Scholarships for this workshop are available upon request—please call (651) 699-2426 and provide your name, address, email, and the name of your preferred workshop.

What happens when you register?

When you register for this Blue Thumb Resilient Yards workshop, you're signing up for a live virtual workshop. You'll also receive a series of online learning modules to watch beforehand at your convenience. These lessons will prepare you for your workshop, presented on Zoom. The learning modules include:

  • Live virtual workshop on September 20th, 6-8 pm

  • Pre-recorded video presentations by the Co-Directors of Design at Metro Blooms Design+Build

  • Recommended at-home assessment activities to enrich your workshop experience

Lesson Topics

The eleven modules will provide you with foundational knowledge to enhance your learning at the workshop.

  • The modules cover:

    Conservation Challenges, Resiliency, Site Assessments, Downspout Redirection, Why Native Plants?, Designing with Native Plants, Raingardens, Trees and Shrubs Overview, Designing with Trees and Shrubs, Landcare for Native Plants, and Turf Alternatives.

What happens at the workshop?

We'll meet at the workshop on Zoom, where a landscape design expert will elaborate on the concepts covered by the online modules, before you join a designer in a breakout room to discuss your yard in particular. To get the most out of the experience, we highly recommend:

  • Watching all eleven video recordings, which will answer many of your general questions.

  • Completing the recommended at-home activities; these will likely give you site-specific questions that you can ask our experts!

  • Helpful tip: If you are unable to complete all the content before the workshop, start with the Site Assessments module. This lesson will best prepare you for the workshop.

Learning Module Presenters:

Jennifer Ehlert

Landscape Designer + Co-Director of Design: Metro Blooms Design+Build

Jennifer has a Bachelor’s Degree in Plant Science + Sustainable Agriculture from Cornell University and a Masters of Landscape Architecture from North Carolina State University. She has worked on merging ecological and aesthetic principles in site design for 16 years, including commercial and public projects at CLH Design in Raleigh, NC, as well as stormwater-focused residential and commercial design in North Carolina and Minnesota. Her work at Metro Blooms combines her passions for plants and planting design with engaging and educating people about creating resilient and beautiful landscapes. Jen leads the design team at Metro Blooms Design+Build, ensuring that equity principles are incorporated throughout company culture and projects. She has a strong passion for this work, leading design on numerous affordable housing projects, and ensuring that design processes and implementation center resident voice, values and needs.

Rich Harrison

Registered Landscape Architect + Co-Director Of Design: Metro Blooms Design+Build

Rich Harrison is a Registered Landscape Architect with a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Minnesota. His work focuses on sustainable design, place making, and community development. Rich has worked on water quality issues for 21 years, including research at Mankato State University, working for the Met Council studying non-point source pollution, and research at University of MN focusing on transit-oriented development and organic Infrastructure. For Rich, on-site treatment of stormwater is the best way to prevent pollution and preserve our precious water resources, and he has focused his career on design. Rich believes that education and facilitating the understanding of how our actions impact our natural environment is critical to successful design.

Workshop Sponsors:

Dogwood Designs