Island of plenty

Few people have the luxury, or space, to maintain a small fruit orchard in their back yards these days.

An apple tree here and there is more like it. Still, it would probably surprise most folks to learn that nectarines, apricots and, yes, even pecans can thrive in the Chicago area despite our oft-frigid winters.

The key to success is knowing exactly which varieties will grow in a climate with 100-degree summers and sub-zero winters. Such trees fill up several orchards on the 3.8-acre Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Island at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, and they're joined by herbs, berry bushes and vegetables.

Each plant selected for the island must thrive and produce fruit in this climate without a Herculean effort by area gardeners, horticulturist Alana Mezo said.

There are blueberry and raspberry bushes, fruit trees trained to grow against walls, herbs, grapes and tomatoes. Gardeners can also see chard, peppers, squash and peas - all specific varieties that will survive Chicago's wacky weather, Mezo explained.

On Aug. 3, visitors to the garden will get the chance to study those varieties up close and get some vegetable-growing pointers when the island opens up for Plant a Row for the Hungry Day.

Plant a Row is a campaign that encourages gardeners to plant a little extra in their plots and donate that produce to area food pantries and soup kitchens. The Garden Writers Association promotes the campaign nationally and it's sponsored and organized locally by the Daily Herald.

This year the Botanic Garden is helping spread the word about a program that targets the needier members of the community with the best of what local gardeners have to offer.

"We want people to see gardening is fun, but the joys are also about the results of the gardening," Botanic Garden spokeswoman Sue Markgraf said. "If you're growing vegetables, what better way to share … than to pick a tomato and give it to someone else."

Chicagoland Gardening magazine will join in the day's activities, as will Mike Nowak, host of WGN-Radio's "Lets Talk Gardening" show. And Chicago Parent magazine will help kids get their first taste of vegetable gardening with an activity that produces results they can take home. Master Gardeners from the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service will answer visitors' questions about problem spots in the garden.

Participation in Plant a Row for the Hungry really isn't new to the Chicago Botanic Garden; staff actually have a long history of using their bounty to enrich the lives of others.

For the past decade, fruits and vegetables from the 500 plants that grow there have been donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. That's why it's often frustrating when workers to see visitors stooping down to help themselves to a snack: the food is earmarked for those in real need of assistance.

"We have a long history and fondness for community gardening initiatives," Markgraf said.

Plant a Row fits the bill.

In the past four years, gardeners in five suburban counties have sent more than 133,000 pounds, or 66-plus tons, of fresh fruits and vegetables to drop off sites where the food is distributed directly to clients.

And almost across-the-board, pantries are reporting increases in client cases of between 20 and 30 percent this year.

At Northern Illinois Food Bank, which serves 12 northern Illinois counties, demand, but not supply, has doubled, explained Mary Hayes, the food bank's assistant executive director.

With that in mind, the Aug. 3 event was planned to help gardeners learn about ways their gardens can be more fruitful, and to see what other varieties or plants they can try growing at home.

The Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden with its wide expanse of varieties is a great venue for that.

"This is just a natural next step," Markgraf said. "It's a beauteous thing - we'll have people who can answer questions and do demonstrations."

And on top of that, the impeccably-maintained island garden is a great place to take a Sunday stroll.