Volunteer Master Gardeners lend expertise for Libertyville flood control

Tucked behind Winchester House, off Winchester Road in front of the Lake County Central Permit Facility in Libertyville, is a subtle environmental hero — a rain garden filled with native foliage that provides a natural, beautiful landscape and is environmentally and educationally functional.

Made possible by an Environmental Protection Agency grant, the garden evolved from a countywide best practices initiative to manage stormwater. It contains deep-rooted native plants that can withstand a variety of moisture levels, landscape elements called bioswales and a system of filters to control stormwater.

The aim is to control and filter stormwater drainage and control the runoff from buildings, roads, parking lots and sidewalks to curtail flooding and pollution.

When snow melts or excess rain occurs, this rain garden — one of three that make up an acre on the site — stops the groundwater from carrying natural and man-made pollutants such as oil and debris into rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater.

The rain garden is not only an interesting collaboration between Lake County government and the volunteer Master Gardeners, but a visible work space for all who visit.

“When the (permit center) was built, they tried everything they could to retain stormwater and make sure things don't flood,” said volunteer project leader and Lake County Master Gardener Diane Miller, 62, of Grayslake.

“In 2012, (the Master Gardeners) put in more than 5,000 little plants and have been in charge of maintenance ever since.”

The Master Gardeners, a nationwide university-affiliated program, is a group of volunteers overseen in Illinois by the University of Illinois Extension. To become a Master Gardener, each volunteer is interviewed and, if accepted, receives three months training from January through March in sessions held every other year. The Lake and McHenry County group has been active for about 25 years.

“All you need is an interest in ecology, horticulture and gardening, and are willing to do 60 hours of community volunteer work,” said Master Gardener Patricia Warren of Libertyville, “and a desire to learn.”

Lake County has as many as 100 trained Master Gardeners who volunteer their expertise and physical labor to the permit facility and other organizations such as the 4-H, Lambs Farm, schools, farmers markets, nonreligious community food gardens, and hold plant clinics at libraries.

They also advise people concerned with food security and sustainability by referencing research-based information from the U of I.

At least a dozen volunteers work at the Libertyville rain garden Friday mornings from early spring through the fall.

Kim Isaacson, horticulture program coordinator from the University of Illinois Extension, said that when contacted by the permit facility staff, the Master Gardeners helped identify the native plantings and worked side by side with the facility's management team to remove weeds.

They also provided documentation on the 52 types of plants that should be placed in the garden, provided information sheets on how to grow them, informed them of the soil needed for rain gardens and mapped appropriate plant placement.

Master Gardeners also ensure a good balance of plants each season and create signage providing visitor information for each visible plant.

They mulch and maintain the rain garden plantings, control the “bully” plants that try to take over, pull nonnative weeds and offer educational programs to the community.

They are available to help the public understand how plants work, why root systems are important, how they help control drainage, benefit the community and how their information can be adapted to a homeowner's landscape.

“We are looking for partnerships at every turn and the (Master Gardeners) are a good fit,” said Lake County field Operations and Enforcement Manager Dan Krill, 47, of Libertyville.

“They take ownership of the ongoing maintenance and have stepped in at a time when the county is really closely evaluating the best use of our resources and staff.”

Free horticultural advice is provided in-person and by phone at (847) 223-8627 between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays or via email at uie-lm@illinois.edu.

For anyone interested in becoming a Master Gardener, registration for the January 2020 training session, at 100 S. Route 45 in Grayslake, is underway. A $325 fee for materials is required.