Club News

Club reports are highlight here when they submit reports for GCI's Garden Glories publication.

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Des Plaines Garden Club

We had a great Spring and early Summer. Our Plant Sale was a success , we participated in our local 4th of July Parade and hosted a members only garden walk. We were also thrilled to present our inaugural scholarship to Miss Katelyn Dahl of Des Plaines. Katelyn will be attending Louisiana State University to major in Environmental Engineering. Her passion for her future is heartwarming.

Our Annual Fall Luncheon and Fund Raiser will be held at Manzo’s Banquets in Des Plaines on Thursday November 14th from 11-3. We always have a great time . It will be a plated lunch followed by a floral designer. Of Course, before lunch, we will temp you will a bake sale, raffle baskets, a silent auction and a 50/50 split the pot for our scholarship fund. This is our major fund raiser, and we invite all of you to attend. . All the details are not quite in place, but please watch our website Desplainesilgardenclub.com or our facebook page Des Plaines Garden Club for further details.

Long Grove Kildeer Garden Club

Long Grove - Kildeer Garden Club is excited to be heading into Fall after a busy summer with a successful Plant Sale and Garden Walk. With many new members joining this past season, we are anxious to kick off our Fall programs with a presentation in September on Tall Grassland Prairies. October will feature a field trip to Nicholas Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Rockford. Then in November we will get our hands and clippers busy making our own holiday wreaths. We wish everyone much autumn love and gorgeous fall weather!

Garden Club of Lake Zurich

The Club is looking forward to many interesting fall programs as begin our new 2024 program year. We are really encouraged again by the increase in membership and find that our newcomers are eager to learn more about gardening and sustainability. After a very successful spring plant sale, our members have been busy tending the ELA Public Library gardens, hosting a lovely members’ garden walk plus attending several tours. As summer winds down, the board hosts the annual Fall Harvest dinner in November where we all gather, pass a dish from our garden bounty, and take time for comradery and friendship as we share our past growing season’s challenges and successes. Afterwards, we honor those members celebrating special Club anniversaries. A popular addition during the fall is the annual houseplant exchange where members can bring home a unique plant. Looking ahead at some of the new programs we will be presenting include topics on owls, bats and bison. And for a more entertaining yet stimulating and socially fun time, we will host a garden trivia contest. For more information, please follow us on Facebook or visit www.gardencluboflakezurich.org

Northbrook Garden Club

We've rested up from our busy plant sale in May, spent more time in our gardens because weeds certainly got a head start this year, and learned a lot about cicadas. We met our scholarship winner Jada Glazebrook at the Spring Luncheon and agreed what a promising student she will be at Denison University this fall. Now we go into summer when our days slow down a bit. We have our traditional member garden walks starting in July and they are a great time for visiting, learning, solving problems and getting ideas. Several field trips are scheduled too. The first is a trip to local Field and Forage Bee Co with Sarah Kettlewell who will enhance our honeybee knowledge that began with our very popular spring program about honeybees. In August we'll get a private tour of Ragdale House and Gardens, a local historical estate housing an artist residency today.

We keep our members informed through our popular newsletter that continues through the summer. We have listings of other garden walks in our area from several Go Green sustainable garden tours, garden and pond walks and more. And for those who want to stay out of the sun and humidity, our July newsletter listed some favorite radio and tv programs geared toward the Midwest as well as enriching our world with BBC and BritBox suggestions.

Many thanks to committees and Board Members who are working through the summer to provide us with a robust, fun, and active 2024/2025 year.

Wauconda Garden Club

A busy season for the club. The club had decorated golf carts in the town’s parade. Members planted native pollinators on our Main Street to continue our committee to building a pollinator path within Wauconda. Our Blue Star Memorial underwent a complete renovation with the removal of the brick base and the creations of a new and larger native garden. Additional plants were planted to expand our Path of Honor. The club donated a tree at a local school to commemorate the school’s 100th year anniversary. After a fire, the club worked outside the Kuester Manor to plant flowers prior to the residence returning. Every other month throughout the summer the club went into the Wauconda Care facility and worked with residents on garden related projects. Two, Victory Gardens plots were obtained by the club. Cut flower seeds were planted; flowers will be sold at the Farmer’s Market in the fall.

As we kick off the fall months, the club has entered into a project with the Wauconda Township and will redesign and plant at the Township Hall adding many new native pollinator plants to the landscape. Several Farmer’s Markets are planned for fall.

In September the club will have a speaker on Dahlias. October will find members making pumpkin planters which will be distributed to local businesses and municipalities. In addition, a Fall Feast is planned. November will be a trip to a local farm where members will be creating centerpieces. The annual Holiday Lunch will take place in December.

Antioch Garden Club

The Antioch Garden Club had a busy gardening season and we’re not finished yet! There is always something to do in the gardens, in the community and within our club.

Annual Plant Sale: For the 18th year in a row, member Cindy Cartner has coordinated our plant sale. This is a huge hit with the community, bringing our club not only popularity in the community but funding to help us do other worthwhile events and plantings within Antioch.

Library Summer Reading Program: Our local library held a special event to get kids into reading. The garden club participated by having an information booth, distributing free Norway Spruce saplings and fancy flower themed cookies. We will continue to partner with the library to encourage kids to read.

Proposed Pollinator Garden: We are currently working with Emmons K-8 elementary school in Antioch. A pollinator garden is to be constructed on school grounds and will include students, staff and parents in the process. Member (and past president) Barbara Gollwitzer is representing our Monarch Butterfly Committee and the committee plans to make a $500 donation to this project! We love working with the community as well as local students!

Community Events: We look forward to participating in numerous events this season. We will decorate wreaths and donate them to 30 community locations. We will be decorating a tree at the Festival of Trees, a favorite community holiday event. If there’s an event in the community, the Antioch Garden Club will be there!

The Kenilworth Garden Arts Club

Projects and Activities

The Kenilworth Garden Arts Club (KGAC) continues its commitment to our community in raising awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of gardens. In order to fulfill our commitment, we are building partnerships with organizations such as the Josselyn Mental Health Center. Josselyn initiated a program that engages clients in gardening activity to help support and enhance a sense of wellbeing in conjunction with other mental health treatment modalities.

A garden program, such as the one conceptualized by the Josselyn Center, draws on recognized mental health benefits; engagement in an activity that builds confidence and encourages a productive activity with others. The outcome of gardening has shown to have a lessening of depression and anxiety along with a sense of wellbeing.

The KGAC was able to contribute funds for a raised garden program outside one of the Josselyn’s facilities known as the Living Room. The Living Room is a peer support safe haven for those who may be feeling isolated and anxious. It is one of many services Josselyn provides to the community. With the help of other donors KGAC was able to provide a Maple tree at the entrance of the Living Room on Maple Avenue in Northfield, Il.

We plan to continue our mission of community partnerships with other organizations.

Our on-going philanthropic activities include supporting the New Trier Food Pantry. We are also involved in meeting special need requests from a variety of organizations. Some examples are our collection of sneakers for immigrant families and providing sewing supplies.

Each year our club plans various activities for our members to enjoy. One of our favorite member activities is designing Fall and holiday flower arrangements at Robert’s Floral Design located in Chicago. We are also planning to visit a recycling facility. We recognize that our mission includes protecting the environment.

Lastly, we seek to have more members join KGAC.

PARK RIDGE GARDEN CLUB

In April, two of our Master Gardeners teamed up with a 7th grade Eagle Scout candidate to advise him on creating a seed library. He refurbished an old library card catalog to store the seeds and launched the free seed give-away in the Park Ridge Public Library with help from other Eagle Scouts. There were activities for children, raffle prizes and lots of free advice from our members. A good time was had by all! The Park Ridge Garden Club turns 95 this year with over 110 members from Park Ridge, Chicago and other surrounding suburbs. We meet the 2nd Thursday night of the month featuring speakers on a variety of garden, nature and sustainability topics. The 33rd annual Beautification Awards were announced in August that included a cash prize and a yard sign to the winners. Our school outreach starts up in the fall by donating flowers and plants with age-appropriate descriptions to educate and encourage an interest in horticulture. The club donated funds to plant parkway trees and continues to maintain various public gardens. We believe that by working with our community partners, we can help make Park Ridge beautiful, sustainable and improve the quality of life for all residents. We are an affiliate of the Park Ridge Park District and member of the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce. For more information on our speakers and events visit www.parkridgegardenclub.org

Lincolnshire Garden Club

Last year the Lincolnshire Garden Club renovated and rededicated the Blue Star Memorial Garden adding a new marker along with the original one dating back to 1962 and installed a second Monarch Pollinator Garden in partnership with our Village. Our members continued to weed and care for this renovated garden truly making it a group effort. This summer the plants are filling in and looking great.

Our club has a great lineup of Educational Programs for the upcoming year which you are invited to join. The programs run September through May and the topics are listed on our website.

While you’re there, please check out our Fall Bulb Sale and order some bulbs to help our fundraising effort. We selected some unusual bulbs this year along with many favorites to choose from. Remember mixing daffodil and tulip bulbs together in one grouping not only extends the bloom time, but also keeps annoying critters away from the delectable bulbs. Our website has descriptions and pictures of the bulbs, so please place your order at: https://lincolnshiregardenclub.com/fundraisers.

Finally, we want to highlight one of our Community Beautification projects involving the installation of fall arrangements in the planters at a local fire station. As the cold weather approaches, we will transition these planters to winter greenery and also provide winter garlands and wreaths for the new Village of Lincolnshire signs at each of the entrances to the Village.

Grayslake Greenery Garden Club

Grayslake Greenery Garden Club held our annual plant sale in May, which was a great success. We brought back our garden walk, “Grayslake in Bloom,” which was held in July, and look forward to doing it again next year. A butterfly garden was planted outside the Grayslake Area Public Library with plants contributed by our members, library staff, and local vendors. Beautification efforts were coordinated at the Library Lane Senior Residence. Club members planted garden beds and residents helped plant and maintain free-standing planters. Looking ahead to our regular monthly meetings beginning in the fall, we have lined up a set of interesting speakers and programs. In September we will learn about “Growing a Clover Lawn” and in October we will see how to “Be Successful Growing Orchids.” In November there will be a hands-on program for “Designing a Terrarium,” along with food collections to be given to a local food pantry. In December we take a break from our meetings to hold our Annual Members’ Holiday Gathering. We will also continue the commitment to our monthly Garden Therapy program beginning in September at the Grayslake Senior Center, which provides local seniors and residents opportunities to work with garden club members on activities designed to incorporate the love of plants and flowers with arts and crafts projects. Looking ahead to next year, we will continue our lineup of speakers at our monthly meetings, to which guests are always welcome. Find us at our new website: www.grayslakegardenclub.org

Highland Garden Club of Evanston

The Highland Garden Club of Evanston had its annual Backyard Botanicals plant sale on June first. The club decided this year to go back to selling only plants from our gardens. Though it was a rainy day, people still came and we had the best sale ever. The money goes to support one of Evanston’s public gardens that we care for and recently replanted two years ago. We are very pleased that the garden is doing so well.

Garden Guild of Highland Park

The Garden Guild of Highland Park boasts a rich legacy spanning many decades, with several stalwart members who continue to be active participates. Our hallmark community service initiative involves the meticulous planting and upkeep of the train station planters year-round, ensuring vibrant displays in both summer and winter.

This year, our calendar has been brimming with engaging events. We kicked off with an insightful presentation by our program chair on "Entertaining at the White House," offering a captivating peek into the intricate world of holiday celebrations and diplomatic affairs, adorned with exquisite floral arrangements. Reflecting the unique cicada emergence, another member presented on its impact, fostering a deeper understanding of its effects on our environment.

Subsequent months featured workshops on herb cultivation, seasonal container design, and the creation of enchanting moonlight gardens with diverse elemental features. Social gatherings like the Garden Gals Get Together provided a delightful evening filled with lively conversation and artistic endeavors.

Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate our annual "Field to Vase Dinner," showcasing dishes crafted from fresh vegetables and flowers harvested from our own gardens. As autumn approaches, members will share virtual tours of their gardens, celebrating successes and lessons learned. Festivities continue into the holiday season with a creative cornucopia wreath project and our cherished potluck dinner party.

The Garden Guild of Highland Park remains a beacon of community spirit, nurturing a deep-rooted passion for horticulture and camaraderie among its dedicated members.

Highland Garden Club of Evanston

Lincolnshire Garden Club

Our club has a great lineup of Educational Programs for the upcoming year which you are invited to join. The programs run September through May and the topics are listed on our website.

Palatine Garden Club

Do you remember the anxious anticipation we all felt when school started anew in fall and new books, clothes, and teachers instilled in us the promise of good things to come? That’s the kickstart we want when we welcome our members back with a visit from radio host and garden guru Mike Nowak, who will talk about Climate Change in Our Backyards.

This year we’ll work on outreach, diverse interests, and recruiting new members by providing many, many programs to suit all ages and activity levels. October traditions will continue: snipping seed tops of invasives at our Club’s restoration plot in Deer Grove Forest Preserve, installing wreaths and a fall display inside the Palatine Public Library, and distributing Halloween goodies to St. Joseph’s elderly folks and the POC’s preschoolers. We’ll add “new spice” by coupling a color walk through Ryerson Woods with a post-cicada-invasion talk to find out what impact these 17-year visitors had on our ecosystems.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we’ll be partnering with the Plum Grove Garden Club to host floral designer Krina Koenen. She’ll teach us the basics, and we’ll each leave her presentation with a sumptuous arrangement…and some new friends!

We’ll finally toast the end of the gardening year at Emmet’s Brewing Company in Palatine, when we don sparkle and suits for our Holiday Dinner Gala. Snuggled inside for the winter, our plants (and us) can get some well-deserved rest. See you next year!

Garden Club of Mount Prospect

The Garden Club of Mount Prospect has presented its second original gardening program at the Mount Prospect Public Library. Entitled “Successful Vegetables for the Beginning Gardener,”

it featured several club members sharing their expertise. In May we had our first ever

Spring Tea and Fundraiser, which attracted 114 members and guests, who enjoyed a festive event. Our spring plant sale, held on the grounds of the Mount Prospect Historical Society grounds, was our most successful plant sale to date. This summer we have enjoyed a trip to the Mitchell Domes Horticulture Conservatory in Milwaukee, as well as a garden walk for members and friends. Eleven new members were welcomed this past year and have brought new energy and ideas to our club. We are looking forward to our fall programs, which include Plant Propagation, Winter Sowing, and Gardens of the Pros.

Prospect Heights Garden Club

Here are a few highlights;

We are in the planning stages of an annual field trip - this time we’ll head out to Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, WI in late summer. In addition to a special luncheon in December, our Christmas Tree Committee decorates trees at the police department, city hall, the park district & library, and we’ll host a table of homemade cookies at our town’s Annual Tree Lighting Event.

Our upcoming programs include: In September…. “Growing Your First Orchid Successfully”, in October…”Hemp & CBD: What’s All the Fuss?”, and for November…a ”Who’s Who of Owls” which will include 4 visiting raptors.

And, as always, we look forward to a Plant Exchange will take place at our 1st meeting of the year.

Lincolnwood Garden Club of Evanston

The Lincolnwood Garden Club of Evanston, now in its 95th year, held its annual Evanston Garden Fair on May 18th, featuring native and perennial plants from the Club members’ gardens. A beautiful spring day, hundreds of perennials and hardworking members resulted in record sales for this year’s fair. Proceeds from the fair will provide thousands of dollars in grant money to community garden-related organizations.

The Garden Club, again this year, will partner with the city of Evanston and Evanston Township High School’s Geometry in Construction class. The class is an interdisciplinary course that provides students the opportunity to construct a house on campus, which is them moved to a property made available by the city. Once the house is sold, the Garden Club provides a garden plan and support for the new homeowners by securing and installing plantings, and offering guidance for maintenance. The Club has completed seven homes to date.

Town and Country Garden Club of Libertyville

Spring/summer marked two important events for our club. In May, we joined with the American Legion and VFW to refresh the Libertyville Blue Star Marker plantings. The three organizations created the original marker in 2009 and by 2024 many plants were overgrown and part of the garden is now in shade changing the planting requirements. The project was completed just before Memorial Day so visitors would see a new, improved garden. June was our annual Garden Walk and it was a huge success! It was a sold out event and we are always pleased when people comment that they look forward to coming every year.

Our civic planting projects continue through fall and winter as we replace the annual flowers with season appropriate dried arrangements. It’s nice for the community to have four seasons of plantings from the club.

This fall the club focuses on electing and installing new members to the Board . We will be electing a new President, 1st Vice President (Membership) and Treasurer. Our fall and winter programs will include a workshop on Artful Flower Arrangements, where members will make their own arrangements, learning how to integrate native plants with traditional plants and a program demonstrating how to use china, glassware and floral arrangements for a holiday table setting.

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