Home & garden calendar, Aug. 3-9
Send events for this calendar to homes@dailyherald.com with “calendar listing” in the subject line. Deadline is two weeks prior to the event.
Upcoming
South Barrington Garden Club: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, at South Barrington Park District, 3 Tennis Club Lane. Anita Bierbaum and Marlene Taheny present “Make Your Own Topiary.” Visit sbgclub.org.
Aquascape Pond & Garden Tour: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9-10. Explore gardens with water features during this self-guided tour in the St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia area. Every water feature is one-of-a-kind so you’ll have fun at every stop. Cameras and video are welcome. The tour is on rain or shine! Tickets, $30, are per vehicle and can be used Saturday, Sunday, or both days. Tickets: www.aquascapeconstruction.com/events/.
Hydrangea Bloomania: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at The Growing Place, 2000 Montgomery Road, Aurora. A talk on hydrangea varieties and what they need to thrive. Learn how to pick the right type for your yard and get beautiful blooms year after year. Then take a self-guided tour in the Learning Gardens featuring over 15 hydrangea varieties. The self-guided hydrangea tour is all day, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It also will be offered on Sunday, Aug. 10 at the Naperville location. Free. Questions, Cynthia Cieckiewicz at grow@thegrowingplace.com or (630) 820-8088.
Plant Swap: 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, at the Des Plaines Public Library, 1501 Ellinwood St., Des Plaines. Have you been looking to add something green to your home? Find a new plant friend that's right for you (or donate one that isn't), swap plants, seeds, and cuttings, and mingle with other plant lovers. Free; no registration required. dppl.org.
Garden Club of Lake Zurich: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, Ela Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich. Learn about the Trees That Feed Foundation and its mission to plant fruit-bearing trees which feed people, create jobs, and benefit the environment. The foundation helps with tree distribution, tree propagation, fruit harvesting equipment, breadfruit products, school-feeding programs, training, marketing, and monitoring. It supports independent farmers, cooperatives, and commercially successful operations in struggling countries around the world. Guests welcome. Refreshments served. Visit gardencluboflakezurich.org.
Bloomingdale Garden Club: 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Cornerstone Faith Community Church, 118 First St., Bloomingdale. They will be talking about wrapping up your garden for the fall and sampling different varieties of tomatoes and choosing their favorites. Visit bloomingdalegardenclub.org.
Lombard Garden Club, “Language of Flowers”: 12:30-3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at the Lombard Community Center, 433 E. St. Charles Road. Unlock the secrets of the Victorian era with Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh. Explore the captivating art of floriography to decode the hidden messages behind beautifully arranged blooms. Learn the Victorian language of flowers and see how to construct a mini bouquet called a tussie mussie. Participants will learn the language then interpret displayed bouquets, and one lucky member will take a bouquet home. Public is welcome; no charge. Visit lombardgardenclub.org.
Pottawatomie Garden Club: 11:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25, Baker Memorial United Methodist Church, 307 Cedar Ave., St. Charles. Guest speaker Barbara Collins on “Dams, the Dams.” Visit pottagardenclub.org.
Native tree, shrub and plant sale: Ordering is open for Kane DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District’s sale of native trees, shrubs and plants. Place your order by Sept. 5 with pickup on Sept. 19. The online catalog is available at kanedupageswcd.org/kd. Download the order form, complete your selections and follow the instructions to submit the order and payment. The Northern Illinois Worm Farm will be on hand again with fresh, local worm castings and worm castings tea for sale.
Blooms & Bites-Water Gardens: 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at Cantigny Park Visitors Center, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. An evening of all things water gardens. $40; includes a drink and admission to the park. Register: cantigny.org.
Garden shows
Prairie State Bonsai Society exhibition: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, at Morton Arboretum’s Sycamore Room, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. During the annual Destination Asia Festival, society members from all over the Chicago area display trees that they have been developing over the years. Also, see bonsai trees in progress. Register for beginner to advanced bonsai workshops for additional fee. Show admission included with Arboretum fee. mortonarb.org.
Garden Clubs of Illinois Inc. District IX Flower Show: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, in the Burnstein Hall at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Regenstein Center, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Presented by the Garden Clubs of Illinois, this show features judged flower arrangements and exhibits, as well as a cut horticulture competition. The Garden Clubs of Illinois has nearly 10,000 members from nine districts. Admission to the show is free with general admission to Chicago Botanic Garden. Visit www.districtix-gci.org/events.
32nd Antique Tool Show & Sale: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, at Garfield Farm Museum, 3N016 Garfield Road, Campton Hills. Mid-West Tool Collectors & Early American Industries Association features over 30 different collectors with tools on display and for sale. Tours of the 1846 teamster inn and tavern begin at 10 a.m. and continue after the show until 4 p.m. Light refreshments available. $8 or $3 for age 12 or under. garfieldfarm.org.
Mid-America Bonsai Show & Sale: noon-5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 16-17, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Presented by the Midwest Bonsai Society. The 47th annual judged show including 200 bonsai trees reflecting all types of bonsai styles in Nichols Hall. Over a dozen vendors selling bonsai trees, raw nursery stock, pots, tools, and supplies in the Searle and Runnells Courtyards. Free demonstrations and lectures in Alsdorf Auditorium with workshops for beginners and accomplished bonsai growers to collect growing information. Admission to the show is free with general admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden. To register and see the full list of workshops, visit midwestbonsai.org.
Ikenobo Ikebana Society Chicago Chapter Show: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23-24, in the Burnstein Hall at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Regenstein Center, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Presented by the Ikenobo Ikebana Society, Chicago Chapter. Ikenobo is the origin of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Admission to the show is free with general admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visit chicagobotanic.org.
Heirloom Garden Show: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, at Garfield Farm Museum, 3N016 Garfield Road, Campton Hills. Tour the museum’s heirloom gardens and interact with Midwestern growers showcasing their favorite heirloom flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables. $8; $3 for kids 12 and younger. garfieldfarm.org.
Ongoing
‘Living in the Shade-Open Space and Public Housing’ exhibit: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays, through Nov. 12, at the National Public Housing Museum’s Special Exhibits Gallery, 2nd Floor, 919 S. Ada St., Chicago. This exhibition explores the role of open space — large lawns and tenant gardens, paved paths and play spaces, shady seating areas and public art — in creating more livable, healthy, and thriving communities. A public talk on Thursday, Sept. 25, explores the history of experimental playgrounds and public spaces for families with Alexandra Lange, winner of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for criticism and author of “The Design of Childhood: How the Material World Shapes Independent Kids” and “Meet Me By the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall.” Free. nphm.org/exhibition/living-in-the-shade/.
Private Garden Tour: John Richter has opened his private garden in Warrenville to share the beauty of his various grafted trees and variegated bushes, thousands of day lilies from 10 different hybridizers, and over 750 different varieties of hostas, as well as numerous beautiful sculptures. There is no charge for you to go and stroll through his garden — just call him at (630) 393-3279 to schedule a time.
Healing Gardens: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the second Sunday of the month through October, at Stone Hill Farm, 37W249 Dean St., St. Charles. Come enjoy the natural wooded setting and perennial gardens. Admission is $5 per person; $10 per family; cancer survivors are free. Donations of time/money for upkeep are welcome. Special programs monthly. The Healing Gardens is cultivated and hosted by Deborah Marqui, owner of Stone Hill Farm with her husband, Buzz. Marqui leads day retreats, hosts Silent Saturday Mornings, Yoga in the Garden. For information, call (630) 740-2597 or visit www.healinggardensatstonehillfarm.com.