Home & garden calendar, Dec. 14-20

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

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.

Garden Club of ​Lake Zurich: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, Ela Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich. Club members and guests will be divided into groups to play plant and garden trivia. Have fun and win some prizes! gardencluboflakezurich.org.

Mount Prospect Garden Club: 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, at Mount Prospect Village Hall’s Farley Room, 50 S. Emerson St. Nina Koziol will talk about “Creating Magnificent Moonlit Spaces.” 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, Jan. 13, at the Stephen R. Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road in Geneva. Olivia Lockett of The Brick Chick and CR Schmidt & Mike Anderson from Unilock will present “Hardscape Designs.” The program starts at noon following lunch. Guests are welcome. Visit genevagardenclub.com/general-meetings/.

Rolling Meadows Garden Club, “Amazing Succulents!” : 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, at the Rolling Meadows Community Center, 3705 Pheasant Drive. Martin Bartz, an educator with the College of DuPage Horticulture Lab will show how to grow, care for, and propagate these easy-to-love plants. All are welcome. Visit rollingmeadowsgardenclub.com for more details.

Garden Club of Downers Grove: 12:15-3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at American Legion Post 80, 4000 Saratoga, Downers Grove. Bill Karges, formerly from Villa Park’s Pioneer Garden and Feed, will present “Talk Dirty to Me.” 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.

Lombard Garden Club: 1-3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23 at the Lombard Community Center, 433 E. St. Charles Road. Hear master gardener and natural history writer Cindy Crosby explain how Illinois’ original garden, the tallgrass prairie, has been shaped by bison. Learn how these charismatic megafauna are being restored to Illinois prairies, listen to tales of their connections, both historical and contemporary, to some Native American tribes and discover the ways bison have been portrayed in music, literature, art and popular culture as you view images of these fascinating creatures. Public is welcome; no charge. Visit lombardgardenclub.org.

Grayslake Greenery Garden Club, “Bringing Nature into Your Yard”: 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, at State Bank of the Lakes, 50 Commerce Drive, Grayslake. David Eubanks, an environmentalist, ecologist, and native plant designer for 30 years, works one-on-one with clients to use native wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses that bring life and beauty to a landscape — from butterfly gardens to raingardens to native shorelines and ponds. This presentation translates for home use the indigenous plants of Illinois’ prairies, woodlands and wetlands. Taking cues from how nature works in the “Chicago Wilderness” of nature preserves, Eubanks will demonstrate how native plants can beautify a home while solving landscape challenges such as wet spots in the yard, shady spots, and spots blasted by the sun. Rain gardens, shade gardens and prairie pollinator gardens can bring life to the home landscape far beyond the traditional turf and ornamental plants typically used around homes. Specific native wildflowers, grasses, sedges, trees and shrubs will be discussed — from installation details to maintenance considerations. Visit grayslakegardenclub.org.

Workshops

Food Forest Design Workshop: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17 or March 21, in Morton Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Food forests are an approach to growing edible plants that incorporates all of the layers found in naturally occurring forests. This holistic approach is beneficial in several ways, both for the local population as well as for the environment. This course provides general information and guidelines on food forests and how to plan and care for them, including information on edible native species, companion planting, and other considerations for better cultivation. This course is for everyone; no special knowledge is required. If you’d like to learn from home, please check out the self-paced online course, “How to Create a Food Forest” (on demand). The instructor is Natalie Burgos, Chicago Region Trees Initiative steward, The Morton Arboretum. It is for age 16 or older. $32-$39. Register: mortonarb.org.

Gardening Techniques: Classes offered online and on-site, starting from 5-6 p.m. Jan. 20, at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Learn tips and techniques used by professional gardeners through a combination of lecture and hands-on activities. Acquire solid gardening skills and determine best management practices. Topics range from general grounds maintenance, winterization, and plantings to other horticultural practices. Dress for the weather for on-site sessions. Portions of this course will be taught online via Zoom. All registrations must be submitted online two days before your class starts. Registered students will receive login instructions one day in advance. A supply list will be sent. Online classes are 5-6 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 20 to Feb. 24, and on-site classes are 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Jan. 24 to Feb. 28 (with a rain date on March 7). It will be led by Maezy Beams, seasonal assistant horticulturist at Chicago Botanic Garden. $349 or $437. Register: chicagobotanic.org.

Pine Bonsai Workshop: 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the Grainger Center’s Bonsai Studio 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.

Plant Health: 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jan. 27 to March 5, via Zoom with Chicago Botanic Garden. Learn to identify, diagnose, treat, and prevent some of the most common diseases, insects, animal pests, and environmental problems encountered by the region’s landscape industry. Topics include Integrated Pest Management (IPM), cultural care, basic entomology and pathology, pesticides and alternatives, and animal management. A supply list will be sent. It will be led by Chris Beiser, arborist/horticulturist for the Town of Basalt, Colorado. $449 or $562. Register: chicagobotanic.org.

Starting Vegetables From Seed: 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, in Morton Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Learn how to start vegetables from seed in this hands-on workshop. Discover techniques and benefits of growing vegetables from seeds. Guided by a gardening expert, participants explore the impacts of lighting, soil types, containers, sowing schedules, and plant selection. Learn to avoid common mistakes and make your seed starting a success. All supplies are included. The instructor is Natasha Nicholes, executive director, WeSowWeGrow. It is for age 16 or older. $32 or $39. Register: mortonarb.org.

Small Tool Maintenance Workshop: 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. In this new workshop, learn how to keep your garden tools in top shape. Explore essential techniques for cleaning, sharpening, oiling, and storing tools to extend their life span and improve performance. Using files, grinders, and rust removal methods, you will have a hands-on opportunity to practice what you learn. Bring your pruners or other small hand tools. It is led by Maezy Beams, assistant horticulturist, Chicago Botanic Garden. $32 or $40. Register: chicagobotanic.org.

Beginning Beekeeping: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Feb. 11 to March 11, in Morton Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. If you are curious about honey bees, interested in starting your own hive and harvesting your own honey, or you already have a hive and want to learn more about managing it, join experienced beekeepers to learn how to start beekeeping. Explore the history of beekeeping, bee anatomy, starting up a colony, managing it through the year, basic beekeeping supplies and equipment, honey bee pests and diseases, harvesting honey, and more. The instructors are Pete Soltesz, president, Cook-DuPage Beekeepers Association and Kim Kulton, beekeeper, Bee All About It. It is for age 16 or older. $119 or $140. Register: mortonarb.org.

Garden shows

Super Seed Saturday: Saturday, Jan. 24, at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Hear from experts, explore behind the scenes, swap seeds with gardeners. Free admission to Super Seed Saturday events; preregistration is not required for the Seed Swap. In “Low-Water, High-Yield Gardening for Any Space” from 1-2 p.m., Peg Davis, a farmer, retired agriculture teacher, and heirloom tomato enthusiast, leads a hands-on workshop on subirrigation plantings (SIPs), water-saving systems that help plants thrive in any space. Creator of the heirloom “Peg O’ My Heart” tomato, Davis shares practical, organic methods for growing abundant, flavorful produce with minimal water use. Registration is requested for the free lecture, free tours of the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank, and the Rare Book Room. Admission is free for Garden members. Regular parking and admission fees apply for nonmembers. Visit chicagobotanic.org.

Seed Swap: noon to 1:30 p.m. or 1:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Arbor Room in Morton Arboretum’s Thornhill Education Center, 4100 Route 53, Lisle. Join a community of growers at a free seed swap event. Browse a selection of vegetable, herb, native, and ornamental seeds, and take home a variety to plant this spring. Bring leftover seed packets or self-saved seeds to share. If you don’t have seeds to offer, come anyway! All are welcome to attend. This event is free for Arboretum members and is included with general admission to the Arboretum. Advance registration is required. Attendees may have to wait to enter the event if the room’s capacity is reached. Before the Seed Swap, explore advanced techniques for “Starting Vegetables From Seed” in a hands-on educational program on Jan. 31, hosted by Natasha Nicholes, executive director of We Sow We Grow. Register: mortonarb.org.