No experience required! In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn how to operate a skid steer loader (often called a Bobcat). We’ll begin with essential safety training and a live demonstration, then you'll hop into the driver's seat to practice driving two different types of skid steer loaders. As you get more comfortable, you’ll also learn how to operate the loader bucket and practice loading loose materials into a trailer.

We’ll start slow and build your skills step by step—efficiency comes with practice! This workshop will feature both a small and medium-sized loader, generously provided by Rental Depot.

This class is part of MPC Horticulture’s “Get Your Gloves Dirty!” series, designed to teach you practical skills in a fun, supportive environment. Come join us and gain the confidence to operate these powerful machines!

This is an all-levels workshop, no prior experience is required.

Day: Saturdays

Mediterranean Plants

Ever wondered why some plants in your garden thrive while others struggle? This course will help you understand the secrets of successful gardening in a Mediterranean climate. You’ll learn about the five distinct climate zones and how to select plants that do well in our summer-dry, winter-wet conditions. We'll explore why hardy plants, including California Natives from the Central Coast, are perfect for your landscape.

Topics include designing a garden with California’s unique style, choosing drought-tolerant and low-maintenance plants, planning for seasonal color, and selecting plants that are fire-resistant. You'll also discover how to build a more resilient landscape that can stand up to the challenges of our climate.

The course includes a hands-on demonstration of planting techniques for perennials, shrubs, and trees, ensuring the best results for your garden. You’ll also get a chance to identify key plants in both slide presentations and live examples found on campus. 

This is part of MPC Horticulture’s “Get Your Gloves Dirty!” series, designed to give you hands-on, practical gardening skills. Join us and learn how to create a thriving, sustainable garden!

Ages 18+.

Day: Saturday

Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Dates: March 8, 2025

Location: Monterey Campus, 980 Fremont Street, Monterey, CA 93940

Room: TBD

Fee: $90

Register 2 or more students: $81 each

Join Today!

Instructor Bio

Juli Hofmann has a passionate interest in growing resilient plants and creating healthy soils, key principles of sustainable horticulture. She was an outreach member of the “Rot Squad” teaching composting and vermi-composting in the residential waste diversion program of the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (now ReGen). She has designed public demonstration gardens and serves as the president of the Marina Tree and Garden Club, inspiring the the cultivation of useful plants, and working with regional soils and micro-climates. Juli is a graduate of the MPC horticulture program and now teaches HORT 425 - Gardening Techniques, and, HORT 51 and 52, the courses that give students the knowledge base they need to successfully pursue further study in horticulture.  

Straw Bale Gardening

Looking for a quick and easy way to start a productive vegetable garden on the Central Coast? Join us for an innovative class on straw bale gardening! This flexible method allows you to create rich, productive garden beds using straw bales—perfect for growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers in just about any space.

In this class, you’ll learn how to prepare straw bales for planting using a simple 10-14 day fermentation process. We’ll cover everything from choosing the right site to setting up your beds, experimenting with different shapes and sizes, and selecting the best vegetable varieties for your garden. Plus, you’ll get hands-on experience with planting, maintaining, and harvesting your straw bale garden.

Whether you have limited space or just want an easy, efficient gardening method, straw bale gardening is a great solution. 

This is part of MPC Horticulture’s “Get Your Gloves Dirty!” series, designed to give you hands-on, practical gardening skills. Sign up today and discover how to grow a thriving garden with minimal effort!

Ages 18+.

Day: Saturday

Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Dates: March 22, 2025

Location: Monterey Campus, 980 Fremont Street, Monterey, CA 93940

Room: TBD

Fee: $90

Register 2 or more students: $81 each

Join Today!

Instructor Bio

Juli Hofmann has a passionate interest in growing resilient plants and creating healthy soils, key principles of sustainable horticulture. She was an outreach member of the “Rot Squad” teaching composting and vermi-composting in the residential waste diversion program of the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (now ReGen). She has designed public demonstration gardens and serves as the president of the Marina Tree and Garden Club, inspiring the the cultivation of useful plants, and working with regional soils and micro-climates. Juli is a graduate of the MPC horticulture program and now teaches HORT 425 - Gardening Techniques, and, HORT 51 and 52, the courses that give students the knowledge base they need to successfully pursue further study in horticulture. 

Greg Simmons, a lifelong gardener, started his professional horticulture career in Seattle attending Edmonds Community College and working as a landscape gardener for 10 years. Becoming more interested in the science of growing plants, he studied botany and earned a degree at the University of Washington and went on to earn degrees in ecology and evolutionary biology and entomology at the University of Arizona. After graduate school, he has worked an entomologist for the United States Department of Agriculture for over 25 years. His areas of expertise includes integrated pest management and biological control of invasive plant pests. He also works as an instructor in the Horticulture departments at Monterey Peninsula College teaching a class in integrated pest management and has taught several workshops on vegetable gardening in straw bales. 

More Beauty with Less: Saving Water in the Irrigated Landscape

Small changes can lead to big water savings in your garden! In this workshop, we’ll discuss ways to reduce water use while preserving the beauty and function of your landscape. We’ll cover a range of options, including simple steps you can take now as well as long term changes you may want to plan. We’ll use the MPC campus and get our gloves dirty (and wet). 

• Assessing and auditing your irrigation system

• Fixing leaks and replacing broken parts

• Upgrading to more water-efficient irrigation devices

• Choosing water-wise plants

• Creating hydrozones (grouping plants with similar water needs)

• Setting up an appropriate irrigation schedule (learn more in our Irrigation Scheduling workshop)

• Correctly programming your irrigation controller (see our Program Your Controller workshop)

• Capturing and using rainwater

By the end of this workshop, you’ll have the tools to make small but impactful changes to save water and improve the health of your garden. 

This is part of MPC Horticulture’s “Get Your Gloves Dirty!” series, designed to give you hands-on, practical gardening skills. Join us to start saving water and making your landscape more eco-friendly!

Please be sure to bring a pen, notebook, water bottle, sun hat, sunscreen, walking shoes, and garden gloves.

Day: Saturday

Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Dates: April 5, 2025

Location: Monterey Campus, 980 Fremont Street, Monterey, CA 93940

Room: TBD

Fee: $75

Register 2 or more students: $67.50 each

Join Today!

Instructor Bio

John Kern is a lifelong landscape professional, having worked as a designer, installer and teacher. He has taught landscape design, installation and maintenance since 1985. He has taught the landscape irrigation, landscape construction and firescaping classes in the horticulture program at MPC since 2018. He's obsessed with anything that makes landscape work easier, especially if it's also fun to use.

Convert Sprinkler System to Drip Irrigation the Easy Way