Arlington Heights Garden Club
2024 - 2025 Programs
Meetings are held at 6:30pm at St. Simon’s Episcopal Church unless otherwise specified.
September 23, 2024
Shade Gardening
Presented by: Pete Landwehr
Pete has been a Master Gardener since 2014 and has been raising vegetable for over 30 years. He has been involved in the University of Illinois Conservation@Home program since its introduction in 2016. He started the weekly summer Master Gardener answer desk at the Arlington Heights Farmers Market where he and fellow Master Gardeners volunteer answering gardening and landscaping questions. He started the Catholic Charities vegetable garden in Des Plaines to raise fresh vegetables for their food pantry. Retired from a 40 year accounting career, he now devotes his time to helping others learn and enjoy gardening.
This presentation will discuss the art and science of gardening in the SHADE! There are a number of options to shade gardening besides hostas’ and ferns. He will help you create a palette of shade loving plants to create a long season of color and interest. Pete will address the challenges that arise due to our changing climate yet help you create a relaxing space that connects you with nature.
October 28, 2024
Woody Plants for Butterflies
Presented by: Heather Prince
Heather Prince has been a part of the green industry for more than 20 years in numerous facets from public to private. She currently balances a busy freelance horticultural writing and teaching schedule with her role as email marketing manager for The Garden of Words. She firmly believes anyone can garden and everyone will fall in love with plants given the chance.
Woody Plants for Butterflies (and Moths!)
Did you know an oak tree is the larval host for more than 500 species of butterflies and moths? Discover the many trees, shrubs, and vines that are home to a wide array of Lepidoptera. We’ll explore the host plants and life cycles of common favorites and rare beauties in this information-packed session.
November 25, 2024
Putting Your Garden to Bed
Presented by: Bill Karges
This presentation 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. Our members are welcome to bring plant samples for discussion of insect, disease and/or cultural problems as time permits.
Bill Karges has degrees in Botany and Communications and enjoys talking about all aspects of the world of plants. He has managed garden centers for over 50 years, where he offers advice on a wide range of horticultural topics. Whether your gardening questions concern cultural requirements, insect and disease problems, fertilization practices or soil structural issues, he tries to blend traditional, reliable information with current research to help his customers improve their gardening skills. All of his presentations are informal, with many examples to illustrate the topic at hand. Audience participation, questions, and comments are always encouraged.
December 16, 2024
Garden Club Holiday Party
The Members' Garden Club's holiday party will beheld on December 16th at 5pm at St. Simon's Episcopal Church.
January 27, 2025
Homegrown National Park (In partnership with the Arlington Heights Memorial Library)
*This will be offered both as a virtual and live event (at the library)*
Presented by: Doug Tallemy
Professor and author Doug Tallamy presents Homegrown National Park: a national challenge to create diverse ecosystems in our yards, communities, farms, and surrounding lands by reducing lawn, planting native, and removing invasives. Learn the importance of native plants, how to choose them, and how to introduce biodiversity at your home and in your community.
Doug Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 106 research publications and has taught insect-related courses for 41 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His book Bringing Nature Home was published by Timber Press in 2007, The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, was published in 2014; Nature's Best Hope, a New York Times bestseller, was released in February 2020, and his latest book, The Nature of Oaks, was released in March 2021. His awards include recognition from The Garden Writer’s Association, Audubon, The National Wildlife Federation, Western Carolina University, The Garden Club of America, and The American Horticultural Association. Doug lives with his wife, Cindy, on their restored property in Oxford, PA.
Register to attend this virtual zoom event here: https://www.ahml.info/scheduling/reservation/162447
Register to attend the watch party in the AHML Hendrickson room here: https://www.ahml.info/scheduling/reservation/159805
February 24, 2025
Artist Landscapes / Nature Painting
Presented by: Anne Farley Gaines
This presentation will be on paintings completed on Gaines' travels over a period of about 20 years. Most of the works will be watercolors, but mixed-media and ceramic plaques will also be included. Her presentation may include a watercolor or mixed-media demonstration of her techniques.
Anne Farley Gaines is an artist with a strong connection to nature, influenced by her father, a horticulturist, and her great-uncle, wildlife artist Lynn Bogue Hunt. She earned a BA in studio art from Principia College and an MFA in painting from Bowling Green State University in 1980. Gaines creates art in various media, including watercolor, acrylic, mixed media, ceramics, mosaic, and murals. She has received numerous grants, including an Individual Artists Project Grant in 2021 to create mixed-media murals with local youth in Chicago. Her watercolor paintings, primarily focused on nature, have been featured in various exhibitions, including a recent one titled Climates Near Water at the North Suburban YWCA. Gaines is also an active member of Artists for Climate Awareness, giving lectures and demonstrations on art’s role in environmental awareness.
March 24, 2025
Sag Morraine - Restore the Environment, One Plant at a Time (Presented by the Arlington Heights Memorial Library)
*This presentation is a LIVE event at the library.*
Presented by: TBD
April 28, 2025
Prospect Slough
Presented by: Dana Sievetson & Agnes Wojnarski
This program takes a look at 4 key natural areas in Prospect Heights from beginning to the present and will discuss the how and why this City Commission of all volunteers are able to accomplish so much with little more than hard work and good intentions.
Agnes Wojnarski MD is the co-founder of the Prospect Heights Natural Resources Commission and the Commission Chair. She was one of the first graduates of the Morton Arboretum’s Woodland Stewardship Program, Steward Supervisor and has completed several floristic training programs with the Conservation Research Institute. Dedicated to her continuing education, she also holds S-120 and S-190 prescribed fire certificates in addition to an Illinois Herbicide Applicator/Operator license. Agnes runs the PHNRC greenhouse and does all of the training for the PHNRC Intern Programs.
Dana Sievertson joined the Commission in 2014, is an Artist and chief Administrator for the PHNRC. He manages logistics, writes the Resources Journal and organizes the work days. Both are Pollinator Steward Certified from the Pollinator Partnership.
May 19, 2025
Wild Birds Unlimited: Attracting Birds to Your Garden
Presented by: Ron Zick
Rick has been owner of the Wild Birds Unlimited in Arlington Heights and Glenview, IL for over 30 years. He originally came from Lansing, Michigan. His Mom had always fed the birds and he developed an appreciation for birds and wildlife at a young age. After graduating from Michigan State University, he came to the Chicagoland area and opened his first store. He has many tips and tricks to attract birds to one's back yard and it is always a pleasure to help others do the same!