More details for monthly programs will be available on our Facebook page events. If you are not a member of our club please contact us thru the website contact tab or Facebook to see if program will be open to the public or If you would like to attend as a prospective member .  All programs and meeting locations are subject to change.

Wednesday July 8 2026 . We will meet at The Community Foundation for McHenry County.
Speaker: Heather is the owner of Soil & Spade Company offering creative container design services and the Soil & Spade Plant Shop in Downtown Crystal Lake.   She has over 25 years of experience in the industry and was recognized by Greenhouse Product News as one of the TOP 40 horticulture professionals under 40 nationwide.

Program She will share some of her favorite summer plants and techniques for building beautiful, long-lasting, heat tolerant containers. There will be three 8 inch summer planters to be given away.

Wednesday August 12 2026. Members garden tour with a progressive lunch. We will be visiting 3 members home gardens.

Garden 1 Shade and sun beds dot this corner lot which includes three berms. The lot is very shaded with a couple of ash trees, old silver maple, and a lot of bushes (hydrangeas, red twig dogwoods and others.) The garden is more free flowing than formal. Gardens contain a mix of native plants and favorite “old fashioned” garden varieties. The back tends to be sunnier for a longer period of the day. The “sun bed” is a raised bed anchored by Hollow Joe Pye, Iron Weed, Queen of the Prairie, and zigzag goldenrod along with a work shed. Large ceramic blue pots are planted up with annuals for continuous color looking toward the street. The largest pot contains an old fashioned sedum from grandpa ❤️

Garden 2 This corner lot on a cul de sac is being transitioned from semi formal to multiple prairie pocket gardens. The front yard contains a native prairie strip alongside the driveway containing purple coneflower, tall grass , milkweed, asters and prairie dock, 2 island beds and a semi shade garden under a maple tree. In spring this area is under planted with tulips, daffodils and other spring blooming bulbs. Backyard contains a potting shed,compost bin, rose of Sharon trees, more native plants and a stone spiral garden still in process. Bird feeders for both song and hummingbirds. A small vegetable garden off the deck contains tomatoes, peppers, green onions , garlic , broccoli and herbs. Annuals planted are nasturtiums, zinnias and marigolds. 🌺

Garden 3 This corner lot garden is a semi formal cottage design containing 3 water features. Backyard designed to attract pollinators with purple coneflowers and black eyed Susan’s . Side yard contains various blooming vines, and roses. Corner street garden holds various heirloom day lilies, and wooden arbor while the rest of the landscape holds a variety of plants including hostas and lady’s mantle tucked between the anchoring land scape. Two potted up urns welcomes you to the front door. ❤️

Wednesday September 9 2026 . We will meet at Hill Farm Acres off of Barlina Road to visit Master Gardener Caro Lynn Whaples who maintains 4 of the 150 plots available. She has been gardening on these plots for years and donates all food grown to the Family Health Partnership Clinic in Crystal Lake.
The four plots ( #56,57,71 and 72) are surrounded by annuals such as zinnias, cosmos, nasturtiums, sunflowers and marigolds that draw the pollinators to the over 150 vegetables plants growing there.

Wednesday October 14 2026. We will meet at The Community Foundation for McHenry County.
Speakers : Cindy Germata and Carol Weinhammer
Program : Algonquin Garden Club installed a mini forest last October. Members from the Algonquin garden club will speak to us on how they planned and financed their mini forest and give us a one year update on how it is doing.

Wednesday November 11 2026 We will meet at The Community Foundation for McHenry County.
Speaker: Sue Perdue.
Program : Factory Farming and reasons against

Wednesday December 9 2026. Members only X-mas party

Wednesday January 13 2027. We will meet at The Community Foundation for McHenry County.
Program : Garden Therapy

Wednesday February 10 2027

Wednesday March 10 2027

Wednesday April 14 2027

Wednesday May 12 2027 We will meet at The Community Foundation for McHenry County. Speaker: Dana Garretson comes with design experience as a landscape architect from Portland, Oregon, and a degree in landscape architecture from Auburn University in Alabama. Formerly focused on urban design and redevelopment, Dana’s landscape design interests became personal as she raised her family, focusing on her own home ground and launching a local community garden. She has enjoyed the energy and challenge of working in a retail garden center and helping clients find the right plants and design combinations for their home and garden projects. Dana volunteers as an Extension Master Gardener in McHenry County to encourage others in their gardening efforts by recommending solutions for problems, educating on topics, and sharing resources
Program: Interior Plants by Design: A who, what, where, why, when, and how of using plants in our homes considering the benefits, the functions of space, plant habits and needs, design ideas, and plant recommendations.

Wednesday June 9 2027. Members only annual picnic