Beautiful Gardens Do Beautiful Things!
Creating a beautiful garden to improve water quality, benefit pollinators, or protect your shoreline is what the Landscaping for Clean Water program is all about!
One of the Dakota SWCD’s programs for Dakota County residents is Landscaping for Clean Water which includes free educational classes, garden design courses, natural shoreline and garden maintenance classes, and grants for homeowners that install a raingarden, native garden, or native shoreline planting. The goal of the Landscaping for Clean Water program is to teach residents how to beautify their yard while also protecting local water quality and providing habitat for pollinators.
Dakota County residency is not required to participate in the classes; however, grants are only available for Dakota County residents and Ramsey County residents within the Lower Mississippi River Watershed which includes the west side of the City of Saint Paul.
For a visual overview of the LCW program, please click on the image to the right.
Scroll down for additional program information and to REGISTER!
INTRODUCTION CLASS
The Landscaping for Clean Water Introduction Class focuses on general water quality practices of raingardens, native gardens, and shoreline stabilization.
We provide an overview of Minnesota’s watersheds and our local water quality challenges, providing beautiful and practical ways to reduce runoff pollutants from your yard that might be contributing to water quality issues, along with improving pollinator habitat.
The Landscaping for Clean Water (LCW) Introduction Class is FREE, and registration is open to everyone. You only need to attend the LCW Introduction Class in person or online, one time – no need to repeat if you decide to enroll in the Design Course!
This class is a pre-requisite for enrolling in the Design Course.
There are five Landscaping for Clean Water Introduction classes scheduled; one online live class and
four in-person classes. Please see details and register below:
| Day / Date | Location | Time | Registration Opens January 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, February 20 | Burnsville – City Hall | 6:00 p.m. | Watch here for registration links |
| Monday, March 10 | Apple Valley – Municipal Center | 6:00 p.m. | |
| Monday, April 7 | West St Paul – Dakota Lodge, Thompson County Park |
6:00 p.m. | |
| Tuesday, May 6 | Online | 6:00 p.m. | |
| Monday, June 2 | Farmington – Library | 6:00 p.m. |
DESIGN COURSE
The Landscaping for Clean Water Design Course helps residents like you create and install beautiful landscaping projects that are unique to your yard! This course is a great opportunity to learn about garden planning from the experts, whether you are interested in finding out about site design, plant selection, raingarden installation, or adding native plants to the landscape.
After completing the Landscaping for Clean Water Introduction Class, you are eligible to enroll in the Landscaping for Clean Water Design Course. While the Landscaping for Clean Water program is open to anyone, the $250 cost share grants are only available to Dakota County residents and Lower Mississippi River Watershed Maintenance Organization residents in Ramsey County.
Design Course Online Learning Materials will be provided to all participants for project planning at home. In addition, we offer six in-person Design Course options in two 2-hour blocks or one 4-hour block.
There is a $25.00 registration fee for the Design Course that includes a copy of the Blue Thumb Guide to Raingardens book, a Design Folder including aerial property maps, design tools, online instruction materials, and one-on-one help.
Are you a returning Design Course participant?
Register again for the Design Course and the FEE is WAIVED!
APPLY FOR A $250 GARDEN GRANT!
At the end of the Design Course you will have a complete garden project planned and ready to install. You then have the opportunity to apply for a $250 cost share grant, funded by Dakota County watershed organizations. The grant (paid at completion of project) includes in-person site visits at your property and technical assistance from our staff available to you throughout the installation process.
2025 grants will be awarded in three rounds, as follows:
| 2025 | Application Date | Project Completion |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | April 30, 2025 | July 11, 2025 |
| Round 2 | June 4, 2025 | August 11, 2025 |
| Round 3 | July 16, 2025 | October 3, 2025 |
Registration for the 2025 Design Courses ends on Wednesday, June 22nd.
NOTE: The Landscaping for Clean Water Introduction Class is a pre-requisite for enrolling in the Design Course.
Design Course registrations made before the Intro Class has been taken will be cancelled and the registration fee returned.
Register for 2025 Classes Below
| Design Course Option | Date | Location | Time | Registration Opens In January |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online Materials Only | Ongoing | Anywhere | At your leisure | Register Here |
| In-person Class (w/online materials) |
March 18 & 20 | Burnsville City Hall | 6:00 -8:00 p.m. | Watch here for registration links |
| In-person Class (w/online materials) |
April 8 & 10 | 8th – Mendota Heights Fire Station 10th – Mendota Heights City Hall |
6:00 -8:00 p.m. | |
| In-person Class (w/online materials) |
April 21 & 28 | Eagan City Hall | 6:00 -8:00 p.m. | |
| In-person Class (w/online materials) |
May 9 | Farmington, SWCD – Extension & Conservation Center |
||
| In-person Class (w/online materials) |
May 19 & 21 | Lakeville, Water Treatment Facility | ||
| In-person Class (w/online materials) |
June 23 & 25 | Rosemount, Police & Public Works Campus |
6:00 -8:00 p.m. |
NATURAL SHORELINE CLASS
Do you own a shoreline in Dakota County? The Dakota County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) will host a Natural Shoreline Class in collaboration with the Lower Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization (LMRWMO). We will show you how a natural shoreline installed with native plants can protect your shoreline, beautify your property, and provide habitat for pollinators and aquatic animals. We’ll talk about the process to install such a project, necessary permits, as well as technical assistance and grants to make it a reality. There is no charge to attend this class.
In-person Natural Shorelines Class
Monday, April 14th
Thompson Park Dakota Lodge, West St Paul
1200 Stassen Lane
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
GARDEN MAINTENANCE CLASS
Join us for a Garden Maintenance Class that will provide season specific information on how to maintain and promote the health, performance, and beauty of your garden. The Garden Maintenance Class applies to raingarden, native garden, and native shoreline planting projects and will be held live virtually.
2025 Maintenance Class
Virtual Live – Thursday, March 6th
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. with time for questions after the presentation
The Garden Maintenance Class is provided FREE and open to all – Dakota County residency is not required.
THANK YOU TO OUR WMO PARTNERS
