a single area that can be watered separately. Since these most often include annuals and veggies, that makes a certain amount of sense anyway.

Waterwise plantings do not always need to be xeric plants - the concern is to many that having a waterwise landscape will limit them to cacti, succulents and a few scrungy natives in a bed of gravel. This is simply not true. Many common landscape plants are very drought tolerant once established and also many home gardeners are not aware of the diversity and attractiveness of many native and/or xeric plants. Do your research, visit local nurseries and compile a list. If possible, bring samples. And do present a visual depiction of what a well designed waterwise garden looks like - slides or large photos are great.

You are right in thinking some of your biggest resistance will be from those unwilling to reduce or give up their lawns. In arid areas or those that regularly experience drought, our attachment to a thirsty, environmentally unnatural lawn is awkward and counterproductive. You will need to focus on how to get around this big stumbling block and slides or photos illustrating how this can be attractively approached with things like hardscaping, drought tolerant groundcovers, dry stream beds, or other plantings, etc. can be very helpful.

It relates to a different area so the plant selections will differ, but check out the So. California waterwise gardening site. There are some wonderful photos included in this that you may be able to use. This is a class situation where words are not going to carry the day. Yes, you will able to communicate a lot of this verbally, but visual aids are going to be what convinces your attendees that they can still have a lush looking, attractive landscape by selecting waterwise plantings and following waterwise gardening techniques. Make sure you include in your handouts a plant list with both common and botanical names - homeowner class attendees will never remember specific plant names without it :-))

Here is a link that might be useful: waterwise gardening gallery

I think it's great that Utah is starting to get behind the xeriscaping movement. Good for you for trying to encourage others in this. Living in Nevada we are doing the same thing here.

There does appear to be something wrong with being the second dryest state and also the second biggest water user. I like the term desert denial. Most of your "students" may be of the mindset to make the desert blossom like a rose rather than really accepting that most of Utah is a high desert and there just isn't enough water for everyone to have a yard that looks like it was transplanted from back east.

In the desert landscaping classes I have attended there has been information offered such as turf uses a lot of water, sprinklers waste more water than drip irigation, here's a list of drought tolerant plants you can replace your turf with. This is all good but can be intimidating when you go home and wonder where to start and after you remove your lawn exactly what on this list do you put where.

I know it isn't considered good landscaping but might help a few people get started if you included in your handouts some sample plans showing exactly what can be put in the place of that lawn and some pictures of nice xeriscapes. The more specific the better so they can visualize that it is possible for them to create a nice xeriscape yard. Here dry streambeds and gravel of different sizes and colors with desert plants are very popular.

Here's a part of our no lawn low water use yard.
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I think it would be nice to also add a series of pictures showing a sample water wise garden in the following phases: before, during (installation) and after pictures and if possible some showcasing the same garden after the first and second growing season.

Also, more importantly a list of places where you can procur some of these plants - because it's kind of hard to find them at Home Depot.

Thanks for all the great suggestions thus far! You've confirmed some of my initial thoughts and given me other things to think about. I am not AT ALL a purist about using 'native-only' plants. Most people talking about xeriscaping are the purists as was so well described by a poster above. That is absolutely not me. If it can survive in reasonable conditions and it's a hybrid something or other- I'm totally fine with that. I want to sort of 'give permission' for others to be okay with it too.

One weakness I've seen with efforts around here is the 'all or nothing' thinking. It must be a 'traditional' landscape OR a full-out xeriscape. The reality is that people will have to be brought along more slowly. We reduced our lawn area by 1/2 last year. I would have cut it more but we have small kids- I'll reduce it more as our life circumstance (and budget) change. Still, if we could get MOST people to cut back their lawn by half- that would be a tremendous savings.

I have also planned to cover irrigation since waterwise plants really are only one factor. I am a landscape design professional for a design/build firm. My boss will also be at the class to help people cover the 'how' to make the change. Another weakness of classes I've seen in the past is that they tell you what to do but don't help too much in figuring out how to get from 'A' to 'B'. People leave with grand ideas but no earthly idea of where to start to make it happen. My boss will lend his expertise in converting landscapes to the discussion.

As you've all mentioned, lots of photos will also be key. I thought I'd open with some examples of lush waterwise landscapes mixed with lush traditional perennial borders and see if anyone can figure out which is which. Debunking the idea that it's cactus, brown plants, and lava rock or nothing is a paramount objective.

I'll start working on the picture-heavy power point presentation. I'm also going to bring some of my full-color residential plans I've done as examples so they can look them over and get ideas.

Keep the ideas coming- I want to put together a really good lecture because I suspect I'll be giving it frequently so it will be worth the time spent.

Oh- and Mohavemaria, I absolutely agree with you. The Conservation Garden Park will actually be the largest conservation-only themed garden in the US when we finish it. It's going to be a tremendous resource for community education and I'm quite excited to be a part of it.

I don't know if this book will help or not, but it was designed for the Contra Costa County area, an inland valley area in the SF Bay Area that has higher summer temps, less water than the coastal counties. It's colder in winter, but not as cold as you get in UT and NV, so I'm not sure how useful it will be in specific plant suggestions. It's an extremely beautiful book with photos that were designed to appeal to homeowners accustomed to the traditional lawn-and-shrub look, and make them realize one can have that look in less thirsty plants.

Another point - most people grossly overlook the health of their soil in conserving water. The old proverb of having a dollar, spending 90 cents on soil and 10 cents on plants, is still very true and waterwise also. We replaced our hideous native soil with 6-8" of high quality compost, plus I mulch every year. It's astonishing how little water our cottage garden takes. Plus, I use soaker hoses with quick-couplers, which really works well. I set a timer for 2-3 hours and forget about it. The next day move the main hose to another bed, set the timer again - no fuss, no trouble.

I don't like automatic systems since our weather is so changeable - cooler weather needs less water, obviously. Our garden beds are full of flowers and greenery and can get by with a deep soak (emphasize THIS - too many people water sparsely and thinly!) every 7-14 days.

In one bed I didn't replace the soil, and I've noticed that bed takes twice as much watering as the others. It just doesn't hold the moisture as well.

You're doing a great service, so good luck to you!

Here is a link that might be useful: EBMUD: Plants and Landscapes for Summer Dry Climates