From Yard to Habitat: Transforming Home Landscapes

Timed for fall planting, learn to create beautiful, functional landscapes that support wildlife through native plants and ecological design.
About this Event

The residential landscape presents a unique opportunity to positively impact local ecosystems while creating spaces that are functional, resilient, and visually appealing. Many homeowners face challenges such as water management issues, invasive plant pressure, erosion, and underutilized outdoor spaces. At the same time, thoughtfully designed landscapes can provide critical habitat and food sources for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife increasingly under pressure in our fragmented environments.

In this engaging and practical session, John Hemmerle, founder of Our Land Organics, shares real-world case studies and a collaborative design framework used to heal the land, solve site challenges, and create enjoyable outdoor living spaces through organic and ecological practices.

You will learn:

• A practical framework for balancing ecological impact, functionality, and aesthetics in residential landscapes.
• How to address common site challenges such as drainage issues, erosion, and invasive species through ecological design strategies.
• Approaches for removing invasive plants such as honeysuckle and wintercreeper and restoring landscapes with dense native plant communities.
• How pollinator-supportive plantings can be intentionally woven into residential landscapes to support bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects while also creating seasonal beauty and visual interest.
• Ways to thoughtfully incorporate hardscaping elements such as patios, pathways, and gathering spaces into ecological landscapes.
• Strategies for implementing complex projects through phased planning, budget-conscious decision making, and homeowner involvement opportunities.

Whether you are working with a steep hillside, a front yard overrun with invasives, or a compact blank slate, this class will expand your vision for what is possible. You will leave with practical insight and inspiration to begin stewarding your land in ways that can improve ecosystem health, support pollinators and wildlife, enhance daily life, and potentially increase property value.

Agritourism Warning: Under Ohio law, there is no liability for an injury to or death of a participant in an agritourism activity conducted at this agritourism location if that injury or death results from the inherent risks of that agritourism activity. Inherent risks of agritourism activities include, but are not limited to. the risk of injury inherent to land, equipment, and animals as well as the potential for you as a participant to act in a negligent manner that may contribute to your injury or death. You are assuming the risk of participating in this agritourism activity.

*By signing up and/or attending any of our programs, you are agreeing to the above policies.