Hayward hosted a free water efficient landscape class at the Main Library on Saturday, November 14, 2015. Cosponsored with the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, these classes provide residents with practical information and ideas for designing, installing and maintaining landscapes that are colorful, attractive, and water efficient.

The Water Wise Edible Gardening class was attended by about thirty people and focused on reducing water needs for seasonable vegetable gardening. Along with a traditional class lecture, participants each received a “cool season” vegetable to plant in their own pots to take home. The instructor, Frank Niccoli, has written the curriculum for numerous classes at Foothill College.
Having the class held in the Main Library was also an excellent opportunity to promote the Seed Lending Library, which operates as a community seed exchange in which borrowers are able to “check out” a wide variety of vegetable and flower seeds to plant in their gardens.
Additional landscape classes are expected to be held in the spring. The dates and topics will be announced as soon as the information is available. Customers will be notified with an insert in their water bill, as well as through other means such as the City’s website and Nextdoor, a neighborhood social network.