July 28, 2006
City of Chicago Rain Barrel Sale
You can purchase a highly discounted retrofitted rain barrel for $20.00 from the City of Chicago for a limited time. To reserve a rain barrel, please send an email to rainbarrel@cityofchicago.org or leave a voice message at (312-743-WATER) and include your full name, house address including zip, email address, phone number, and desired pickup date. We will confirm your reservation via e-mail or phone.
City of Chicago rain barrels are retrofitted from 55-gallon food-grade barrels with a screen on top, spigot, overflow hole, drain hole, and mosquito screens covering all openings. Reservations are required. Limit one per household. Sold to Chicago residents only.
The City of Chicago sold subsidized rain barrels to Chicago residents in a pilot program in 2004. Based on the overwhelming response, the City encouraged local garden centers to stock rain barrels in their store. Garden centers are stocking them now.
There are six opportunities to pick up your rain barrel. In the 39th Ward at the North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 N. Pulaski Road on Saturday, August 5 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. In the 19th Ward on Saturday, August 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, 3857 W. 111th St.
All of the remaining distribution events will take place at the Chicago Center for Green Technology located at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. on the following dates:
Saturday, August 19, 10 a.m. to Noon. FULL- no longer taking reservations.
Thursday, September 7, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 16, Noon to 2 p.m.
Tuesday, September 26, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 7:09 AM | Permalink |
July 28, 2006
Find Art in Our Gardens Garden Walk
"Find Art in Our Gardens" gives Chicago a chance to celebrate nature and art before the summer ends.
"Find Art in Our Gardens" is a combined garden walk and art exhibit
featuring over 150 public parkways and twenty backyard gardens. Thirty-five local painters, sculptors and textile artists will display their artwork in gardens, parkways and backyards. Come and see how nature inspires art, and interact with the gardeners and artists. This family event includes art activities for children on Saturday, in addition to dance and music throughout the weekend.
All the gardens and art can be viewed with a leisurely self-guided walking tour through East Village. The artists and gardeners will be available to answer questions and provide insight into their artwork and gardens.
"Find Art in Our Gardens" takes place August 5 & 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A guidebook and map can be obtained at Commercial Park, 1845 W. Rice St. for a $5.00 donation.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 6:44 AM | Permalink |
July 28, 2006
Lincoln Square Neighborhood Garden Walk and Green Fair
Come to the second annual Lincoln Square Garden Walk and Green Fair on August 5, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friendly fun all day long in the Lincoln Square Neighborhood at Lincoln and Giddings, in Giddings Plaza (4700 N, 2300 W) on the north side of the city.
It's just $5.00 for twenty gardens and a Green Fair.It's a wonderful neighborhood with great restaurants, the Old Town School of Folk Music, bars, etc. All proceeds go to the Greening of Ravenswood.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 6:23 AM | Permalink |
July 28, 2006
July Master Gardener Meeeting Notes
Our thanks to Nancy Kreith who filled in as our speaker. Great, interesting information, Nancy, Nice job! Twenty five Master Gardeners attended the meeting. We discussed the following items:
Meeting Location
The consensus of the group is to keep the site of the regular monthly meetings at Garfield Park Conservatory. The reasoning is that the Conservatory is the most central location and has access to public transportation. It was agreed that changing locations on an every-other-month basis would be too confusing. August meetings will continue at the Ag School.
New Volunteer Hours Reporting System
Soon all Master Gardeners will be able to enter their own volunteer hours directly on-line. Ron, Elizabeth and Liz Bowman are still ironing out a few glitches, but the system should be up and running by September 1. We are going to move to a reporting schedule that matches the calendar year, January 1-December 31. That means that for 2006, a Master Gardener may take credit for any volunteer hours after January 1, 2006, even if one has previously reported those hours for 2005 credit. Elizabeth assured everyone that there will be ample training and assistance as we move to the new program.
Plant Clinics
Staffing the Plant Clinic and Help Desks continue to be a problem. Here are some suggestions:
1. Make it clear to everyone that Plant Clinic service is mandatory.
2. Improve signage at Garfield Park.
3. Work to have both an experienced Master Gardener and an intern on each shift.
4. Develop a way to sign up for volunteer work on-line.
August 29 Monthly Meeting
Extension Educator Nancy Pollard is the speaker. This meeting will be at the Ag School, 3807 W. 111th St.
No meeting in September
October 24 Monthly Meeting
A celebration of all that we have accomplished this year. Special recognition for Master Gardeners with more that 100 and 200 volunteer hours for 2005. Please prepare a poster of any special project that you have been involved in this year!
PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES ---WE WILL DISPLAY THEM ALL!
There will be an unveiling of a special art piece for the Garfield Park Conservatory lobby by Master Gardener and fabric artist, Lindsay Obermeyer.
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Posted by Ron Wolford at 4:30 AM | Permalink |
July 15, 2006
Special Project at Eli Whitney School
If some of your favorite garden tools are wheelbarrows and shovels, come help Nancy Kreith put the basic garden design on a site at Eli Whitney School, 2815 South Komensky Avenue, July 24, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Snacks and tools provided.
Contact Nancy Kreith at 773-233-0476 kreith@uiuc.edu or Elizabeth Bruhns at ebruhns@sbcglobal.net
Posted by Ron Wolford at 12:56 PM | Permalink |
July 15, 2006
2nd Annual Chicago Home Composting Bin Sale
Volunteer for the 2nd Annual Chicago Home Composting Compost Bin Sale on Saturday, August 19, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the following locations:
North Park Village Nature Center, 5801 North Pulaski, Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 North Central Park and the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, 3857 West 111th Street.
Master Gardeners will be assisting with sales and distribution of the bins. Master Gardeners who volunteer will receive a free bin.
Contact Elizabeth Bruhns at ebruhns@sbcglobal.net if interested.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 3:36 AM | Permalink |
July 15, 2006
Master Gardener Docent Program at Garfield Park
This might be a one-time event, or it may be the beginning of a Master Gardener docent program at Garfield Park. If we have as much fun as I think we will, we may want to continue!
One of our own Master Gardeners, Dr. Len Boral, has requested tours of the Conservatory for members of the Cook County Hospital Medical Staff before their annual dinner on Sunday, September 10.
Here is your opportunity to earn one hour of Continuing Education and one hour of volunteer time participating in a really fun event. We will hold two separate trainings (you only need to attend one):
Thursday, August 10, 6:30 p.m. or Saturday, August 12, 10:00 -11:00 a.m. We will meet at the Plant Clinic Office.
To volunteer, contact Elizabeth Bruhns at ebruhns@sbcglobal.net.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 3:31 AM | Permalink |
July 15, 2006
Common Threads Garden Volunteer Day
Join Common Threads for a Garden Volunteer Day on July 22, 9 a. m. to noon at the Common Threads Garden in Kenwood Community Park, 1330 East 50th Street. For more information contact Jason Pruitt, Common Threads Coordinator at jason@ourcommonthreads.org or call 312.752.2690.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 3:15 AM | Permalink |
July 15, 2006
Volunteer Needed for Horticulture Class
One volunteer is needed to assist Koch Unni who will be teaching an "Introduction to Horticulture" class for Columbia College students at the Garfield Park Conservatory. The class will be held every Thursday starting September 5th and ending December 16th (excluding Thanksgiving). The class takes place from 3:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m., but the volunteer would need to arrive at 3:15 p.m. to assist with materials before class begins. Duties will include giving out handouts, taking questions, and helping with lab sessions. The volunteer will also be given a half an hour at the end of the last class (December 16th) to teach the students about their own personal plant specialty or passion. Anyone who is interested is asked to email Katherine Schultz at kschultz@garfieldpark.org with his or her contact information.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:57 AM | Permalink |
July 15, 2006
Lincoln Square Garden Walk and Green Fair
Dear Fellow Master Gardeners,
Please come support us . . . and, oh yes, help! For the Second Annual Lincoln Square Garden Walk and Green Fair on Aug. 5th from 10am-5: 30 p.m. (All proceeds go to the Greening of Ravenswood.)
I (Nancy Benjamin, '06 class) need help just the day of the Walk and Green Fair . . . distributing signs, manning the cashier's table ($5 donation), coordinating the environmental groups. It's a great way to meet fellow gardeners and great involved environmental folks who care about the greening of our world!
There's a party after, and friendly fun all day long in the Lincoln Square Neighborhood at Lincoln and Giddings, in Giddings Plaza (4700 N, 2300 W) on the north side of the city.
At the very least, please attend, put it on your website and tell all your friends! It's just $5 for more than 20 gardens and a Green Fair. It's a wonderful neighborhood, too (with great restaurants, Old Town School of Folk Music, bars, etc.)
If interested, please email Elizabeth Bruhns at ebruhns@sbcglobal.net or call Nancy Kreith at 773-233-0476.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:44 AM | Permalink |
July 1, 2006
Thank You Lurie Garden Master Gardeners
Melanie Scott, Tour Guide Coordinator for the Lurie Garden in Millennium Park would like to thank Master Gardeners for assisting with tours of the garden in June.
Lurie Garden Tour Guides
Mary Asproyerakas
Amy Brandolino
Carole J. Cosimano
Sarah Hudgins
Debbie Kennedy
Karen Leahy
Gigi Leonard
Jalaine May
Ruth Melulis
Ann Marie Pianka
Jena Olsen
Gina Steward-Limpan
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:34 PM | Permalink |
July 1, 2006
Thank You Kilbourn Park Master Gardeners
Kirsten Akre sends her thanks to the following Master Gardeners who have helped at the Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse and Garden. She also wants to thank Master Gardeners who assisted her at the Plant Sale.
Garden Volunteers
Susan Pedroma
Judy Escallier
Denise Handwerker
Kathy Maskoll
Pat Garber
Amy Brandolino
Plant Sale Volunteers
Jalaine May
Ella Russell
Kim Wilson
Gigi Leonard
Margie Isaacson
Jen Pagan
Peggy Thoma
Nancy Benjamin
Jane Tiffin
Sarah Ettinger
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:19 PM | Permalink |
July 1, 2006
Ag School Plant Clinic
Master Gardeners are needed for the Ag School Plant Clinic. We are averaging 10-15 gardening calls a day, plus a few walk-ins. Master Gardeners are needed Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or we can work around your schedule. Please call Nancy at 773-233-0476 or email her at kreith@uiuc.edu if interested.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 10:44 AM | Permalink |
