Garden club to offer ideas, tips at flower show

That pot of mums standing outside the front door may be pretty but, admit it, it's not the most creative idea.

Thanks to the Wheaton Garden Club, gardening buffs can gather fresh floral ideas today and Friday at the Wheaton Public Library.

The club will host its standard flower show to showcase its members' talents and raise awareness of the club's charitable work in Wheaton.

Garden club member Mary Jo Mignin said the event will feature 20 to 30 table settings and flower arrangements, limbs, branches and specimens.

"It gets a lot of people interested," Mignin said. "After they see the show, we will have people call up and say, 'We're really interested in joining your club.' "

But the Wheaton garden club is about more than just planting perennials. The women host events like their annual plant sale to raise money for charity. They support local causes like scholarships for the horticulture program at College of DuPage and Garden Clubs of Illinois.

They also help maintain the greenery at the Wheaton library and Wheaton History Center.

"We've been in Wheaton a long time and have been very involved in helping beautify the city," Mignin said. "We support only local things."

This week's flower show is free, and members hope visitors will see how their green thumbs have helped improve Wheaton over the years.

"Most of our members have lovely gardens, but basically we are more beautifying the area," Mignin said.

If you go

What: Dancing with the Stars, a flower show hosted by the Wheaton Garden Club

When:Noon to 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday

Where: Wheaton Public Library, 225 N. Cross St., Wheaton

Cost: Free

Details: e-mail kgacarek@comcast.net