Native plant sale promotes healthy yards and communities

For many area homeowners, springtime gardening projects are a sure sign that summer is just around the corner. And avid gardeners are already itching to get their tools out and their hands dirty.

This year, the Conserve Lake County Native Plant Sale offers to help gardeners get started, while making it easier than ever for homeowners to incorporate native trees, shrubs and perennials into any landscapes.

The sale takes place over four consecutive weekends starting May 17. It will open each weekend from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday at Almond Marsh Forest Preserve, 32492 N. Almond Road, just south of Route 120 in Grayslake.

Plant experts will be on hand throughout the sale. Free, drop-in Coffee and Cultivate sessions will also provide an opportunity for people to connect and share with experts and each other.

The sale offers more than 100 species of trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses that have grown in our region since pre-settlement times. Native plants are often much heartier than nonnative plants because they evolved in the northeastern Illinois climate with these soils. They provide songbirds and butterflies with essential needs. They also cleanse stormwater and showcase the region’s natural heritage.

“One of the most important steps you can take to support clean water, rich soil and resilient ecosystems is to add plants to your landscape that are native to northeastern Illinois,” said Sarah Surroz, conservation and outreach manager at Conserve Lake County. “Nothing helps soil, water or ecosystems like natives.”

Conserve Lake County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to healthy land and clean water for the benefit of people and wildlife. The sale is a fundraiser for the popular Conservation@Home program, which helps residents who want to incorporate eco-friendly practices into their lawn and garden care.

Conserve Lake County purchased the native plant business from EarthWild Gardens, a local company that had provided native plants to the area for more than 10 years. The nonprofit organization purchased the business as a social enterprise, an endeavor designed to provide both services and revenues.