Living Landscapes weaves together time spent at the Panther Creek Nature Center and time spent in your own backyard! This program takes place over 2 separate days. Day one is focused on getting out to the Panther Creek Nature Center and exploring our gardens and farm areas. The second day takes place in your own backyard! This program will begin in fall 2025!

The goal of this program is to give each participant an understanding of our local ecosystems and how to promote these healthy systems at home. This includes an understanding of the local animals, soil, weather patterns, flora, and fauna of the central piedmont. Once this baseline is understood, we can start implanting these lessons at home! So, what does this program look like in practice?

Day 1 ($30)

Day one takes place at Panther Creek Nature Center. Typically, this first day is scheduled on Saturday mornings from 9:00-12:00. Day 1 consists of a group of 12-15 adults, led by landscape designer & instructor, Eliza Lawdley. The group will have the opportunity to walk around the Panther Creek Nature Center and learn various different gardening techniques. Participants will tour our:

Vegetable/herb gardens

Pollinator gardens

Rain gardens & constructed wetlands

Perennial gardens (trees, shrubs)

At the end of Day 1 all participants will have a sound understanding of the types of gardens that can be grown in our area (the central piedmont). Participants will also get to take home a native tree or shrub!

Day 2

Day 2 takes place in your own backyard! Each participant that joined us for Day 1 can schedule this visit individually. The goal of Day 2 is to translate gardening lessons from Day 1 into your own backyard. Participants can get professional advice on;

Building new gardens

Installing irrigation systems

Constructing rain gardens or cisterns

Other gardening projects

At the end of Day 2, each participant will have a clear idea of how to improve their own, personal garden space. Some individuals will be in the early stages of starting their own backyard or community gardens. Others may be seasoned gardeners that need help planning the next step. Whatever the challenge, our Living Landscape program can lead to exciting new developments!

The cost of Day 2 depends on the scale of the project. You can visit our “Services” page to learn more about landscape design consulting. For participants of the Living Landscape program, there is a large discount on consulting fees. Please contact Eliza to learn more.