Home & garden calendar, Nov. 16-22

Send events for this calendar to homes@dailyherald.com with “calendar listing” in the subject line. Deadline is two weeks prior to the event.

Monday, Nov. 17

Growing Salad Greens Indoors: 6-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, online. Explore the foundational tools needed to grow greens indoors. We will cover required and alternative materials, as well as ideal crop varieties, the benefits and drawbacks of direct sowing versus transplanting, and optimal conditions for successfully growing greens indoors. $20/$25. Register: chicagobotanic.org.

Tuesday, Nov. 18

Bloomingdale Garden Club: 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Cornerstone Faith Community Church, 118 First St., Bloomingdale. It will be the annual election of officers. Afterward, members will create a Christmas centerpiece for the West Suburban Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Each club member will add their own personal touches to the centerpieces. The residents love this annual Christmas projects and look forward to receiving them every year. Visit bloomingdalegardenclub.org.

Grayslake Greenery Garden Club, “Growing Tea Garden”: 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at State Bank of the Lakes, 50 Commerce Drive, Grayslake. Master Gardener Carolina Schottland, a volunteer with the Chicago Botanic Garden, Buehler Enabling Garden and president of the Round Lake Area Garden Club, will talk about what plants you can grow in this area to create or enhance your own tea blends. It will focus on an array of plants that can be used for making tea. This talk includes an interactive, sensory component of fresh or dried plants depending on the season. Comprehensive plant list provided. Visit grayslakegardenclub.org.

Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners: 6:45 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. Jack Shouba will talk about winter tree identification, showing how you can identify many trees by their bark, but also by their shape, color, branching pattern, habitat, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Shouba taught classes on local flora, tree identification, and other natural history and photography subjects at the Morton Arboretum for over 20 years. All are welcome. Visit bataviaplaindirtgardeners.org.

Winter Container Design Tips: 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Discover the best plant selection for winter containers, focusing on hardy perennials, evergreens, and seasonal accents that add color and texture throughout the colder months. Through demonstration and discussion, understand the principles of container design, including balance, contrast, and the use of height, filler, and trailing elements to create visually appealing arrangements for your own winter container. Also gain troubleshooting advice to refine your container designs and care strategies. $29/$37. Register: chicagobotanic.org.

Vertical Gardening: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, online. Maximizing garden space is a worthy goal that can be further supported by focusing on vertical opportunities. Limited garden space may lend itself to growing plants upward and selecting narrow forms of plants that work well in these situations. Examine the use of specific structures, gardening techniques, and plant selection. $52/$65. Register: chicagobotanic.org.

Thursday, Nov. 20

Garden Club of Inverness: 10:15-11:45 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at All Saints Lutheran Church, 639 S. Quentin Road, Palatine. Dan Pilguy, owner and operator of Arlington Crest Farms, will present “A Decade of Farming for CSA’s, Markets and Local Restaurants.” He is entering his 10th year of business in Palatine. He last visited the club in 2019, and since then, has had many incredible experiences, grown produce for and at local food establishments, and learned a great deal along the way. He will return to share his trials and tribulations over the past decade as a suburban farmer. He will share what he has learned, including best practices as a grower, how he has developed his business to meet the needs of local consumers, and his hopes for future endeavors to make a lasting impact in the community. All are encouraged to attend. Free. Visit gardenclubofinverness.com.

Wild Ones “Living in the Liberated Landscape” webinar: 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20. Discover the power of ecological garden design in this free national webinar with award-winning landscape designer Larry Weaner. It’s a personal look at how dynamic, self-sustaining landscapes can emerge when we partner with nature instead of controlling it. Drawing on more than 35 years of experience, Weaner will share practical strategies for designing dynamic gardens that evolve naturally, support biodiversity, and bring lasting beauty to your yard. Register: wildones.org.

Saturday, Nov. 22

Poinsettia Preview Sale: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, in the Cantigny Greenhouse, Greenhouse, Schaffner Road entrance in Wheaton. Visit Cantigny’s greenhouse, a space that’s rarely accessible to the public. Enjoy a colorful display of our beautiful poinsettias and browse a wide selection of stunning varieties — all available at special discounted prices. Availability is limited, so it’s the perfect time to pick your favorites and bring a touch of seasonal color home early! $5 per person. Tickets: cantigny.org/event/poinsettia-preview-sale/.

Upcoming

Garden Club of Downers Grove: 12:15-3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at American Legion Post 80, 4000 Saratoga, Downers Grove. Micheale, a florist with Designs by Heritage House in Downers Grove, will present “A Festive Touch.” It starts at 12:15 p.m. for refreshments followed by the club's general meeting then the presentation at 1:45 p.m. Visit gardenclubofdownersgrove.net or facebook.com/gardenclubdownersgrove.

Arlington Heights Garden Club: 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at St. Simon’s Episcopal Church, 717 W. Kirchoff Road, Arlington Heights. Molly Roche, the TreeKeepers Program specialist at Openlands, will talk about the growing community of tree ambassadors that care for the urban forest in the Chicago area. Roche has been a TreeKeeper since 2015 and is an International Society of Arboriculture certified Arborist. Social time at 6:30 p.m. with meeting and program at 7 p.m. Guests welcome. Visit facebook.com/AHGardenClub.

Garden Club of ​Lake Zurich, “Adding Public Gardens to Your Travel Plans”: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, Ela Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich. Brock and Ruth Seney will talk about public gardens across the U.S. Ruth is a master gardener with the University of Illinois. Brock enjoys photography and has taken classes at the Chicago Botanic Garden. gardencluboflakezurich.org.

Westmont Gardening Club: 6:30-7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Westmont Public Library, 428 N. Cass Ave. Connect with other gardeners, beginners and experts alike, in exploring all aspects of gardening. Visit westmontlibrary.org.

Naperville Garden Club’s Cup of Cheer Home Tour, Holiday Market & Tea: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 for $45. Preview day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 for $60. Four homes showcasing festive holiday decor that combines the homeowners’ personal style with seasonal touches provided by the club. The tea features homemade cookies and beverages. Each ticketed guest receives a commemorative teacup and saucer or mug, with a new pattern introduced each year. The Holiday Market features handcrafted and curated items at the Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873, 908 W. Jackson St. (non-ticket holders welcome from noon to 4 p.m. Friday). Tickets available at napervillegardenclub.org or Baird & Warner Realtors, 836 W. 75th St., Naperville; John Greene Realtors, 1311 S. Route 59, Naperville; and The Growing Place, 25W471 Plank Road, Naperville. A 10% discount is available with the purchase of 10 tickets. Proceeds support the club’s community programs, scholarships, civic beautification projects, and educational initiatives.

Geneva Garden Club: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at the Stephen R. Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road in Geneva. Cristin Adam or Maureen Natonson of The Growing Place will present “Design for Four Seasons.” The program starts at noon following lunch. Guests are welcome. Visit genevagardenclub.com/general-meetings/.

Mount Prospect Garden Club: 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Mount Prospect Police Station, 911 E. Kensington Road. Stephanie Dalton will talk about “Container Design.” The meeting begins with social time, followed by the 10 a.m. business meeting and 11 a.m. speaker. Guests are welcome. Visit gcmp.weebly.com.

Des Plaines Garden Club: 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, in the Frisbee Senior Center, 52 E. Northwest Hwy., Des Plaines. It will be a general meeting with raffles and fun with flowers. Visit desplainesilgardenclub.com or facebook.com/DesPlainesGardenClub/.

Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners: 6:45 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at the Batavia Public Library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. Join the annual potluck dinner and white elephant gift exchange. All are welcome. Visit bataviaplaindirtgardeners.org.

Workshops

Winter Containers at the Garden: 10-11:30 a.m., 1-2:30 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Be inspired by the winter containers at the Garden and learn ways to extend your own into the winter season. Then prepare a container with fresh-cut evergreen boughs and berried or brightly colored branches. Dress for the weather and bring pruners and gloves. $89/$112. Register: chicagobotanic.org.

Plant Stories — Tales from the Garden: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in the Morton Arboretum Cudahy Room, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Join author and naturalist Cindy Crosby for an engaging journey into the adventurous stories behind the garden plants we know and love. Discover how these plants made their way to our backyards — thanks to the daring efforts of plant hunters across the globe and close to home. Along the way, explore how different cultures throughout history have viewed and celebrated them. It is for age 16 or older. $17-$24. Register: mortonarb.org.

Pine Bonsai Workshop: 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at Chicago Botanic Garden’s Bonsai Studio, Grainger Center at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Pines make great bonsai trees and can be styled in many different forms. They have great bark and foliage colors, and are very flexible for styling. Explore basic pine bonsai care, soil type, feeding, needle pruning, de-candling, and wiring of trees. Work on your own pines after an in-depth presentation on care. Led by Chris Baker, curator of bonsai. $49/$62. Register: chicagobotanic.org.

Winterscaping — Beauty in the Quiet Season: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, in the Morton Arboretum Cudahy Room, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Creating garden landscapes is perhaps the most challenging in winter, when the color palette shrinks and emphasis must shift from colorful blooms to the form and structure of plants. In this talk horticulturist Heather Prince, learn how to evaluate plants for their architecture, their resilience to snow cover, and the simple pleasures of bark and berries — to create a garden that’s interesting to look at all year round. It is for age 16 or older. $42-$49. Register: mortonarb.org.