Two Popular Gardening Events Held in May at Cantigny Park

Submission by Cantigny Park

Greenhouse Open House: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 1

• Take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity to go behind the scenes. Enjoy demonstrations, self-guided tours, plant sales, exhibits and a “green” activity for kids. Get answers to your garden and plant questions, too! Admission is free with paid parking ($10). Walk to the greenhouse or ride the complimentary tram from the main Cantigny parking lot to the greenhouse. Inside the Visitors Center, browse garden and nature-inspired jewelry by local artist Nancy Neill at her trunk show, 10 am to 4 pm.

National Public Gardens Day: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 6

• Enjoy a tour through Cantigny’s colorful spring plantings guided by Joy Kaminsky, director of horticulture (10 am). Plus, catch two presentations in the Visitors Center Theater. At 9 am, Jeff Reiter gives a talk called “Birds of Cantigny.” At 11 am, special guest Dan Benarcik from Chanticleer Gardens (Wayne, Pa.) presents “Making the Garden Your Own.” A coupon for free parking is available for download at Cantigny.org.

The 500-acre Cantigny estate features one of the largest display gardens in the Midwest, showcasing perennials, ground covers, flowering bulbs, shrubs and trees. Cantigny’s 18,000-square-foot greenhouse supplies the plants displayed throughout the gardens and golf course, including 160,000 annuals.

More information about Cantigny, including park hours, directions and a calendar of upcoming events is online at Cantigny.org.