LAKEPORT – Sky Hoyt brings to Mendocino College's home landscaping class a unique, local perspective on growing plants.

Lake County has many circumstances that require special interpretation of "mainstream" gardening information. Soil texture, structure and fertility receive attention. Irrigation water quality is a concern for many gardeners. Wildlife pests (critters) are also an issue for some gardeners.

Utilizing 25 years of small farm and nursery experience in Lake County, as well as 12 years of nursery experience in Sonoma County, Hoyt attempts to integrate scientific agricultural information with common everyday gardeners' observations and intuition.

Students will be encouraged to observe and respond to landscapes. A recurring question in this class is "How does this landscape make YOU feel?" There are no right or wrong landscapes in this class. A gardener's landscape is their personal choice! This class will help you make that an informed choice!

Learn about hundreds of types of trees, shrubs, vines, flowering plants and food plants adapted to Lake County conditions. An important aspect of this class is learning about science based methods to estimate garden water use. This combined with basic irrigation management will allow gardeners to optimally water their landscapes while reducing waste, thus conserving their precious water resources.

Students will learn 20 different aspects of their garden environment and will be encouraged to consider thirty different types of "wants" for their garden. Students will evaluate their own resources for landscaping.

AGR 54-Home Landscaping class begins Feb. 2 and ends April 27. It runs Tuesdays 5:30 p.m. to 8:20 p.m., and the following five Saturdays: 9 a.m. to noon, Feb. 3, Feb. 20, March 6, March 20 and April 17.

Call the Mendocino College Lake Center at 707-263-4944 for more information.