About Us

2/16/12 - Meeting - Taking the Garden Through the Seasons

A designer of landscapes and perennial gardens and avid gardener of 38 years,
Candy Cleveland will “walk” with us around her garden to demonstrate how we
might tweak our garden’s design, color palate and interest. Candy will describe how
a variety of shrubs, bulbs, perennials, annuals, seeds and techniques such as dead
heading and cutting back work best to enhance our gardens. Thus, in the dead of
winter, Candy’s garden pictures will afford us a colorful romp in the garden and
backdrop for her advice, prompting fanciful thoughts of exciting additions to our
gardens. Hope for our gardens springs eternal! Practical and colorful—don’t miss
this respite from February’s cold and gray days.

2/23/12 - Winter Interest at Chicago’s Lurie Garden

A well-designed garden looks interesting year round. Join us for a walk through
Lurie Garden, the 2.5-acre garden located at the southern end of Millennium Park in
Chicago. The garden opened in July of 2004 and is a combination of perennials,
bulbs, grasses, shrubs and trees. It features the world’s largest green roof. The
garden is composed of two “plates” protected on two sides by large hedges. The
dark plate depicts Chicago’s history by presenting shade loving plant material that is
under the shade canopy of the trees. The light plate has no trees and represents the
city’s future with sun loving perennials. Following the tour, enjoy lunch in the Park
Café and Grill at Millennium Park.

3/15/12 - Meeting - Amazing Birds

Kathy and Bob Andrini have been lifelong educators: Kathy~20 years preschool
and Bob~33 years high school, and both have long been interested in nature and
the environment. Now retired, together they teach a variety of nature programs for
their park district and classes at the College of DuPage, and conduct field trips for
the Kane County Audubon Society. They will share with us amazing facts, stories
and behaviors and give us an up-close and personal look, through digital
photography, at birds as we have never before seen them. Our teachers for the day
promise that their photographs will allow the birds to come alive before our very
eyes.

4/19/12 - Meeting - Garden Edibles of Many Colors

Aggie Nehmzow, aka the ‘Tomato Lady,’ planted her first garden at the age of 10
and since then has chalked up 57 years of urban gardening experience, which
translates to the suburbs (Aggie currently hails from Oak Lawn). Over the years
she has learned a multitude of ethnic folkways employed by her neighbors and
circuitously acquired a multitude of gardening techniques. According to Aggie, Dolly
Parton’s song, Coat of Many Colors, sums up heirloom edibles and the love that
preserves them. She will go down the alphabet from arugula to zucchini invoking:
“Give them a try.” There are golden beets, purple beans, red carrots, green
pumpkins, white tomatoes and orange watermelons. Learn about who preserved
these varieties and what distinct flavor variation they have, plus how to obtain
seeds and grow them. Aggie is very upbeat about growing dwarf tomatoes in pots,
among other projects. She is also very into trellises made from a variety of found
objects and promises to bring some along for inspiration. Spring will have sprung
so ‘tis the season to begin planning and planting our vegetable gardens. Don’t miss
Aggie’s enthusiastic sharing.

4/26/12 - Explore Bahai Temple and Grounds

One of only seven Bahai Temples in the world, the Wilmette temple is circular in
shape, has nine sides and is surrounded by exquisite gardens and fountains. Be
inspired during our one-hour program including the temple and grounds. We will
plan to lunch after our tour at Blind Faith, a 4-star vegetarian café in Evanston.

5/3/12 - Spring Plant Swap

This is the perfect event for you if you have too many of some plants and would
like to add some new plants to your garden – and the best thing is it’s free! Bring
plants from your garden that are in containers and marked with their name,
variety, bloom color, and sun/shade requirements and return home with new
plants for your garden. Refreshments will be served.

5/10/12 - Lilac Time in Lombard

Please join us for the 82nd Lilac Festival and tour of Lilacia Park in Lombard. Lilacia
Park is home to more than 1,200 lilacs and 25,000 blooms of tulips and other
flowers. Jens Jensen landscaped the park. It is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy
the signs and scents of spring.

5/17/12 - Spring Luncheon

The Garden Club’s annual spring luncheon is one of the year’s highlights.
The food is always delicious, and the member-created centerpieces are always
lovely. Outgoing officers are honored, incoming officers are welcomed, and the
recipients of GCI scholarships are introduced and congratulated.

6/21/12 - Members Garden Walk

Garden club members and their guests enjoy a tour of at least three members’
gardens. The gardens – in a range of sizes and styles – are sure to delight and
inspire. A list of homes and a map will be provided at the April general meeting and
May luncheon.

Calendar

All the grown-up
people say,
"What,
those ugly thistles?
Mustn't touch them!
Keep away!
Prickly!
Full of bristles!"

Yet they never
make me bleed
Half so much as roses!
Must be purple
is a weed,
And pink and white
is posies.

- Edna St. Vincent Millay