Arlington Heights Garden Club
2026 - 2027 Programs
Meetings are held at 6:30pm at St. Simon’s Episcopal Church (717 W Kirchoff, Arlington Heights 60005) unless otherwise specified
September 28, 2026
Delightful Dahlias
Susan Erickson
Susan is a newer dahlia hobbyist but has jumped in with both feet! She
will share what she’s learned about growing these beautiful flowers, as
well as some surprising facts. She started a few years ago with 6 tubers,
and now has multiples of 61 different varieties!
With names like Bridezilla, Beets Me and Cafe Au Lait, and sizes from tiny
2” blooms to 10” “dinner plate” varieties, dahlias offer something for
everyone. Whether you put one dahlia tuber in a pot on your patio, or
build an entire garden devoted to them like Susan did, everyone can
enjoy the magic of these beauties.
I come from a long line of gardeners. My grandfather, Bert, was well known for his prize-winning rose gardens and his expansive vegetable and fruit gardens. Some of my favorite childhood memories are the
10-hour summer road trips to Toronto to visit my grandparents and discover what was blooming and growing in their gardens. Although I have always loved growing flowers and plants to beautify my yard, my passion truly blossomed a few years ago when I discovered dahlias. I continue to be amazed by their incredible diversity of colors, sizes, and forms, and I love sharing that enthusiasm with other gardeners.
October 26, 2026
Tips, Tricks & Myths of
Growing Peonies
Bev Krams
A vibrant presentation on the types of peonies, colors, flower shapes, and
growth habits. Learn how to select a peony, design your peony garden,
spring & fall care, disease prevention, dividing & planting herbaceous peony
roots. Learn why you want to grow peonies for their resilience,
deer-resistance, and outstanding beauty and fragrance!
Bev Krams has been a Master Gardener with the North Cook County District for almost 20 years. She has received the States Outstanding Master Gardener of the Year Award and has received a sustained excellence award from the University of Illinois. She has presented programs for garden clubs, community groups and Master Gardeners. She is a member of Citizens for Conservation and the Arlington Heights Garden Club. Her garden has been Conservation @ Home Certified for native habitat.
November 23, 2026
The Secret Wildlife of Barrington:
a Trailcam deep Dive
Steven Barton
Stephen Barten is a retired small & exotic animal veterinarian,
naturalist, award-winning wildlife photographer, avid birder
and herper (reptiles), and bluebird and bumblebee monitor
living in Tower Lakes, Illinois.
A long-time Citizens for Conservation volunteer, Steve loves observing animals in their native habitat. He has traveled around the world to observe and photograph wildlife, but always is pulled back to the beauty and variety of birds and wildlife in the Barrington area and his own back yard. He hopes his images inspire others to appreciate and conserve the beauty of wildlife.
View his images at SteveBarten.smugmug.com or follow him on Instagram @stephen_barten. His photography also is featured in the Barrington Area Digital Photo Gallery, at BADPG.org.
January 25, 2027
Meeting at Arlington Heights Memorial Library
500 N Dunton Ave, Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Topic TBD - more info to follow
February 22, 2027
Vegetable Gardening/ Seed Starting
Pete Landwehr
We will discuss the basics of vegetable gardening including
site selection, soil testing, garden design, timing of seed and
transplant planting, seed starting, planting, harvesting
and dealing with pests.
Pete has been a garden club member and Master Gardener
since 2014 and has been doing vegetable gardening for over
40 years. He leads an "Ask A Master Gardener" answer desk at the Arlington Heights Farmers market each Saturday in season and has managed food pantry gardens of up to 675 square feet. He retired in 2013 after a 40 year career in Accounting and Finance in order to become a Master Gardener.
March 22, 2027
Spring Ephemerals & Ground
Covers
Amy Powers
This program will cover native and non-native spring
ephemerals with some details about how these plants
support native bees and their need for food in early spring.
Also native and non-native groundcovers and the best place for each of them to be used in home gardens.
Amy Powers is a Garden Coach based near Chicago with a lifelong passion for gardening and nature. With a background in chemistry, IT consulting, and competitive sports, she combines science and coaching to help clients create thriving, sustainable gardens through in-person and virtual sessions.
April 26, 2027
Grow Your Edible Garden (Nearly)
Year-Round, Even in Illinois!
Nicole Jagielski
Unlock the secrets to a thriving edible garden in your own
backyard, providing fresh vegetables and herbs for ten months
of the year! Learn how to set your garden up to harvest
continually - far beyond the typical summer tomatoes and
cucumbers.
Imagine fresh herbs and salad greens in early spring, vibrant summer tomatoes, and crisp greens and root vegetables throughout the fall. You’ll even be able to serve fresh vegetables from your edible garden at your holiday meals. Enjoy the satisfaction of growing your own food nearly year-round, and take control of your health and well-being.
Nicole is a Chicago-based Edible Garden Designer and Coach who helps new gardeners experience the reward of growing their own food in a beautiful, restorative space. She's also a proud member of the Arlington Heights Garden Club.
May 24, 2027
Bumblebee Conservation and
Identification
Carol Elkins
Join Carol Elkins, Xerces Society Ambassador, to take a deep dive
into the world of Bumble Bee conservation and learn how to identify
local species in your own landscape! You’ll learn about their unique
life cycle, behaviors, diversity, and more - as well as the important
part that they play in our ecosystems. This presentation will include
constructive ways that you can help conserve these important
pollinators. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats.
By day, Carol is the Conservation Program Specialist for Geneva Lake Conservancy, where she manages the Conservation@Home and Keep It Blue programs. Carol has consulted with hundreds of private homeowners, homeowner associations, businesses, and schools, where she offers direction and ecological best practices to restore and improve native habitat for people, water, and wildlife.
