The West Chicago Garden Club

Play Bingo, Win bulbs for your garden!

Speaker Bill Kargas will help us learn how to prepare our gardens for winter.

Our final meeting of the year to thank all our members.  Silent Auction currency is only Garden Dollars which are earned by coming to meetings, volunteering, etc.

Dr. Megan Dunning—The Trees Near My Home The trees close to your home affect your life in so many ways – and you are also important to those trees. Join Megan Dunning, Manager of Adult Learning Programs at The Morton Arboretum, to explore our relationship with nearby nature. She’ll introduce you to a few of […]

Organic Gardening with Glenn Grosch.

Amazing Birds by Bob and Kathy Andrini

What's New from Ball by Jim Nau

All American Selections by Diane Blazek

Smaller Trees for Smaller Yards by Sharon Yiesla

Members will visit the Kruse Garden between 6pm-8pm.  Volunteers will be there to answer questions.

Native Plants - speaker to be announced later

Butterflies & Other Interesting Creatures - speaker to be announced later

Annual Member's Pot Luck Dinner & Silent Auction

Join us at St Andrew Lutheran Church (NE Corner of Prince Crossing & Geneva Road) at 7:00PM on Thursday, September 23rd. All-America Selections (AAS) is a 90 year-old non-profit, but don't think of this as grandma's organization! AAS is stronger and more encompassing than ever before. With almost 1000 varieties that have been declared as […]

Join us at St Andrew Lutheran Church (NE Corner of Prince Crossing & Geneva Road) at 7:00PM on Thursday, October 28th One of the most fun meetings of the year returns!  Play bingo to win bulbs.

In her program, “Shady Characters: Nifty Plants for Shady Sites,” Heather Prince will explore the colors and textures of shade loving plants as we look at varieties and species for dry shade, moist shade, part shade, and dense shade.

“Favorite Native Plants through the Seasons” with Denise Sandoval

“Foraging for Wild Edibles “ presented by Speaker: David Brooks, from the Schaumburg Nature Center

Our monthly meeting will be "A Well Rounded Garden “ presented by Landon Gibbs from Cantigny. Refreshments: 6:45pm Business Meeting: 7:00pm Program: 7:15pm

Our "Annual" Plant Sale is back at West Chicago BloomingFest!  From 9am to 2pm. Come early for best selection.

For our May meeting we will be visiting the Wildflower Sanctuary in downtown Batavia. The Wildflower Sanctuary was created and continues to be maintained by The Plain Dirt Gardeners in Batavia.  Sarah Kimber and Terri Hoehne of the Plain Dirt Gardeners will be our guides.  We will meet them at the Peg Bond Center (bandshell) […]

Our June meeting will take place in a member's garden.  If you are interested in joining us, contact us at WestChicagoGardenClub@gmail.com.  

Come on out for our annual member's only President's Picnic!

“Be an Herbal Gourmet” presented by Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh  

We will be accepting 4" and gallon pots at the barn and organizing/cleaning up our supplies for next year's plant sale.

“Biomimicry” presented by Kim White

Our annual Members only Bulb Bingo event.  Learn about different bulbs as we play bingo to win them.

Annual Elections, 'Garden Dollars' Silent Auction, Raffle, Potluck Dinner (Note this is the 3rd Thursday) - Members Only This is our final meeting for 2022. We will return in January 2023.

Our January speaker will be Eileen Davis, Environmental Educator, Lake County Forest Preserves.  Her program will be “Landscaping with Native Plants”.  No matter what style of garden is your favorite you can create it or enhance it using native plants.  Discover the benefits of designing native habitats such as butterfly gardens and rain gardens.  Native […]

Our speaker will be Bill Kargas.  Some members may remember his presentation on Composting a few years ago.  He is a very engaging speaker. Meeting Time: 6:45PM Arrive & Mingle 7:00PM Business Meeting 7:15PM Program

“Tree Pests and Diseases of the Urban Forest” by David Kusnierz from SavATree

It is time for our Spring Adopt A Highway roadside pickup. We will be meeting on Saturday, April 15th at 8:45am in the parking lot of the Park District garage at 830 W Hawthorne Lane. We will start our cleanup at 9:00am Expect to spend about 2 hours walking on relatively flat sidewalk & grass. […]

Member event for potting up plants for our May 20th Plant Sale.  See newsletter for more information.

Member event for potting up plants for our May 20th Plant Sale.  See newsletter for more information.

“Success with Woodies” by Glenn Grosch

Member event for potting up plants for our May 20th Plant Sale. See newsletter for more information.

Member event for potting up plants for our May 20th Plant Sale.  See newsletter for more information.

Watch your email for details!

Come early for the best selection!  The rope drops at 9:00AM and the sale runs until we are out of plants or around 2:00pm.

Speaker Liz Omura

 Members are invited to join us at Wasco Nursery for a tour and a talk on some recommended natives, nativars, and annuals to help you create or enhance your pollinator/butterfly garden bed.  Check your email for details.

A chance for members to visit one of our member's gardens.  Check your email for details.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens.  Check your email for details.

Come visit the beautiful Kruse Museum Garden. Tour the gardens and check out the amazing job our volunteers have done here.  We will also have a flower arranging workshop for those who are interested.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens.  Check your email for details.

John Richter's Garden - see your newsletter for details

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens.  Check your email for details.

Save the Date!  More details will be available for members soon.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

Come on out for our annual member’s only President’s Picnic! Check your email or newsletter for details.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens.  Check your email for details.

Usually, Twilight Tuesdays are a "Members Only" event where we visit a member's garden.  This week, we are opening up our Twilight Tuesday to everyone and hosting it at the Kruse Museum Garden.  This garden is planted and maintained by our wonderful club volunteers.  This will be an "open house" at the garden where you […]

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens.  Check your email for details.

The Kruse garden will be receiving a large pile of mulch and our fantastic gardeners need some help getting it spread around. We have organized 2 different times for this project and, hopefully, one will work with your schedule.  You'll also earn garden bucks for our silent auction in November! If you haven't been able to […]

The Kruse garden will be receiving a large pile of mulch and our fantastic gardeners need some help getting it spread around. We have organized 2 different times for this project and, hopefully, one will work with your schedule.  You'll also earn garden bucks for our silent auction in November! If you haven't been able to […]

Jerome Johnson from the Garfield Farm Museum will present a program on “Heirloom Plants & Loss of Diversity”

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens.  Check your email for details.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.  This is the final Twilight Tuesday of the year.

Our presenter, Ken Benson, is a landscape architect with degrees in horticulture from the University of Illinois.  Ken will discuss the myth that gardening tools come from the store sharp.  He will demonstrate how to use various sharpening stones to sharpen pruners, shovels, and all other gardening tools.  Members may bring a pair of hand […]

Our annual Bulb Bingo event!  Learn about the various types of bulbs as we play Bingo to win them.  This event is for garden club members only.

Note that we meet on the THIRD Thursday in November due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  This is our annual end of the year event.  Enjoy our Potluck dinner and use the Garden Bucks you have earned all year to bid on items at our silent auction.  This is an event for garden club members only.  […]

Our January program will be; Seed Starting: Giving your garden a head start, presented by Master Gardener, Jan Gricus.

If you were inspired to start seeds after last month’s meeting this is for you. Feel free to come browse some seed catalogs, talk seeds with fellow members, order seeds, and consider splitting a seed packet order (e.g. most of us don’t have room for 20 pumpkin seedlings right?). *Members will pay for their seed […]

Our February speaker is David Brooks, a professional naturalist with the Spring Valley Nature Center in Schaumburg. In his program, Backyard Birds and Bird Feeding, we will learn the “how to” of attracting a variety of birds to our property through properly maintained feeding stations and plantings that offer both food and shelter. The program […]

Presented by Kim Hartman

Member event for potting up plants for our May 18th Plant Sale. See newsletter for more information.

Member event for potting up plants for our May 18th Plant Sale. See newsletter for more information.

Come out and help clean up the Kruse Garden.

Presented by Nina Koziel

Member event for potting up plants for our May 18th Plant Sale. See newsletter for more information.

Member event for potting up plants for our May 18th Plant Sale. See newsletter for more information.

Watch your email for details!

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

Presented by Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh Edible Flowers- Delve into the world of edible flowers with our photo-based presentation. Discover the delicious flavors of Day lilies, Anise Hyssop, and more, along with the beneficial properties of roses and sage flowers. Learn about over 20 edible flowers, with tips on harvesting, preserving, and preparing, plus plant lists and […]

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

We will be out at the barn on Saturday, June 1st starting at 9:00am. We will be leaving at Noon - please do not drop off items after we are gone! The plan is to be available for members to drop off pots they want to donate. We will use the time while we are […]

Members - please see your newsletter for details on this trip and how to register. The bus will depart from St. Andrew Lutheran Church at 8am. Please be there by 7:45 so we can depart on time.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

“Permaculture” presented by Thom Skibble

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

In partnership with the West Chicago Historical Society and the Kruse House museum, we invite our members to an Afternoon of Tea, pastries, music, and a walk in the gardens! We will serve Assorted Teas, Finger Sandwiches, Scones, Pastries, Strawberry Jam, Lemon Curd, Clotted Cream Tickets are available for members only at $30 per person. […]

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

Watch the newsletter and your email for details.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

Our Fall Bulb group order has a deadline of July 31st. Please see the Newsletter for details and send your orders in to Pauline.

Check the July Newsletter for details. Please RSVP as attendance is limited.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

Our speaker will be Cindy Crosby speaking on Dragonflies and Damselflies.

Save the date! More details will be available in August.

A chance for members to visit one of our member’s gardens. Check your email for details our member’s gardens. Check your email for details.

The Historical Society Ice Cream Social fundraiser is an annual event held in the beautiful Kruse Museum Garden.  It is a wonderful opportunity to visit the garden, the museum and enjoy some tasty desserts. Kruse House Museum - 527 Main Street, West Chicago, IL 60185

Our second field trip for 2024 has been set for Saturday, Sept 21!  Meet up place will be the parking lot of St Andrew’s Church at 8:45 am.  We will depart promptly at 9:00 am, please arrive on time!  Bus services will be provided by Infinity Transportation and as usual if you would like to add a gratuity […]

Our September speaker will be Diane Blazek, Executive Director of All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau. Diane has been deeply (and happily!) immersed in gardening from an early age. From growing up on a small family farm to her small suburban lot, she is passionate about everything green. After spending 15 years with Ball Publishing, […]

It is time for our Fall Adopt A Highway roadside pickup.  We will be meeting on Saturday, October 5th at 8:45am in the parking lot of the Park District garage at 830 W Hawthorne Lane. We will start our cleanup at 9:00am Expect to spend about 1 to 2 hours walking on relatively flat sidewalk […]

You all may be familiar with the garden that our club maintains at the Kruse House Museum 527 Main Street, West Chicago, but you may not have had a chance to contribute to its care personally. Here is your opportunity!! All club members are invited for the next weekend Kruse gardening day happening Saturday, October […]

Our annual Bulb Bingo event! Learn about the various types of bulbs as we play Bingo to win them. This event is for garden club members only.