Between the west side of the Beverly Arts Center and the parking lot at 2407 W. 111th Street, the Roy Diblick Garden is full of life. Against a backdrop of tall pines and ornamental grasses, bees and butterflies collect pollen from purple coneflowers, black-eyed susanas, pink hydrangeas, phloxes, purple asters, Russian sage and other late-flowering plants.
Citing low maintenance as a reward for creating gardens that blend with nature, Serene Oasis Morgan Park is a community project managed by the Beverly Hills Garden Club.
It may also be of interest to gardeners who decide to attend the Garden Club's "Ask the Expert" conference on October 4 at the Beverly Arts Center, where registration begins at 9 a.m. and a question-and-answer session begins. . At 10
According to the president of the club, founded in 1926, Gayle Minnick, the idea of low maintenance and sustainability is explored annually by renowned horticulturists like Dyblick.
"We host several events throughout the year, including guided tours. Through all of them, our goal is to provide gardeners with reliable, progressive and entrepreneurial information," Menke said.
In addition to receiving a wealth of information from local gardening resources, members can donate free gardening books.
Blue Island resident Val Kehoe is one of four experts answering visitors' questions about plants, trees and vegetables and online.
Kehoe, now a strong advocate of organic gardening, began working in the field 33 years ago at the request of her then 4-year-old son.
"I gave Chia a pet," he said. "It was winter, January, and suddenly a little life came into the house. It changed my life a lot. That summer we had a garden."
Kehoe's son studied soil conservation. Likewise, Kehoe's daughter became a nutritionist due to the positive influence of the garden, where flowers, herbs and vegetables eventually grow. Kehoe himself became a certified outfielder and umpire.
"I think I've always liked plants and trees," he said. "I realized that I could walk into my backyard and see the bees and pollinators as part of a natural community. I realized my connection to the natural world and that being outdoors can bring peace and grounding ".
Nine years as coordinator of the University of Illinois Naturalist Master's Program and 10 years as a full-time horticulturist at Christy Weber Landscapes, Kehoe hopes to convey "the importance of finding greater balance with the natural world."
Ways to achieve this goal are to reduce plant care and water use, select native plants, and promote pre-industrial gardening techniques.
These practices include reducing mowing, watering and fertilizing, planting vegetable gardens near the back door, using rain barrels, and using available water primarily to grow fruits and vegetables.
"Purt is the largest resource for irrigation and chemical use," Kehoe said. "It's important for people to realize that cleaning water has real value."
He also said it's important to understand that native plants with long roots don't need constant watering. "Many people have begun to see the current state of our environment as a reason to adopt practices that are in harmony with nature."
Kehoe also recommends avoiding destroying native flowers, as their seeds can be a food source for birds.
While neighbors may sometimes disapprove of sparse landscaping, Kehoe suggests landscaping techniques to minimize disturbance, including replanting, rowing plants, placing trees as background shrubs, and planting low trees in the foreground.
Even skeptical neighbors are surprised, Kehoe said, “when a butterfly or bird suddenly appears out of nowhere.
"The solution to climate change is to balance our Earth and ourselves by protecting and restoring our Earth," he said.
This philosophy applies even though the areas we control may seem relatively small—their home on Blue Island measures 25 x 125 feet.
For 25 years, Kehoe has served in a variety of volunteer roles, including volunteer coordinator for the Town of Blue Island and President of the Blue Island Forest Council. He worked for the Cook County Forest Preserve for 15 years restoring and tracing trails.
No wonder he likes trees. A mature white oak tree in front of her home inspired her to buy a home in Blue Island with her husband, Pat Kehoe, who admired the front porch. "An entire ecosystem is built around one of those trees," Kehoe said.
Other gardeners at the Oct. 4 event include Mary Harkenrider, a veteran of Precious Blood Urban Agriculture Reconciliation Ministries. Greg Stack, former horticulture professor at the University of Illinois; and Victor Short, Openland Forest Manager.
Harkenrider, an urban agriculture student at the University of Illinois, has worked with PBMR Urban Farm for eight years, helping advance its restorative justice mission to build relationships through "outreach, education and hugs in Englewood gardens and neighborhoods." .
Built on raised beds on a former parking lot, the farm produced more than 6,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables for local residents last year.
In 1974, Steck joined the University of Illinois Extension team as a horticultural consultant. He has served as a special projects manager and horticulture instructor for the Urban Gardening Program in Chicago.
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Although Steak has officially retired from that position, he now works "full time" at Ted Greenhouse in Tinley Park.
Victor Short, Openland Forest Manager, teaches tree students how trees function in our ecosystem. They trained briefly with GreenCorps Chicago and worked in the environmental services industry managing Chicago Park District maintenance teams working in natural areas.
Menek hopes the Q&A will attract gardeners beyond the garden club.
"We attract many of Indiana's best gardeners to our annual events and spread the word to other local garden clubs," he said.
No matter how many non-members come, there can be a good turnout. The garden club's membership has almost doubled since it broke out and now stands at 102.
For more information, contact Gardenclubofmorganparkbeverly@gmail.com or lovetogarden1926 on Facebook.
Susan DeGrain is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
