The Coastal Gardener:

Do you need to learn how to conserve water in your garden? Wondering about how long, how much and when to water your landscape? Do you want to be a leader in the neighborhood, but not sure where to start?

I’m afraid that you’re not alone — gardens are often a place where water is misunderstood and misused.

Is your water bill getting bigger and bigger; beginning to rival your electricity, gas or telephone bills and still rising?

If these and other water issues are important to you, then you should attend a free homeowner workshop on water conservation Thursday evening at the Newport Beach Central Library.

For the second year I have been invited to help teach the participants at this two-hour class how to not only conserve water, but also garden in a “greener” and more sustainable way.

The myth of a water-conserving garden being a barren, dusty, desolate, thorny or rocky wasteland is regrettable, and we will attempt to dispel these notions.

I believe a garden should be very, very alive — not at all dead or sterile. Instead a garden should be buzzing and bustling, not with the activity of professional gardeners, gas lawn mowers and leaf blowers, but with the more appropriate activities of insects, birds, butterflies and the natural world.

Seasons should display themselves in all their qualities in a garden. The garden should keep the homeowner always watching and involved — perhaps in awe of what is before them at that moment, but also in anticipation of what is to come, and in reflection about what has passed.

A great garden will draw you into it, both visually and emotionally and will bring you back for more, over and over again. It is not a painting, it is an organism. It will occupy all your senses, including touch, smell, sound and even taste.

All of this is achievable in any of our gardens. More importantly, this kind of garden can be had without excessive amounts of water, runoff, pollution or chemicals.

This Thursday, during my portion of the evening, participants will learn 20 specific techniques and suggestions to conserve water and other resources in their gardens, usually with less effort, time and money than they are currently investing.

Over time, my experience is that when a garden is well acclimated to its locale and following at least a few simple, sustainable maintenance techniques, it will be far less costly than most other gardens.

In addition to my presentation in the Friends Meeting Room, several companies and agencies will be on hand to meet with homeowners and answer questions about timely topics, such as organic nutrition, soil mulches, water harvesting, irrigation and low water plants.

Wendy Proud, of Mountain States Nursery, a provider of many new, innovative trees and shrubs that are well adapted to the arid southwest, will bring examples of several of these plants and lead a discussion about how they can be used in local gardens.

The workshop is free, but reservations are requested to (949) 644-3214, or you can send an e-mail with the number attending to [email protected]. Attend the WaterMiser workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave.

Ask Ron

Question: I made a bird feeder last year and started feeding birds in my garden. I can’t believe all the beautiful birds I’m attracting and it’s a real joy every single day. But I don’t like all the seed shells and waste on the ground. I guess it’s not hurting anything, but do you have any suggestions?

Carol

Costa Mesa

Answer: You’re right, the seed waste won’t harm anything, but it will build up after a while. In my own garden I mostly use a “waste-free” seed mix. This is a nice blend of several seeds that will attract a large variety of birds, but there are no shells or chaff to litter the ground. What does get kicked out of the feeder is quickly eaten by other birds on the ground. I’ve also used straight safflower seed, which is inexpensive, has no waste and comes with the advantage of not being attractive to blackbirds or squirrels. It won’t attract quite as many birds, but is still a delight for house finches, sparrows and even woodpeckers. Other no-waste bird seeds include shelled peanuts, hulled sunflower and cracked corn.

ASK RON your toughest gardening questions, and the expert nursery staff at Roger’s Gardens will come up with an answer. Please include your name, phone number and city, and limit queries to 30 words or fewer. E-mail [email protected], or write to Plant Talk at Roger’s Gardens, 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625.

RON VANDERHOFF is the nursery manager at Roger’s Gardens, Corona del Mar.