Smart gardening workshop

Now that summer is here, homeowners are taking time to beautify their yards with plants, flowers, trees or even a vegetable garden.

Smart Gardening, provided by the county of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, is a program that offers easy ways to create a great looking yard while conserving water, energy, time and best of all . . . money.

Residential yard waste adds up to more than 20 percent of what we send to our landfills in Los Angeles County alone, officials said. When Smart Gardening techniques are used, yard waste is reduced since much of it is recycled using compost and other techniques.

To help residents learn more about Smart Gardening, backyard composting, worm composting, grass recycling, waterwise gardening and fire-wise gardening, there will be workshops throughout the county, including one at Gates Canyon Park in Calabasas. The local workshop is from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Sat., Aug. 25 at 25801 Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Call (888) CLEAN-LA or visit www.smartgardening.com.