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Resources
CLASSES
Chicago Botanic Garden
1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe; 847-835-5440
chicagobotanic.org
Growing Warm Season Vegetables in a Small Space on May 2nd; the Web site lists summer classes.
Growing Power
growingpower.org
Conducts tours, workshops, and demos on urban gardening. Check out the worm-composting workshop on June 19th at the organization’s farm in Jackson Park.
Kilbourn Organic Greenhouse
3501 N. Kilbourn Ave.; 773-685-3351
chicagoparkdistrict.com
Offers fall and winter series on organic vegetable gardening.
Let’s Grow
Vicki and Ron Nowicki
630-852-5263
letsgrowvegetables.com
The Nowickis install and maintain vegetable gardens for private clients, as well as offer hands-on classes at their demo garden in Downers Grove.
Morton Arboretum
4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle; 630-719-2454
mortonarb.org
Enjoy Gardening with Your Family, which includes a hands-on session in a kitchen garden for parents and children; begins May 16th.
Bill Shores
Rick Bayless’s gardener teaches microgreens and worm-composting classes for self-organized groups of five to ten people, mainly in the fall and winter. To arrange, contact bluegreenedge@yahoo.com.
MISCELLANEOUS
Edible Garden at the Lincoln Park Zoo
lpzoo.org/index.php
From April through October, this hands-on demonstration garden in the Farm-in-the-Zoo engages children in planting, weeding, composting, and harvesting vegetables.
The Organic Gardener
Jeanne Pinsof Nolan
847-636-2720
theorganicgardener.net
In addition to running the Edible Garden at the Lincoln Park Zoo (see above), Nolan installs vegetable gardens for private clients and gives instruction on how to maintain them.
Phone assistance
Get garden questions answered for free at the Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Information Service (847-835-0972) or the Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic (630-719-2424).
Tours of Rick Bayless’s garden
Offered periodically. Contact urbanedible@yahoo.com.
PLANT SALES OF NOTE
Cheney Mansion Plant Sale, May 17th
220 N. Euclid Ave., Oak Park; 708-383-6485
cheneymansion.com
Heirloom tomatoes, peppers, spring greens
Chicago Botanic Garden, May 15th to 17th
Nearly 50 varieties of vegetables and fruits, with an emphasis on sustainable gardening
Hyde Park Garden Fair, May 15th and 16th
Hyde Park Shopping Center, 55th St. and S. Lake Park Ave.
hydeparkgardenfair.org
More than two dozen types of organic vegetables, including 39 varieties of tomatoes
Kilbourn Organic Greenhouse Annual Plant Sale, May 16th and 17th
3501 N. Kilbourn Ave.; 773-685-3351
More than three dozen types of heirloom tomatoes, two dozen peppers, and a wide variety of vegetables and herbs
Oak Park Conservatory Annual Herb and Plant Sale, May 2nd
615 Garfield St., Oak Park; 708-725-2460
fopcon.org/index.html
More than two dozen kitchen herbs, plus veggies and heirloom tomatoes
Wicker Park Garden Club Plant Sale & Workshops, May 2nd and 3rd
Wicker Park Fieldhouse,1425 N. Damen Ave.; 773-278-9075
wpgarden.org
Heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and herbs
SEEDLINGS
These stores sell a better-than-average selection of vegetable and herb seedlings, including heirloom varieties.
Anton’s Greenhouses
1126 Pitner Ave., Evanston; 847-864-1134
antonsgreenhouses.com
Chalet Landscape Nursery and Garden Center
3132 Lake Ave., Wilmette; 847-688-0561
chaletnursery.com
Clovers Garden Center
Many area locations
cloversgardencenter.com
Gethsemane Garden Center
5739 N. Clark St.; 773-878-5915
gethsemanegardens.com
Grand Street Gardens
2200 W. Grand Ave.; 312-829-8200
grandstreetgardens.com
Hacker’s Glenbard Gardens
640 N. State Route 53, Lombard; 630-495-4220
hackersglenbardgardens.com
Meinke Garden Center
5803 W. Touhy Ave., Niles; 847-647-9455
Platt Hill Nursery
222 W. Lake St., Bloomingdale; 630-529-9394, and 2400 Randall Rd., Carpentersville; 847-428-6767
platthillnursery.com
WEB SITES
Chicagoland Gardening
chicagolandgardening.com
The Web site of this monthly magazine lists gardening club events throughout Chicago, the suburbs, and even nearby Michigan and Wisconsin. Other events include speakers and workshops.
GardenWeb
gardenweb.com
The Gardening Q & A page includes a huge database of FAQs, including a section on vegetable gardening.
GreenNet
greennetchicago.org
This nonprofit coalition dedicated to preserving the city’s green space offers information on finding a plot at a community garden and advice on how to avoid gardening in contaminated soil (a common urban problem).
Green Roof Growers
greenroofgrowers.blogspot.com
Russ Cheatham and his rooftop gardening pals share photos and tips.
LTHForum.com
lthforum.com/bb/index.php
The Gardening, Farming and Foraging section is where local foodies swap photos and tips on growing their own food.
Urban Programs Resource Network
urbanext.illinois.edu
The Web site of the University of Illinois Extension offers loads of information, from seed starting to composting and gardening with kids.
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