Home & garden calendar, Oct. 12-18
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
Healing Gardens: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, 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 healinggardensatstonehillfarm.com.
Chicagoland Daylily Society: 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at The Community House, 415 W. 8th St., Hinsdale. In addition to the bratwurst Octoberfest potluck, there will be the election of officers and photo contest. Visit chicagolanddaylilysociety.org.
Central States Dahlia Society: 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at Elk Grove Village Township Office, 600 Landmeier Road. Doors open at 1 p.m. In “Digging, Dividing, and Storing Dahlias for Winter,” learn everything you need to know about digging up your tubers and how to clean, divide and store your tubers for the winter. Visit centralstatesdahliasociety.com.
Mount Prospect Garden Club ‘Gardens of the Midwest’: 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Mount Prospect Village Hall’s Farley Room, 50 S. Emerson St. Learn about the beautiful gardens that are close to home. Brock and Ruth Ann Seney will discuss the gardens at Cantigny, Morton Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Missouri Botanic Gardens, Des Moines Botanic Gardens, Reiman Gardens, Anderson Japanese Gardens and others. Brock and Ruth Ann are avid travelers and visit gardens wherever they can. Ruth is a Master Gardener and an experienced speaker. 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.
Geneva Garden Club: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Stephen R. Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road in Geneva. Heather Prince will present “Hydrangeas 101.” The program starts at noon following lunch. Guests are welcome. Visit genevagardenclub.com/general-meetings/.
Plant & Produce Swap: 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Glenview Public Library, 1930 Glenview Road, Glenview. Suffering from zucchini overload? Share your garden's bounty, house plants, and seeds with the community, then connect with fellow gardeners. Nothing to bring? You can still join the swap and take some fresh items home. In partnership with the Glenview Gardeners. Drop in. Visit glenviewgardeners.org.
Buffalo Grove Garden Club: 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Alcott Center, 530 Bernard Drive, Buffalo Grove. Barbara Kreske will talk about how certain gardening techniques benefit you as you age — physically, mentally and socially. She also will explain how to make adjustments for your aging body. Refreshments will be served. All are welcome. Visit bgparks.org.
Garden Club of Inverness, ‘Container Design 101: The Basics And Beyond’: 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at All Saints Lutheran Church, 639 S. Quentin Road, Palatine. Be it on the front stoop, porch, flanking the garage, patio, or balcony garden, containers provide seasonal color, design, and most importantly, curb appeal to our environments. Stephanie Dalton, owner of Can’t ContainHer specializing in landscape design as well as four-season custom container garden design and installation, shows how to select the right container, soil, and plants, as well as essential maintenance practices of container gardening. Free; all are welcome. Visit gardenclubofinverness.com.
GardenWorks Project's Harvest Against Hunger: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Thornhill Education Center at The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Celebrate community, connection, and impact at the GardenWorks Project's eighth annual fundraiser. Every dollar raised helps provide fresh, healthy food to families in DuPage County. The $100 ticket includes farm-to-fork appetizers, beverages (including a seasonal Arboretum beer), a sneak peek at the 2026 season, and complimentary Arboretum admission all day. To purchase tickets, visit gardenworksproject.org.
Wild Ones “Next Steps for Nature” webinar: 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16. Doug Tallamy addresses common concerns on biodiversity, invasive species, native plants, and conservation strategies, providing practical guidance and motivation to restore nature in everyday spaces. A professor in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, Tallamy is best known for his work on the essential role native plants play in sustaining biodiversity and supporting food webs. This webinar will be recorded and available to watch after the premiere. Register: wildones.org.
Garden Club of Downers Grove: 12:15-3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, at American Legion Post 80, 4000 Saratoga, Downers Grove. Alyse Cohen Burman, founder and owner of The Wild Bird Shack Speakeasy, will present “Birds of Prey.” 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.
Bloomingdale Garden Club: 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at Cornerstone Faith Community Church, 118 First St., Bloomingdale. Jeff Schulz will be teaching the basics of design, styling and general care of bonsai plants. His vintage farm specializes in Japanese maple, conifers, shrubs, trees, pottery, annuals and perennials. He has been providing top quality bonsai plants to the Chicago area since 1993. His business hosts several visiting bonsai artists that teach workshops. Visit bloomingdalegardenclub.org.
Lombard Garden Club, “Beginning of Bonsai”: 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at the Lombard Community Center, 433 E. St. Charles Road. A bonsai enthusiast of 25 years and partner in B.C. Bonsai for 21 years, Linda Camp will be presenting an overview of what is bonsai and the different trees that may be used. She will also discuss their care and needs and how beginners may get started. Books, beginner tools and other supplies for sale. Public is welcome; no charge. Visit lombardgardenclub.org.
Grayslake Greenery Garden Club, “Putting Your Garden to Bed”: 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at State Bank of the Lakes, 50 Commerce Drive, Grayslake. Speaker Bill Karges will outline how to prepare your garden for winter. With a focus on perennial gardens, you'll learn what to cut down, how and when to cut it, and how to prevent this year's problems from recurring in future years. The proper use of mulches will also be covered in detail. Visit grayslakegardenclub.org.
Garden Club of Lake Zurich, “How Glaciers Shaped Lake County”: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, Ela Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich. Starting 2.58 million years ago during the last Ice Age, a massive continental glacier called the Laurentide ice sheet formed near the Arctic Circle. It enveloped millions of square miles, blanketing most of what would become Canada and the northern U.S. Over time, the ice sheet grew and retreated over the land in cycles lasting tens of thousands of years. As Laurentide advanced, it pulverized rock, silt, gravel, sand and sediment, carrying it for miles and depositing it across the Chicago area. April Vaos, public program specialist at Lake County Forest Preserves, will talk about how the glacier’s departure from Illinois between 10,000–12,000 years ago leveled off many of the state’s former bluffs, valleys and hills into today’s largely flat landscape. gardencluboflakezurich.org.
South Barrington Garden Club: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at South Barrington Park District, 3 Tennis Club Lane. In “Chewcuterie with Edible Flowers,” learn how to construct a “grazing” board with Rosanna Pratt. The December meeting will be the holiday luncheon. Visit sbgclub.org.
Hoffman Estates Garden Club, “Incorporating Houseplants into your Seasonal Decor”: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Schaumburg Township building, One Illinois Blvd., Hoffman Estates. Jennifer Brennan, horticulture and gardening expert, will cover seasonal decorations from Halloween to Easter using your existing houseplants as the base for your design. She serves as the horticulture information specialist and manager of the Education Center at Chalet Landscape, Nursery and Garden Center in Wilmette. She often appears as the horticulture correspondent for ABC 7 Morning News. The presentation begins at 6:45 p.m. after a short business meeting. Nonmembers are welcome. Visit hoffmanestatesgardenclub.club.
Geneva Garden Club: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the Stephen R. Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road in Geneva. Kathi Rose will present “Holiday Tablescaping.” The program starts at noon following lunch. Guests are welcome. Visit genevagardenclub.com/general-meetings/.
Des Plaines Garden Club Holiday Luncheon: 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at Manzo’s Banquets in Des Plaines. Mary Cantrell will present “Fall Creations,” a demonstration into the world of professional floral design. There will be a raffle of prizes, an instant win board, a silent auction, and the popular bake sale. There also will be a 50/50 raffle with proceeds going to the Irma Lehmann Scholarship Fund. A choice of 3 entries is available for the luncheon. Cost is $45 per person. Call Mary at (847) 331-1888 to make a reservation no later than Oct. 31. Visit desplainesilgardenclub.com or facebook.com/DesPlainesGardenClub/.
Garden shows
Illinois Orchid Society Fall Show & Sale: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Presented by the Illinois Orchid Society, this show will feature artistically arranged table top displays from the rarest of species to cultivated hybrids. Individual orchids in 128 classes will vie for red, white, and blue ribbons. Twenty-five entries will receive “best of class” green ribbons, and the best-appointed plant in the show will receive the Chicago Horticultural Society Award from American Orchid Society judges. Illinois Orchid Society also providing orchid plants for sale as well as repotting services. Photographers' Hour: 9-10 a.m. Oct. 12. Admission to the show is free with general admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Visit chicagobotanic.org.
Midwest Fruit Explorers Show & Sale: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Burnstein Hall, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. See a display of freshly harvested fruit grown in the area by members of the Midwest Fruit Explorers, featuring apples, pears, paw paws, grapes, kiwis and more. Visitors can obtain information on growing fruit. Shop for apples, cider and more. Admission is free with general admission. Visit chicagobotanic.org.
Midwest Daffodil Society Bulb Sale: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Burnstein Hall, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Hundreds of varieties of daffodil bulbs will be available for purchase. Find a vibrant array of unique, rare, and unusual bloom types that offer proven color, hardiness and stability. Plus, daffodil enthusiasts will be on hand ready to offer expert growing tips. Admission is free with general admission. Visit chicagobotanic.org.
Wisconsin-Illinois Lily Society Lily Bulb Sale: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Burnstein Hall, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Presented by the Wisconsin-Illinois Lily Society. Admission is free with general admission. Visit chicagobotanic.org.