Friday, April 18, 2008

Cook with Taste

Joannie Rocchi of The Growing Place offered us advice on cooking with fresh herbs at our April 9 meeting. Watch for details about our next meeting in June.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Plant Sale!

Get your garden growing with plants from our annual plant sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 10 at Hummer Park, 4833 Fairview Avenue, Downers Grove. We'll have annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs. All proceeds benefit our club. This is a great chance to select your favorite plants, try some new ones, and talk to other local gardeners.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Invite Nature Into Your Yard

Jim Kleinwachter, Land Preservation Specialist with www.theconservationfoundation.org will give a presentation at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 at the Warrenville Public Library. The presentation is sponsored by America in Bloom Warrenville. Call (630) 293-4920 to register.

Conservation @ Home promotes planting selected areas in your yard — native flower beds or "mini nature havens" — which use native plants such as prairie and woodland wildflowers. In addition, it can include water gardens and planting native species of trees and shrubs for wildlife cover, food and habitat. These areas can be created for butterfly and songbird gardens, and rain gardens that help capture rainwater and return it to the ground instead of allowing it to run off. It can also mean simply preserving areas that are already "natural habitats" on your property — such as stream corridors, wetlands and wooded areas. Homeowners participating in Conservation @ Home can get their yard certified and will be provided with a sign identifying the yard's certification as an environmentally friendly yard.

The Conservation Foundation is a private, not-for-profit land and watershed conservation organization based in Naperville. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life by preserving open space, protecting natural lands and improving rivers and watersheds. Nearly 4,000 members and over 500 volunteers support this mission in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties.