Annual Seed Exchange
Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Our annual seed exchange was held at The Growing Place in Aurora. We also had a celebration for our chapter’s 30th anniversary.
Click here to view pictures from our event.
Here is a list of the species that we exchanged this year.
To learn more about collecting seeds visit our Seed Harvest page. To learn more about sowing native plant seeds check out the Prairie Moon Nursery Cultural Guide and Seed Starting Basics which includes germination codes and instructions. The Seed Propagation Information page on the Prairie Nursery site is also a good source for starting seeds. Click here to watch a recording of the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Winter Sowing program with Jan Gricus & Cynthia Cieckiewicz hosted by the Lisle Library District.
Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Yard
Thu Apr 21, 2022 7:00 pm
Denis Kania from the DuPage Birding Club gave us a world perspective of hummingbirds and then talked in detail about the lives and behaviors of our local species, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and how we can make our yards appealing to these amazing creatures. You can watch a recording of this presentation by clicking on the link below.
Click here to view the slides from the presentation.
Here are some native plants Denis recommends to plant to attract hummingbirds:
Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa
Cardinal Flower – Lobelia cardinalis
Dwarf Honeysuckle – Diervilla lonicera
Foxglove Beardstongue – Penstemon digitalis
Great Blue Lobelia – Lobelia siphilitica
Hoary Vervain – Verbena stricta
New Jersey Tea – Ceanothus americanus
Palm Sedge – Carex muskingumensis
Prairie Blazing Star – Liatris pycnostachya
Purple Coneflower – Echinacea purpurea
Smooth Blue Aster – Symphyotrichum leave
Solomon’s Seal – Polygonatum biflorum
Ohio Spiderwort – Tradescantia ohiensis
Wild Bergamot – Monarda fistulosa
Wild Columbine – Aquilegia Canadensis
Wild Petunia – Ruellia humilis
Yellow Honeysuckle – Lonicera flava
Denis has traveled around the world to see 217 different species of hummingbirds. Read more about Denis at https://www.dupageforest.org/catching-nature/denis-kania.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has recommended a halt to the use of bird feeders and bird baths through May 31, 2022 or until avian flu infections in the Midwest subside, especially those that waterfowl may visit. During spring, wild birds will have ample food sources while bird feeders are removed. You can find more information at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/news/Pages/IDNR-recommends-halt-to-use-of-bird-feeders,-bird-baths-through-May-31-until-spread-of-avian-influenza-subsides.aspx.
The IDNR believes it is unlikely that hummingbird and oriole feeders will contribute to the spread of HPAI, and it should be OK to leave them up.
Check out the great resources on the DuPage Birding Club’s website and on their Educational Channel on YouTube to learn more about birds. The club offers many field trips and you do not have to be a member to participate.
It Starts with a Raindrop: Planning your Rain Garden
Thu Mar 17, 2022 7:00 pm
Rain gardens are great tools to manage stormwater runoff in your yard and they create beautiful habitats using native plants to attract pollinators and other wild life. Amanda Arnold from PlanIt Landscape Perspective, LLC showed us why rain gardens are important and how to locate, design, plant and manage them. Click the link below to watch a recording of the program.
Here are some book recommendations on raingardens from Amanda:
Rain Gardens: Managing Water Sustainably in the Garden and Designed Landscape: Sustainable Rainwater Management for the Garden and Designed Landscape by Nigel Dunnett, Andy Clayden
Rain Gardens: Sustainable Landscaping for a Beautiful Yard and a Healthy World by Lynn M. Steiner, Robert W. Domm
Creating Rain Gardens by Cleo Woelfle-Erskine
Amanda also recommends the Conservation@Home Build Your Own Rain Garden Guide.
Growing Native Plant Communities “Right Plant, Right Place”
Thu Feb 17, 2022 7:00 pm
Rory Klick from the Kettle Moraine Land Trust shared information about native plant palettes, sets of native species that thrive together in set environmental conditions. She talked about the importance of using the ecosystem model to understand what plants work together, and how to apply the light, soil and hydrology parameters to selecting natives that follow the “right plant, right place” approach.
Click here for a list of the native plants that Rory discussed in her presentation.
Here are some books Rory recommended on native plants:
Native Plants of the Midwest: A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 500 Species for the Garden by Alan Branhagen
Native Plants In The Home Landscape For The Upper Midwest By Nowakowski
Flora of the Chicago Region A Floristic And Ecological Synthesis by Gerould Wilhelm, Laura Rericha, Mary Marguerite Lowther (Illustrator)