Native plant seminars, sale offered by Forest Preserve foundation

If you’re chomping at the bit to get out into your garden this spring, consider signing up for two free plant seminars in April and May that will keep you busy until you can buy plants at the sixth annual “Bringing Nature Home Native Plant Sale” on May 18-19.

The educational seminars and the plant sale are all being offered by The Nature Foundation of Will County, a nonprofit fundraising organization that supports the Forest Preserve District of Will County.

This the second year that the foundation is offering plant seminars as a way of helping gardeners get ready for a successful planting season and as preparation for the popular plant sale, which features hundreds of plants, shrubs and trees from Possibility Place Nursery in Monee.

Registration is required for the seminars, and space is limited to between 30 and 35 people per session depending on the program. To register for each seminar, visit the foundation’s website, www.willcountynature.org.

Plant seminars focus on native species and pollinators

The seminars that will be offered are:

Shrubs, Shrubs & More Shrubs! – 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville. Join Kelsay Shaw as he discusses the benefits of using native shrubs in every type of landscape. The session will cover how these plants can add beauty through all seasons and how to space the plants and properly incorporate them into existing beds.

Bringing Back the Monarchs – 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 5, at Sugar Creek Administration Center. Phyllis Schulte, a master naturalist and Forest Preserve volunteer steward, will discuss the reasons for the decline in the monarch butterfly population and how gardening with native plants benefits monarchs. And Kelsay Shaw will teach participants how to landscape for monarchs and other pollinators. He also will discuss native plants that benefit bees.

'Bringing Nature Home Native Plant Sale' and Presale

The spring seminars should whet your appetite for the two-day “Bringing Nature Home Native Plant Sale” at Sugar Creek Administration Center.

A presale event will take place from 4-9 p.m. on Friday, May 18, at Sugar Creek Administration Center. The presale costs $25 per person and gives guests exclusive access to plants before the public sale, which takes place the next day. Presale attendees also can enjoy music, boutique wines, craft beers, artisanal cheeses and gourmet desserts. The ticket also includes a complimentary raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets will be available for purchase, and silent auction items will be available for bid.

The native plant sale will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 19. This is the largest fundraiser of the year for the foundation. No registration or entry fee is required. Plant shoppers can explore the benefits of planting their lawn or garden with native species. More than 100 species of native perennials, shrubs and trees will be available for purchase. Vendors and exhibitors also will be in attendance.

This year's native plant sale is sponsored by Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd.; Kavanagh Grumley & Gorbold, LLC; Leopardo; Enbridge; Brent Hassert Consulting, LLC; and Liberty Creative Solutions.