Projects

Current Project Descriptions

Bel-Wood Therapy Gardens located at Bel-Wood Nursing Home. MG's maintain 4 courtyards and interact with residence, families and staff. Workdays are Thurs. for 9 AM until noon from March through October. Orientation is given at the beginning of each season. Additional work days and hours are welcomed. Bel-Wood is located west of town, 7601 N. Plank Rd.

ICC Demonstration Garden is a tri-county project with Tazewell and Woodford counties. Workdays are Tuesday 9-noon or earlier during the heat of the growing season. Other workdays are welcomed. The Demo Garden is located behind the Land Lab near the entrance of ICC.

Parc Enabling Gardens located at the PARC facilities on Townline Rd. and N. University. Gardening and garden projects are taught to mentally handicapped adults year round. Workdays vary as needed.

Peoria Youth Farm is a project of gardening with troubled youth. They plant and maintain several gardens June-August. They grow vegetables and herbs. Several boys had projects entered in the 4-H Fair and State Fair. Workdays are Fridays 7-8 AM. Youth Farm is located just beyond Bel-Wood on Plank Rd. west of town.

Plant a Row for the Hungry garden located at Green View Nursery. Produce is planted and donated for use in soup kitchens around town. The main workday has been Monday for 9-11AM but earlier as it gets warmer starting mid April until October. An additional work day is added as the produce comes on and watering is needed. PAR is located north of town on Cedar Hills Rd just off the lower parking lot.

Speaker Bureau is a year round project. Talks are given as they are requested by the public. Most talks are given to small groups of 20-30.

Horticulture Help-Line is a telephone call in service for the public with gardening question. MG's are scheduled 9 AM until noon April until end of October yearly. Winter questions are picked up weekly. Located at the Extension MG office and can be done in pairs.

Newsletter is a monthly publication. Information and articles are complied by MG's and sent to the publisher. A production team prints and folds the newsletter getting it ready for mailing.

Spring Plant Sale is held in May. Donations of plants, calling for workers and pricing plants are needed. The sale is held at Metro Shopping Center's Farmers Market.

Monthly Meetings have been held on the third Wednesday of each month. Volunteers are needed for set-up and refreshment each month. Volunteer hours are given for meeting attendance.

Other projects approved for hours are Greenway Project, Luthy Botanical Garden Helpers, Jubilee Herb Garden, 4-H Fair helper and judges, Heart of Illinois Fair, ICC Garden Day Booth & Demo Garden Host, project planning sessions, calling for volunteers and helping with mailings and other short term community projects.