Filtering by: native plants
From Friends Of The Oak Park Conservatory
Thursday, Sept 19, 7:00-8:00P
Not only do shrubs provide a great backdrop for other plants in your garden, but they can also stabilize the soil and create a habitat for wildlife. Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory as we welcome a speaker from West Cook Wild Ones to learn about native shrubs and alternatives to those that are invasive.
Presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory (FOPCON)
This is a FREE, virtual event. A Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants on the day of the lecture.
From West Cook Wild Ones
Explore the ecological and aesthetic advantages of hedges and hedgerows in our upcoming Wild Ones national webinar, “The Beauty and Benefits of Hedgerows” with Heather McCargo, founder of Wild Seed Project.
Native hedgerows are diverse plantings of woody plants from shrubs to small trees along with herbaceous groundcovers at their base. Learn how these low-maintenance and sustainable plantings of shrubs, trees, and groundcovers can enhance biodiversity, provide critical habitats for wildlife, and contribute to climate resilience. Discover practical tips for designing and implementing hedgerows in various landscapes, from farms to urban settings, and understand their role in supporting pollinators, birds, and soil health.
From West Cook Wild Ones
Explore how native plants can enhance biodiversity and support ecosystems in our upcoming Wild Ones national webinar, “Combating the Biodiversity Crisis with Native Plants” featuring Sarah Gray and Coralie Palmer from the Indiana Native Plant Society.
Native plants are essential for maintaining biodiversity as they provide food and shelter for a wide range of wildlife, including pollinators, birds, and beneficial insects. By incorporating native plants into your landscape, you can create a thriving ecosystem that supports local fauna and flora. These plants are well-adapted to local environmental conditions, making them more resilient to climate change and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Attendees will learn how native plants can improve soil health, enhance water retention, and contribute to a more sustainable and vibrant ecosystem.
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Discover the beauty, versatility and dependability of native plants. Tour 9 colorful, life-filled gardens in Berwyn and Oak Park, Illinois, during our annual Birds, Bees & Butterflies Native Garden Tour July 27, 2024 from 1 to 5 p.m.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
Meet passionate and knowledgeable home gardeners who have been experimenting with and observing native plants for many years. They’ll guide you through their gardens and answer your specific questions about native gardening.
You’ll learn about sustainable landscaping and rain gardens, and how they can reduce backyard flooding.
You'll get to see gardeners' favorite native plants and hear how they change throughout the seasons.
You’ll explore small gardens and large gardens, manicured looks and more carefree ones, and newly planted and mature established landscapes.
Whether you’re a beginning gardener or have more soil between your toes than you care to reveal, you’ll walk away with practical, hands-on tips you can apply to your own yard.
REGISTER HERE.
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Every garden deserves native plants, and that includes vegetable gardens. In this presentation we'll talk about why it's important to incorporate native plants into your edible garden. From attracting more pollinators and other beneficial insects to increasing water retention and improving soil, native plants are an edible garden's best friend and there's no reason not to grow them together. Natives! Edibles! Native Edibles! We'll discuss all of it!
Speaker Bio
Jeremy Ohmes is a Chicago-based gardener who believes gardens can be meaningful spaces for healing and connection. For many years, he stretched out his green thumb with vegetables and herbs and then he discovered the need for more backyard biodiversity. He planted native plants around his edibles and replaced his front lawn with a pollinator garden. He got some strange looks from his neighbors. But he also received a lot of interest from friends and curious passersby. In 2019 Jeremy started Wild World Gardens to share his love of gardening with others and to help them transform their landscapes into beautiful and beneficial ecosystems filled with food, medicine, habitat, and connections to local wildlife.
Wild World Gardens is a landscape design company focused on native plants, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, organic vegetable gardens, and therapeutic horticulture. We believe the most beautiful gardens are the most beneficial gardens—those that create habitat for wildlife, support the health of your local ecosystem, and nurture your well-being as well. We offer garden design, consultation, installation, and stewardship. We love transforming landscapes into sustainable, biodiverse sanctuaries filled with food, medicine, habitat, and connections to the creatures in your yard.
REGISTERE HERE.
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Find out how to turn your parkway/hellstrip, also known as that dried out, compacted narrow bit of land between the sidewalk and the road into a gardening opportunity! Two experienced native plant gardeners will give you a virtual guided tour of their stunning parkway gardens and share tips, challenges and successes in turning this challenging area into habitat.
Register for this online event.
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Please join West Cook Wild Ones for "Growing Native Plants in Pots in Urban Landscapes" with Dr. Jeremie Fant, of Chicago Botanic Garden on Sunday, March 17, at 2:30 p.m. (Central Time).
Ever wondered about using native plants in containers? Urban botanist, Dr. Jeremie Fant has! He has been experimenting for 15 years with growing and overwintering native plants in containers on his Chicago balcony. Dr. Fant will share his experiences and techniques with us.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Fant is Director of Conservation at Chicago Botanic Garden and also an avid urban gardener who has been growing natives in containers for over 15 years. Dr. Fant is a molecular ecologist using genetic tools to study ecological questions. His lab studies genetics of rare plants, how pollinators drive plant genetics, restoration genetics and the role of botanic gardens in restoration. He got his Ph. D. from the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge (UK). After obtaining his doctorate, Dr. Fant worked in the Conner Lab at Kellogg Biological Station at Michigan State University.
Register here: https://westcookwildones.ticketbud.com/containergardensnativeplantsinurbanlandscapes
From Forest Preserves of Cook County:
Learn about the many benefits to you and to the environment of gardening using native plants in a Conservation@Home Zoom presentation. Get your questions ready.
Registration Required: Call Trailside at 708-366-6530.
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Explore how native gardening can address climate challenges in the next Wild Ones national webinar, “Cultivating Change” with author and activist Lorraine Johnson.
Learn about the pivotal role of gardening as an act of stewardship in the face of climate and ecological challenges. Discover the profound connections between individual gardens and the broader world and learn how these green spaces can serve as catalysts for positive ecological and social change. Join Wild Ones for a practical and insightful discussion on gardening’s positive impact on the environment and our future.
Lorraine Johnson has been researching and writing about environmental issues for three decades. She is a community activist and advocates for protecting, supporting, and growing the urban forest. Johnson is a former president of the North American Native Plant Society and served on the national board of Wild Ones.
Johnson is the author or editor of 14 books, including City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing and Tending the Earth: A Gardener’s Manifesto. Her most recent book was coauthored by Sheila Colla, A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators.
Through her books, articles, presentations, and community projects, she strives to advance the understanding that everything and everyone is connected and that, through our actions, we all have a role to play in making this world a better place for all life.
Register here: https://wildones.org/webinar-cultivating-change-with-lorraine-johnson-on-january-25th-at-6-pm-cst/
From Oak Park Library:
Naturalist Leslie Shad will share ways to enjoy your garden and help nature tuck in for the winter. Topics covered will include: native plants with winter aesthetic interest, winter food for birds, and learning who is overwintering in your garden (especially insects). Presentatlon will be followed by a Q & A.
Leslie Shad is focused on a sustainable future for people and wild things. She founded and leads Natural Habitat Evanston, and serves on the board of Citizens’ Greener Evanston. She formerly served on boards including National Wildlife Federation. Natural Habitat Evanston is an all-volunteer effort to encourage habitat for nature and people, and to change the culture of lawns. Personally, Leslie and her husband are working to restore forested wetlands in Northwest Indiana.
Register here: https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/index.php/event/virtual-winter-garden-how-overwinter-joy-and-meaning-58436
From Oak Park Library:
Discover how growing native plants can help mitigate climate change and prevent biodiversity loss and become more familiar with Climate Ready Oak Park's 30x30 biodiversity objectives. Learn how to right-size your pollinator garden and other tips and tricks for good garden management and enhancements that you can put to use right away! After the talk, enjoy some casual conversation and fun (plus raffle!) in the Community Sensory Garden.
About the presenter:
Presented by Adrian Ayres Fisher, who has been enthusiastically gardening with native plants for over 30 years. As a board member of West Cook Wild Ones, she educates about and advocates for native-plant gardening, natural area restoration, and biodiversity. A former sustainability coordinator at a community college, she now serves as volunteer site steward of National Grove Forest Preserve in North Riverside, Illinois, where she manages volunteer restoration projects.
Register: https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/how-garden-fearlessly-native-plants
Photo by Alex Rogals.
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Discover the beauty, versatility and dependability of native plants. Tour 11 colorful, life-filled gardens in Berwyn and Riverside, Illinois, during our annual Birds, Bees & Butterflies Native Garden Tour July 22, 2023 from 1 to 5 p.m.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
Meet passionate and knowledgeable home gardeners who have been experimenting with and observing native plants for many years. They’ll guide you through their gardens and answer your specific questions about native gardening.
Whether you’re a beginning gardener or have more soil between your toes than you care to reveal, you’ll walk away with practical, hands-on tips you can apply to your own yard
Get tickets for $15: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birds-bees-butterflies-2023-a-native-garden-tour-tickets-660100417117
TOUR MAP: Ticket holders will receive a tour map two days before the event. If you register after 7/20, you will automatically receive the map and garden descriptions in your email. Be sure to check the "Additional Information" section of the email ticket for the map and garden descriptions. We recommend biking or driving; the locations are spread widely.
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Many of us who are passionate about native-plant gardening are not aware of the ways in which the plants of our region have been or are now being used by Native people, nor how central they are to Indigenous culture. Gina Roxas, a citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, will talk about native plants from a Native American cultural perspective.
Gina Roxas is Program Director for Trickster Cultural Center, a nonprofit Native American and community arts center in Schaumburg, where she also manages the native medicinal garden. She also teaches classes at the Morton Arboretum. Gina has studied the environment through a multifaceted lens of traditional teachings from her grandmother and family elders as well as the humanities and science. Her interests are ethnobotany, urban agriculture, and gardening.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ethnobotany-in-our-region-native-plants-and-indigenous-culture-tickets-593241209427
From Oak Park Public Library:
Plant Swaps are for everyone of all ages! This event encourages plant lovers to come together and trade pest- free plants of all kinds, which can include: Houseplants, potted plants, cuttings, seedlings, starters, succulents, air plants, wildflowers, annual or perennial, etc. No money is exchanged and it is a great way for beginners and expert gardeners to clean out or add variety to their collections. Drop in any time between 1pm - 4pm to give some plants and get some plants.
Register here: https://oakpark.librarycalendar.com/event/plant-swap
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Learn about indigenous practices using native plants.
Many of us who are passionate about native-plant gardening are not aware of the ways in which the plants of our region have been or are now being used by Native people, nor how central they are to Indigenous culture. Gina Roxas, a citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, will talk about native plants from a Native American cultural perspective.
Presenter Bio
Gina Roxas is Program Director for Trickster Cultural Center, a nonprofit Native American and community arts center in Schaumburg, where she also manages the native medicinal garden. She also teaches classes at the Morton Arboretum. Gina has studied the environment through a multifaceted lens of traditional teachings from her grandmother and family elders as well as the humanities and science. Her interests are ethnobotany, urban agriculture, and gardening.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ethnobotany-in-our-region-native-plants-and-indigenous-culture-tickets-419747404787
Photo Credit for Common C attail (Typha latifolia): Illinoiswildflowers.info
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Discover the beauty, versatility and dependability of native plants. Tour 10 colorful, life-filled gardens in Oak Park and River Forest, Illinois, during our annual Birds, Bees & Butterflies Native Garden Tour July 23, 2022 from 1 to 5 p.m.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
Meet 11 passionate and knowledgeable home gardeners who have been experimenting with and observing native plants for many years. They’ll guide you through their gardens and answer your specific questions about native gardening.
You’ll learn about sustainable landscaping and rain gardens, and how they can reduce backyard flooding, including two neighbors who teamed up to solve water issues on both properties.
You’ll see creative ways to incorporate edible gardening and urban homesteading, complete with chicken coops.
Some of our gardeners have lovingly designed every square inch of their yards themselves. Others have hired top native garden designers.
You’ll explore small gardens and large gardens, manicured looks and more carefree ones, and newly planted and mature established landscapes.
Whether you’re a beginning gardener or have more soil between your toes than you care to reveal, you’ll walk away with practical, hands-on tips you can apply to your own yard
TOUR MAP: Ticket holders will receive a tour map two days before the event. We recommend biking or driving; the locations are spread widely.
COVID-19 SAFETY MEASURES: Most gardens have a separate entrance and exit to encourage social distancing.
Get tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birds-bees-butterflies-a-native-garden-tour-tickets-366018781027
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Any spot in your yard can have a beautiful native plant growing in it - all you have to do is find the right plant for the right environment - the best way is to mimic nature. This presentation will walk you through some of our region’s main plant communities and point out more and less common native plants present in given conditions, and how you can adopt them in your garden.
Presenter Bio:
Iza is an ecologist, a volunteer steward and a native plant fanatic. She started growing native plants in her garden more than 10 years ago and has not stopped. Her love for native plants stem from working as a restoration ecologist on large prairie and wetland mosaics, and was then refined by spending more time in increasingly urban spaces. She is an optimist believing in a brighter future in which individuals, institutions, corporations and governments heal the land while healing our communities - both physically and mentally. Native plants, of course, will be a large part of the equation.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/woodland-savanna-prairie-how-native-plant-communities-fit-in-your-garden-tickets-258787930667#add-to-calendar-modal
Fro West Cook Wild Ones:
Native plant gardeners use their own backyards to create habitat for pollinators and to make a small positive impact on the global environmental crisis. Ever wonder what would happen if we could extend our impact to include more backyards by enacting laws to benefit pollinators? Damon Hall can help us to begin to take action beyond our home landscape.
Damon Hall will talk to us about why pollinator laws matter, what kinds of state pollinator laws already exist, and how we can initiate action on a local level to inspire changes in ordinances which often stymie pollinator conservation and native plant gardeners.
This program is free and open to the public.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovations-in-insect-pollinator-policy-tickets-243227890167
From Forest Preserves of Cook County:
Join University of Illinois Extension for a two-part workshop series. Part I is an introduction to landscape design focusing on incorporating native plants. Part II consists of breakout rooms in which staff and volunteers will coach individuals on their specific landscape conditions and layout. Participants will register for one Part II date: February 9 from 6 to 8 pm or February 16 from 6 to 8 pm. Workshop series is free, but registration is required, and space is limited.
Registration Required: Register at https://go.illinois.edu/nativedesign.
From Forest Preserves of Cook County:
Join University of Illinois Extension for a two-part workshop series. Part I is an introduction to landscape design focusing on incorporating native plants. Part II consists of breakout rooms in which staff and volunteers will coach individuals on their specific landscape conditions and layout. Participants will register for one Part II date: February 9 from 6 to 8 pm or February 16 from 6 to 8 pm. Workshop series is free, but registration is required, and space is limited.
Registration Required: Register at https://go.illinois.edu/nativedesign.
From Forest Preserves of Cook County:
Join University of Illinois Extension for a two-part workshop series. Part I is an introduction to landscape design focusing on incorporating native plants. Part II consists of breakout rooms in which staff and volunteers will coach individuals on their specific landscape conditions and layout. Participants will register for one Part II date: February 9 from 6 to 8 pm or February 16 from 6 to 8 pm. Workshop series is free, but registration is required, and space is limited.
Registration Required: Register at https://go.illinois.edu/nativedesign.
From Wild Ones National:
Take a journey to several of the nation’s public gardens. From gardens that grow exclusively native plants to others that have worked them into their diverse collections, get an in-depth look into how public gardens can help inform and influence your design and maintenance practices. This webinar is free and open to the public. A recording will be available to view soon after the event.
Speaker, Matthew Ross, is a horticulturist, Wild Ones National Board Member and Director of Continuing Education at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Read more about Matthew in his Board bio.
Register here: https://wildones.org/ross-public-gardens-registration/
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Are you curious about native plants? Are you a veteran gardener and want to jump into this world? Or maybe you're looking for an activity to do with your kids that's earth-friendly -- but you've never planted a thing? Get your questions answered! All questions -- simple to complex-- are welcome. How do I plant natives? Where do I buy them? How often should I water them? Which plants are best to start with? Which plants are easiest to propagate by cuttings vs. seeds? What's the best way to incorporate natives into an established garden? Our experts will help you address these questions and more.
Monica Buckley, owner of Red Stem Native Landscapes, spent most of her childhood summers playing near her Chicago home where giant silk moths emerged from homely brown cocoons, yellow tiger swallowtail butterflies graced the treetops, and beautiful songbirds dive bombed for caterpillars. Life would take Monica into the world of publishing for many years until her passion for native gardens and the wildlife they support demanded her full attention and she opened Red Stem in 2013.
Sarah Michehl is the Community Engagement Specialist for The Land Conservancy of McHenry County. She advises landowners on using native plants in their yards as well as larger-scale restoration and has worked in the environmental field for the last 18 years. She's been landscaping with native plants for 13 years and is restoring her own tiny corner of oak woodland. You'll often find her in her yard with her dog and two kids staring at her plants.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/native-plant-garden-qa-tickets-136896829101
From Forest Preserves of Cook County:
Join them for a Zoom presentation where they will give tips on choosing native plants to beautify your real estate and provide food for birds. A Zoom link will be emailed 1 hour before the program begins.
Registration Required: Register at https://nativeplantsforbirds.eventbrite.com.
Photo by Kris DaPra
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Take a journey through the seasons to discover native plants every gardener should try. These sophisticated and eye-catching plants are great for wildlife, grow well in a range of conditions and look beautiful in most gardens, including small and medium landscapes. Plus, they’re easy to find or purchase locally. You'll also learn design tips for each plant, and receive a helpful handout summarizing this information.
Denise Sandoval is the landscape designer and owner of Good-Natured Landscapes LLC, featuring native plants since 2005. She discovered the beauty and benefits of native plants after volunteering at the Russell Kirk Prairie, while finishing her horticulture degree in 2003. She immediately joined Wild Ones and served on the Greater DuPage Chapter board for many years. She worked several years at The Natural Garden native plant retail nursery which later closed, and as a Conservation@Home assistant for The Conservation Foundation. She gardens with native plants at home, creating her first of many rain gardens in 2004, and performing prescribed burns annually. Her greatest inspiration and teacher is the natural world.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gardening-with-native-plants-through-the-seasons-tickets-136886712843
Join us for Wild Things 2021: Staying Connected Through Nature! 🦊
Wild Things 2021: Part 1 will take place February 19-21, and Wild Things 2021: Part 2 will take place February 26-28. Be sure to register for Part 1 here!
The 2021 virtual conference features workshops and sessions from regional and national experts—plus meet & greets, video content, and exhibitors—with something for everyone, including you!
Whether you want to learn about the plants and animals that call our region home or hear about new ecological research, whether you want to know where or how to get involved in conservation or meet other people passionate about nature, this is your event!
From the beginning, the Wild Things Conference has been known for its commemorative t-shirts. This year's design by Bobby Sutton celebrates staying connected virtually and through nature. Visit the online shop for tees, mugs, tote bags, and sweatshirts. We're also making available a selection of reprints of classic shirts from past Wild Things Conferences!
From West Cook Wild Ones:
Presenter: Chicago-based horticulturist Ken Williams
Even if you are an experienced gardener, using native plants is somewhat different. This talk by Chicago-based horticulturist Ken Williams will give you an overview of what native plant gardening is, why it is important, and how it is different from other types of residential gardening. You will need a computer with access to the internet for this presentation.
Ken Williams has worked in horticulture for almost 30 years. As a young man he fell in love with native flora while hiking alpine meadows in Colorado. Later he found a similar sublime beauty in the tall grass prairies of southeast Kansas. He combined this interest with a lifetime of vegetable gardening experience to develop native plant gardening techniques. For 16 years, he applied these techniques to the landscape of a 100 acre city park and zoo. Since 2008, often collaborating with his wife Christine Nye, he has participated in the Chicago area ecological landscape movement.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/top-ten-things-every-native-gardener-needs-to-know-tickets-136740968919
