The 2009 mini-grant application has been updated and can be downloaded at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cook/downloads/15495.pdf

GreenNet has $10,000 to distribute to existing community gardens this year.

Please note the changes on the 2009 application: new return mailing address and check pick-up location.

Thank you,

Nancy Kreith

GreenNet President

Just a note about an article I recently saw in the New York Times about an effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. This project is called the Sustainable Sites Initiative at http://sustainablesites.org/.

Gifts that help protect the environment, add to the home landscape's beauty and create a fun project can be great ideas for gardeners. Some such gifts could include rain barrels; supplies and materials to plant a rain garden; and resource manuals to plan for the projects.

More homeowners are becoming interested in adding native plants to their landscape. Most typical new housing developments have disturbed, compacted soils, which can accentuate the effects of drought or other types of stresses on the plant as well as creating more water runoff. "Although there are options to dealing with these soil and planting conditions, one method that homeowners are doing is planting native prairie plants that are deeper rooted and more tolerant of adverse conditions", says John Church, University of Illinois Extension Educator, Natural Resources, Rockford. Over time these plants may help improve urban yard and garden soils through their deep and fibrous root systems. If planned properly, such plantings can be used to make a rain garden to help absorb stormwater runoff as well as add aesthetic beauty to the home.

Whether a beginning or experienced gardener, Native Plants in the Home Landscape for the Upper Midwest, University of Illinois Extension circular 1381, may be a helpful resource for anyone with an interest in plants indigenous to the upper Midwest region. Its 120 pages include a brief history of the American prairie, describes the benefits of gardening with wildflowers and other native plants, and outlines how to begin.

Approximately 80 plant species are shown in the book with color photographs and text descriptions. Plants were selected for their visual appeal, multiple seasons of interest, ease of culture, commercial availability, and suitability to a small site. Beginners will find step-by-step illustrated landscape designs. Also included is information on maintaining the health of native plant gardens. Also, there is a glossary of terms and lists of native plant sources, books, and Web sites in the reference book.

The plant manual and a starting kit of some seeds or plant gift certificates to start a rain garden can make a fun gift for the home gardener. Adding a rain barrel to the list that can be used to catch even more rooftop runoff to be used on the plants can also be a great idea.

For further information about the circular, contact the local county U. of I. Extension office or go to the website https://pubsplus.uiuc.edu/C1381.html. Additional native prairie plant information is also available on-line from the Illinois Natural History located at the University of Illinois at http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/tallgrass.html or at the U. of I. Extension website www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/perennials/moist.html.

Rain garden information is available on the University of Wisconsin Extension website, http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/home.htm#rain. Rain barrels are available from local retail stores, catalogs, on-line or from some local conservation groups and agencies.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Garfield Park Conservatory

Community Room

300 North Central Park Avenue

Potluck Agenda:

11:00 – Registration (Free!)

11:30 - Lunch

12:00 - Welcome & Introductions

12:30 - Building Urban Gardens Badges awarded

12:45 - Community Greener of the Year Award

1:15 - Door prizes Awarded

Please bring photos, garden stories, and a dish to share!

We suggest that if your last name starts with:

A-G Bring salad or appetizer

H-O Bring a main dish

P-Z Bring a dessert

Or, just bring your favorite dish and be sure to put your name on your serving dishes and spoons. Also, to reduce waste, please bring your own beverage container.

For information call the GreenNet Hotline at 773/251-7515

www.greenetchicago.org

Julie Samuels

Community Outreach Coordinator

Openlands

25 E. Washington, Suite 1650

Chicago, IL 60602

Phone: 312.863.6256

Fax: 312.863.6251

Email: jsamuels@openlands.org

To learn more about the book please visit: http://www.gardenabcs.com/OurGenerousGarden.html or refer to the reviews below.

Our Generous Garden is a fine example of how children can share delightful garden experiences and lessons with their peers. It encourages children to think about the little, but important things in life; eating right, exercising, nurturing and enjoying the great outdoors. The captivating story and innovative graphics grab your attention, while Anne Nagro cleverly sneaks fun facts into a floating lady bug caption. Nancy Kreith, Horticulture Program Coordinator, University of Illinois Extension and President, GreenNet, Chicago's Greening Network

Anne Nagro has captured an inspiring, real-life story of creating and exploring a school garden with Our Generous Garden. This book will be a great asset to teachers trying to get their students to think about what their garden might be like. Our Generous Garden has great examples of both what to grow and what to do with the harvested vegetables. Students will be excited!
Jaime Zaplatosch, Education Coordinator, Openlands

Hello GreenNet Members! We hope to see you next week for the GN quarterly meeting. We are all set for meeting at Northerly Island. Items on the agenda include: Bird watching, One Seed Chicago polls, Community Greener of the Year nominations and potluck arrangements. Details below:

When: Wednesday, November, 5 from 3 - 5 p.m. Where: Northerly Island-Former Terminal Building

Driving directions:

Exit Lake Shore on 18th St
Follow 18th St through the museum campus (and through construction) -it becomes Solidarity Drive.
Take a right onto Lynn White Drive toward Charter One Pavilion.
Don't worry about the sign that says "No parking beyond this point"
Keep following the road until you see the former terminal building.
Park in the lot on the North side of the building.

Or, take the 12 Roosevelt Bus to the Planetarium, and walk south to the building.
A few members are looking to carpool from CCGT. Please contact Meredith if interested. <msessions@wrdenvironmental.com>

SAVE THE DATE: Community Potluck - November 8 at GPC Thank you

Nancy Kreith, GreenNet President
Extension Program Coordinator
University of Illinois Extension
3807 W. 111th Street
Chicago, IL. 60655
office: 773.233.0476
fax: 773.233.0910
cell: 708.567.6101
url: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cook/

Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse is getting a new fruit orchard! The
Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) has generously donated 24 fruit
trees from local orchards including pears, apples, plums, paw paws,
and cherries. They will be planted at the old site of the children's
garden, which will be relocated to the south gardens. We need your
help on October 18 to make this happen!

Here's what you can do:

On October 18, from 9-11 AM, attend our FREE training class, "Fruit
Tree Basics." The class will be led by Rico Montenegro, a certified
arborist with FTPF. It will cover such topics as planting, pruning,
organic troubleshooting, aftercare, and restoring unproductive trees.
Hands-on activities will include group exercises on fruit tree
planting.

After the class, installation of the fruit trees will begin. Some of
these trees weigh 1,600 pounds! We will need help digging holes,
planting, and mulching.

Want to help or learn more? Contact Kirsten Akre to RSVP or for more
information: 773-685-3359 or kirsten.akre@chicagoparkdistrict.com.

Come one, come all, rain or shine!

We would like to introduce the new Illinois Invasive Plant publications from the University of Illinois, Illinois Natural History Survey, USDA-APHIS-PPQ, and the River to River Cooperative Weed Management Area which debuted at the 150^th Anniversary of the Illinois Natural History Survey. There are five posters in the collection. The large poster is 17" by 38" highlighting the four major habitats of Illinois (grassland, woodland, wetland, agriculture) and the top four invasive plants in those habitats. In addition, there are four smaller (8.5" by 11") posters corresponding to the four habitats on the large poster. Each small poster showcases 8 to 12 plants with a photo and distribution in Illinois on the front and information on identification and why the plant is considered invasive on the back.

These publications are available for free. If you would like copies of the publications, please contact the Natural History Survey at (217) 244-2161 with the quantity of each publication that you would like to receive. Additionally, please feel free to pass this message along to others that may be interested in these posters.

Help bring trees to Chicago's streets. 8 cities across the U.S. are competing for the largest share of a 1 million-dollar tree-planting grant from American Express. The city with the greatest number of American Express® Card transactions will get the most green. So look for the ROOT FOR CHICAGO tree icon displayed at participating businesses from September 22 — October 31, 2008, then pay with any American Express Card and you could be seeing a lot more trees on your streets.

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