Wayne Countryside Garden Club
Members Section
From Garden Walks to plant sales, decorating the village with beautiful holiday evergreens, to creating a butterfly garden for the town's elementary school- the Wayne Countryside Garden Club has been an active member of the Wayne and nearby gardening communities for more than sixty-five years.
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August 2nd
The Winfield Area Gardeners offer “Behind the Scenes at Ball,” a private tour of Ball Horticultural, 622 Town Road, West Chicago. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Info: 630-730-4801 or pattivanloechl@hotmail.com
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August 2nd
Rose Garden Tour. Craig Myroup from Cantigny Horticulture will show one of the estate’s most popular attractions, the 12,000 square foot Rose Garden, home to more than 1,000 rose bushes from 75 varieties. The collection includes the Chicago Peace Rose, discovered on the Cantigny estate. Tour departs from Visitors Center at 11 a.m
August 5th
Prairie Ethnobotany. Learn how humans have used prairie plants on this summer hike. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. 9:30 a.m. to noon. $44. Dress for the weather. A hand lens or binoculars may be useful, as well as a field guide. Please bring a snack and a water bottle.Info and registration: 630-719-2468 or the more information on the Arboretum's website.
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August 6th
The North Park Village chapter of Wild Ones tours the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles, the first LEED certified building in Kane County. Turtle pond, wetland exhibit, live animal displays and interactive murals that showcase the area’s natural history. The center overlooks oak savanna, community garden plots and restored habitats. Lunch at a nearby restaurant afterwards. Meet at the Discovery Center, 3795 Campton Hills Drive, at 10 a.m.
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August 7th
Garden Conservancy Open Days in the western suburbs. Gardens open in Elburn and West Chicago. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $7; pay at the gate. Directions and other info: www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays
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August 10th
Outdoor Composting Workshop, an event for adults at the Education Center. This is part of Cantigny’s “Get Involved!” series covering environmental topics. Kay McKeen from SCARCE (School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education) will demonstrate and discuss various compost bin options. Learn how to save money, conserve water and create nutrient-rich soil. Advance registration required. 7 p.m
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August 13th
Chicagoland Daylily Society’s daylily sale. Economical and special daylilies from well-known hybridizers and from members’ own gardens. 41 South Stough St., Hinsdale. (the corner of Stough & Chestnut (two blocks north of the West Hinsdale train station).10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In case of rain, the sale will take place inside at The Community House, 415 West Eighth St., Hinsdale. Info: chicagolanddaylilysociety.org
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August 28th
Heirloom Garden Show. Rare and specialty fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs, displayed and sold by Midwestern growers. Garfield Farm Museum, 3N 016 Garfield Road, Campton Hills (5 miles west of Geneva, off Illinois Highway Route 38). 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adults $6. Children $3. Info: garfieldfarm.org
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For more information on these or other garden related events, visit the Calendar page. In our interactive Garden Club calendar on the website, you can click on a link within the calendar and access much more information on that event, including a map to the location, information on registration for the event if applicable, and a link to the website where you can learn more about the event. Events hosted by WCGC are always highlighted in green on the calendar, but we've also included a wide variety of listings for plant sales, gardening-related lectures, and classes throughout the area. You might just find something fun to do on a sunny day!
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Upcoming Local Garden Events
July 2016
Summer Solstice Brings a Strawberry Moon
Summer is officially here! The first day of summer or summer solstice, the longest day of the year, was on June 20th. This year it coincided with the Full Strawberry Moon which happens only once in a lifetime. The Algonquin Indians called it “Strawberry Moon” because it occurs right at the height of the season when strawberries are harvested. Nothing compares to midwest grown strawberries. Their signature bright red color, petite size & big sweet taste sets them apart. You may be lucky and find some late harvests at our local farmer markets. For a different twist to gazpacho try this one using strawberries.
July is the month of the Full Buck Moon. Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time. This Full Moon was also known as the Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month. Look for the full moon this month on July 19th.
July 8th
Tree ID Walk at Garfield Park Conservatory. Free. 10am–12pm.
Spring, summer and fall - learn about city trees throughout the seasons with Openlands’ Regional Forester, Daniella Pereira. Daniella will explore the trees of beautiful and historic Garfield Park. Interested children are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult. Pre-registration is required. Please dress appropriately for the weather — walks take place rain or shine! Learn More.
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July 9th
Pottawatomie Garden Club presents their "Day in the Country" Garden Walk. Saturday, July 9th, 9am–4pm. Tickets $15 in advance, 20 day of the event. Tour six gardens and an exclusive Garden Gate Boutique. For more information, visit the website of the Pottawatomie Garden Club.
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July 10th
Elmhurst Garden Club presents "An Afternoon in the Garden" Garden Walk and Faire
Sunday, July 10th, 10am–3pm. $15 in advance, $20 the day of the event. Grand gardens, inspiring ideas, boutique in the park, Ask the Experts, Deli lunch for purchase. For tickets and information, visit the website of the Elmhurst Garden Club.
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July 17th
The Garden Conservancy's "Open Day" in Chicago's North Shore. Admission to each garden is $7.
Five spectacular gardens (2 public, 3 private) including the 65 acre Mettawa Manor, which includes a walled English-style garden with forty-foot perennial borders on either side of a sunken lawn, a 15 acre prairie, 2 ponds, a potager garden, and a parkland of specimen trees.
For more information, visit the Garden Conservancy's Site.
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July 18th
Garden Clubs of Illinois 2016 Summer Meeting at Cantigny. 1S151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton.
9am-2pm. "Red, White & Bloom" hosted by District IX. There will be time to see everything plus vendors, raffles awards, lunch & a program "Kiss My Aster" by Amanda Thompson. Advance registration is required. Registration information is in Garden Glories & can be made through the IGS website.
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July 29th and July 30th
"Under the Big Top" Biennial Standard State Flower Show, Naperville Municipal Center, 400 South Eagle Street. View beautiful horticulture specimens, floral designs, educational displays, and photography exhibits. Free. Friday, 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm; Saturday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
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For more information on these or other garden related events, visit the Calendar page. In our interactive Garden Club calendar on the website, you can click on a link within the calendar and access much more information on that event, including a map to the location, information on registration for the event if applicable, and a link to the website where you can learn more about the event. Events hosted by WCGC are always highlighted in green on the calendar, but we've also included a wide variety of listings for plant sales, gardening-related lectures, and classes throughout the area. You might just find something fun to do on a sunny day!
Upcoming Local Garden Events
June 2016
The Summer Planting Season has Arrived!
Although Summer doesn't officially arrive until June 20th, most gardeners have been busy working on planning and tending to their warm season gardens. Depending upon where your gardening passion lies, that can mean planting annuals, dividing and planting new perennials, and getting a sound start on vegetable gardens that will provide a bounty of fresh veggies and salads for the coming months. There's a palpable sense of excitement in nurseries and garden centers this time of year- and for those of us who have particularly cold, snowy winters, the excitement is certain to be magnified.
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Here in Wayne, we are beginning to see the prairies of the neighboring forest preserves come back to life, and the wild phlox is in full bloom along edges of the woods and roadsides. The Garden Club's lovely flowers in the planters in front of the village, post office, police station, and old village hall certainly brighten those gathering spots, even on days when the late spring rain is falling.
The garden suggests that there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.
~Michael Pollan
Wayne Countryside Garden Club's Visit from
Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist of CBS Chicago
At the end of April, we enjoyed a visit from Mary Kay Kleist, a Staff Meteorologist from CBS Channel 2 at the Little Home Church. She spoke about her fascinating career path, we learned quite a bit about what it's like to be a television meteorologist, and we had the opportunity to ask some questions.
Supporting Migratory Species and Bees in the Garden
While out in the garden, we are also beginning to see the return of migrating animals and insects, and there's something thrilling about seeing the first hummingbird, monarch, or goldfinch in the yard late spring. They are often our quiet companions out in the garden, and it's fascinating to imagine the staggering journey these species continue to take each and every year. It can be such a delight to see them, and there are several things we can each do to help support and feed them as they stop through our village.
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Monarchs
According to the Monarch Migration Map, adult monarchs have already been sighted on the Northern Illinois/Chicago area. You can follow news and see maps, and even make reports of sightings for this year's migration at the Monarch Report site, sponsored by the Annenberg Foundation. It can be difficult at times to differentiate the monarch from the different butterflies that might bear a solid resemblance. The graphic below helps illustrate a few of the differences in markings.
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Attracting and Supporting Monarchs in your Garden
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Plant at least one variety of milkweek native to our area.
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Plant your garden in a sunny spot, with some protection from the wind.
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Try to plant a variety of nectar plants with staggered bloom times.
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Herbicides and pesticides should be avoided, as they kill the caterpillars and the adult butterflies.
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Hummingbirds
The most common hummingbird to Northern Illinois, the ruby-throated hummingbird overwinters in Central America and then flies north on a migration path that ends for some in Chicago. Their migration takes more than three months, and they travel through March, April and May. Unusually, it is the female birds that establish territory, and they arrive before the males to claim nesting sites. It is the juvenile birds — those born in Chicago over the summer — that leave last on the southward migration.
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Attracting Hummingbirds to your Garden
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are particularly attracted to red and bright orange, so you will have the best luck attracting them to your garden if you plant flowers and have hummingbird feeders with large amounts of red or orange. Use a solution of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, change the solution out and clean the feeder once a week, and avoid solutions with artificial dye, since there is no need to introduce chemicals into their systems. The red or orange portion of your feeder itself will be a sufficient attractant.
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Upcoming Local Garden Events
June 3rd, 4th and 5th
Geneva Garden Club presents Fancy Plants & not so Plain Jane Plants and Antique Sale. The sale will feature beautiful, reliable, hard to find plants from a reputable nursery as well as various potted plants from our own members’ lovely gardens. 402 S. 6th Street, Geneva. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain or shine. Info: debbie@mysecretgardenonswl.com.
June 4
Lurie Garden Spring Festival & Plant Sale. Perennials and grasses to provide interest throughout the seasons, as well as food and shelter for local fauna. All proceeds support Lurie Garden public programs. Please bring your own bags or boxes to transport your plants. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. Info: luriegarden.org
June 4
Schaumburg Community Garden Club’s Bargain Bulb and Plant Sale. Tulip bulbs from Park District gardens, plants from members’ gardens and native plants. Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. Info: 847-706-6767 or schaumburggardenclub.org.
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June 15
“Fairy Gardens,” the program for the monthly meeting of the Tri-Village Garden Club of Bartlett, Hanover Park and Streamwood. Presented by Master Gardener Sandy Peakis. Poplar Creek Public Library, 1405 S. Park Ave., Streamwood. 7 p.m. Info: 630-497-1958 or trivillagegardenclub.org/wordpress.
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June 24
“The City in a Garden: A Photographic History of Chicago’s Parks,” the program for the monthly meeting of the Elgin Garden Club. Based on the book written and presented by Julia Bachrach about the history of the Chicago Park District. Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. 9:30 a.m. Free. Open to the public. Info: 847-931-0351. Reservations required at 847-742-4695.
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June 28
"Getting to Know Native Pollinators" at Blumen Gardens in Sycamore.
A very informative talk with Peggy Doty from the University of Illinois Extension. During Peggy’s class, she will introduce participants to the many different varieties of pollinators such as Butterflies, Moths, Flies and Beetles. Learn how you can make your property more attractive to them, and help your local pollinators flourish. 6pm - 7pmBlumen Gardens- 403 Edward St. Sycamore, IL
Cost: FREE
Please call to register for class at 815-895-3737.
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For more information on these or other garden related events, visit the Calendar page. In our interactive Garden Club calendar on the website, you can click on a link within the calendar and access much more information on that event, including a map to the location, information on registration for the event if applicable, and a link to the website where you can learn more about the event. Events hosted by WCGC are always highlighted in green on the calendar, but we've also included a wide variety of listings for plant sales, gardening-related lectures, and classes throughout the area. You might just find something fun to do on a sunny day!