Educational Events

2008 Illinois Master Gardener Conference Tours

All-Day Tours

Tour 1: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Chicago Center for Green Technology
A model for the nation,the Chicago Green Technology Center is only the third building in the United States to be designed according to the LEED rating system using the highest standards of green technology available. Visitors leave knowing how to incorporate environmentally friendly, cost saving features into their home or business.

Museum of Science and Industry- Green Home: Smart + Wired
Celebrating exciting new directions in sustainable living and spectacular, environmentally-friendly technology, Smart Home: Green + Wired will offer guests guided tours of the 2,500 square-foot home and grounds, located in a park on the east side of the Museum. Guests will be able to view the latest innovations in reusable resources; smart energy consumption; sustainable gardens and green roofs; and clean, healthy-living environments in a contemporary setting.

Lurie Gardens at Millenium Park
Designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd., Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel, this 2.5-acre garden pays homage to the City's motto, "Urbs in Horto" (City in a Garden), which refers to Chicago's transformation from its flat and marshy origins to a bold and powerful city. Highlights of the garden include the dramatically lit, 15-foot-high "shoulder" hedge. This physical representation of Sandburg's famous description of the "City of Big Shoulders " encloses the garden on two sides and protects the delicate perennial garden. A graceful hardwood footbridge over shallow water divides the garden diagonally between "light" and "dark" plates.

Tour 2: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Midwest Ground Covers
This tour through the garden will be lead by Roy Diblick,well know Horticulturist and two industry professionals- Brent Gustafson and Kevin McGowen. Topics of the "show and tell" include Know MaintenanceTM, perenial design, perennial and shrub trials and plant culture.

Country Garden Cuisines
Penny Newkirk, owner of Country Gardens Cuisines will be touring us through her wonderful herb garden, showing how to use the herbs in meal preparation as she does a couple of quick demonstrations and then we will eat a lunch consisting of soup, sandwich and bar cookies which will again highlight the use of herbs.

Planters Palette
Welcome by Palette Owner Dave Tyznik or Diana Stoll Retail Manager. Self-guided tour allowing the participants to wander through the nursery's annual, perennial and tree and shrub departments. The Palette Gift Shop is also available to tour.

Morning Tours

(transportation included, lunch not included)

Tour 3: 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Cantigny Park
Tour of the Idea Garden as well as a greenhouse/production tour. Free time to wander the many lovely beautiful perennial gardens.

Tour 4: 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Ball Horticultural Company
Walk the 7 1/2 acres of The Gardens at Ball with employee guides. Highlights include new varieties that will be introduced at retail in 2009 such as Juncus Blue Dart and Deschampsia Zephyr (ornamental grasses), Ornamental Peppers Calico, Purple Flash andSangria. Guests will enjoy over 1000 containers as well as sweeping beds of annuals and perennials in both sun and shade areas. Guides willdescribe the All-America Selections evaluation trial as well as The Circle of Life sustainable growing program from Ball. Guest speakers will discuss topics such as sustainability, breeding and gardening trends.

Afternoon Tours

(transportation included, lunch not included)

Tour 5: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Trudi Temple Garden
Trudi Temple, past Master Gardener, designed and has maintained her 1 ½ acre garden for over 30 years. It has been featured in numerous national gardening magazines including the cover of Horticulture. The garden has also been featured on Victory Garden, included in Pamela Wolfe's book, Midwest Gardens. Trudi has co-authored a book, Trudi's Garden, with Laurie Bohlke. Her garden is a product of love and joy with a cottage garden feel that leaves lasting impressions.

Ogdon Garden
The Ogdon garden misses no details in this elaborate and charming garden with a luxurious backyard retreat. The home and gardens cover 3 city lots with a “Painted Lady” victorian home, barn, garage, and playhouse. The front gardens feature formal clipped parterres. The rear gardens flow seamlessly by the patio, pond, hearth and swimming pool.

Tour 6: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Green Earth Institute
The Green Earth Institute's mission is to promote nutritional health and ecological sustainability. Using their organic farm as a demonstration and learning center, they grow healthy vegetables in an earth-friendly way and educate about nature, nutrition and caring for the earth. Over 40 different vegetable and herb crops are grown on the farm and the harvest is sold through a CSA (community supported agriculture) program. The Conservation Foundation owns the land and has an education facility at this location and has agreed to talk with the group also.

Lyman Woods
Lyman Woods Interpretive Center is a starting point for the exploration of more than 150 acres of old and second growth oak woods, meadow, and restored wetlands. The Interpretive Center 's placement within the preserve and its environmentally friendly design make it one-of-a-kind. Take special note to view the “Green” roof. Planted with native vegetation, the roof reduces runoff and radiant heat islands, cleans water and air, acts as an insulator, and is beautiful to view. Outside there are more than 2 miles of marked trails where you can discover more than 400 species of plants, some of which are rare in the Chicago area. The Green Roof is accessible via a ladder. Groups of 5 MGs will be taken up at a time, the other MGs listen to a naturalist talk about their preserve and view the butterfly gardens. For anyone viewing the Green Roof, appropriate footwear is a requirement . No sandals or slippery shoes are allowed.