Jerry Cleland will present, “Growing Orchids At Home,” during the Monday, March 11, meeting of the Gardeners of Central Lake County.
Daily Herald File Photo

Send events for this calendar to homes@dailyherald.com with “calendar listing” in the subject line. Deadline is two weeks prior to the event.

March 10

Schaumburg Home Show: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at Schaumburg Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Drive N, Schaumburg. Find out how to save on energy costs with new windows, insulation, solar power systems and whole house battery systems. Don’t forget to keep it comfortable year-round with the latest in efficient heating, air conditioning, split zone systems and tankless water heaters. Speak with experts in home decor, painting and the latest in window fashions. Custom furniture and wood creations, adjustable beds and quality mattresses, bedding and pillows and many other unique and stunning products and services for your home. For information, (630) 953-2500 or schaumburghomeshow.com.

March 11

Gardeners of Central Lake County — Growing Orchids: 7 p.m. Monday, March 11, at CrossLife Evangelical Free Church, 431 W. Austin, Libertyville. Jerry Cleland will present, “Growing Orchids at Home.” This presentation provides an overview of the main factors needed to maintain healthy orchids at home. Basic orchid plant care with a focus on how they grow in the wild. Cultural requirements will be presented along with the most popular orchid types available in the Midwest. Time permitting, orchid repotting will be demonstrated. For information, gardenersofcentrallakecounty.org.

March 12

Buffalo Grove Garden Club: 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at the Alcott Center, 530 Bernard Drive, Buffalo Grove. Dolly Swibes Foster, Master Gardener and accredited horticulturist and certified arborist, will present “Advanced Perennial Maintenance,” on how to get the highest performance from perennials all summer long. It will include advice on pruning, dividing and manipulating perennials to prolong bloom and rejuvenate your garden. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome. For information, buffalogrovegardenclub.org.

Birds in the Garden — Creating & Enjoying a Bird Oasis: 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Glenview Public Library, 1930 Glenview Road, Glenview. Elevate your outdoor haven by transforming it into a captivating bird sanctuary. Co-sponsored by the Glenview Gardeners. Register online at glenviewpl.org or call (847) 729-7500.

Jeanne Nolan, of The Organic Gardener, will present on the “Five Keys to Organic Gardening Success” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, at the Glencoe Public Library.
Courtesy of Glencoe Public Library

Five Keys to Organic Gardening Success: 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Glencoe Public Library, 320 Park Ave., Glencoe. Whether you’re new to gardening or already at home with sun and soil, this is the perfect time to plan your spring garden. Jeanne Nolan of The Organic Gardener will help you prepare for planting season. Tying in practical advice for gardeners of all abilities, she’ll outline her basic keys to planning, planting and maintaining a productive organic edible garden. For information, glencoelibrary.org.

March 13

Master Gardener Mark Lyons presents “Growing Terrific Tomatoes” at the Wednesday, March 13, meeting of the Rolling Meadows Garden Club.
Courtesy of AP Photo/Jessica Damiano

Rolling Meadows Garden Club — Growing Tomatoes: 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, at Rolling Meadows Community Center, 3705 Pheasant Drive, Rolling Meadows. Master Gardener Mark Lyons, aka “The Garden Troubadour,” presents “Growing Terrific Tomatoes.” Nothing compares to the flavor of a fresh, homegrown tomato. Lyons will show you all the secrets to successfully grow mouthwatering, tasty garden fruit in our own backyard or container garden. Refreshments and short business meeting from 6-7 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m. All are welcome. For information, rollingmeadowsgardenclub.com.

Schaumburg Community Garden Club: 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday on the month, at Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. The business meeting starts promptly at 7 p.m. Come early and meet some of the members. Tim Moore will present “Vermicomposting.” Moore will explain the process and provide instructions on how to set up and maintain a home vermicomposting bin. For information, schaumburggardenclub.org.

March 14

Des Plaines Garden Club — Native Shrubs: 10:45 a.m. Thursday, March 14, at the Frisbie Senior Center, 52 E. Northwest Highway, Des Plaines. The business meeting starts at 11 a.m. Bring a sack lunch and your own coffee mug. Snacks and coffee will be provided. Member Vicki Williams will present a horticulture talk on “Native Shrubs for Pollinators and Birds” At 12:30 p.m., Joyce Basel will present a program on using store bought flowers, showcasing how to turn them into a beautiful arrangement, just like the professionals. For information, desplainesilgardenclub.com.

Gardening with Native Trees and Shrubs Webinar: Virtually at noon on Thursday, March 14, through the Land Conservancy of McHenry County. Native trees and shrubs provide year-round beauty as well as food and nesting habitat for birds and pollinators. Join TLC’s Sarah Michehl for some favorite native trees and shrubs appropriate for the home landscape. The program will highlight foundation plantings, privacy hedgerows, and species to feature. A recording of the webinar will be emailed to registered participants after the program. For information, (815) 337-9502 or conservemc.org.

Park Ridge Garden Club: Meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month from September through June, at The Centennial Activity Center, 100 S. Western, Park Ridge. Enter using the door to the south of the main entrance. For information, parkridgegardenclub.org.

March 16

Palatine Winter Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturdays of the month through April, at the Palatine Train Station parking lot. The Palatine Winter Farmers Market includes vendors: Garlic Underground, Hasselmann Farms, Honey Lake Bee Company, Joe + Dough, Katich Breads, Laconic Foods, Maggie’s Munchies Dog Treats, River Valley Ranch Mushrooms, Sharpening by Dave, Skokie Provisions, The Soft Wave Fish Co., Sweet Valhalla, Tamales Express, Treat Yourself Bakery and Zachi Chocolates. All shoppers are welcome to drive-through or walk-up, bring your bike or dog. For information on vendors and how to place orders, visit palatine.il.us/663/Farmers-Market.

Vegetable Garden Consultations: 10 a.m. Saturday, March 16, at The Growing Place, 2000 Montgomery Road, Aurora. Growing a vegetable garden this year? Get advice from The Growing Place. Meet in person with vegetable garden gurus to walk through your veggie garden plans, discuss possible changes and get suggestions for improvement. Sessions are 30 minutes and cost $30. Instructions on what to prepare and bring with you will be emailed shortly after you register. For information, (630) 820-8088 or shop.thegrowingplace.com/inventory.

Ongoing

The Orchid Show of Wonders: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through March 24, at Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. Step right up to The Orchid Show of Wonders, where your favorite carnival and circus attractions come to life in new ways. Admission is $10 for adult members, $21 nonmembers; $7 for children ages 3-12 who are members, $14 nonmembers; free for ages 2 and younger. For information and tickets, chicagobotanic.org/orchid/tickets.

Plant sales

Kane DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District Native Trees, Shrubs and Plant Sale: Order deadline is April 12 for trees and shrubs and May 17 for plants. Ordering is open for native trees, shrubs and plants. The digital catalog is available on the organization’s website, it can be printed if you choose. Download the order form, complete your selections and follow the instructions to submit the order and payment. The Northern Illinois Worm Farm will be on hand at pick up days with fresh, local worm casting and worm castings tea for sale. For information, kanedupageswcd.org/kd.

Citizens for Conservation’s Native Plant, Shrub and Tree Sale: Order deadline is April 15. Online ordering for Citizens for Conservation’s 28th annual Native Plant, Shrub and Tree Sale is available at citizensforconservation.org. CFC’s sale offers more than 200 varieties of native plants, including perennials, ferns, sedges, grasses, shrubs and trees. This year’s sale will also feature two special garden packages, featuring plants that support pollinators. Orders are filled on a first-come, first-filled basis, so order early, and preorders are encouraged if you have a specific plant in mind. There is a pre-order minimum charge; details are on the sale website. The in-person sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 4-5 at CFC’s Hill ’N Dale Preserve in Barrington Hills. Online order pickup will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, May 3 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the sale site. CFC members will also be able to shop the sale on May 3, and members get a 10% discount all days. For information, contact (847) 382-7283.

The Schaumburg Community Garden Club Native Plant Sale: Deadline to order is April 19. The Schaumburg Community Garden Club is currently taking preorders only for its annual Native Plant Sale, featuring native wildflowers, grasses, perennials, trees and shrubs. Order at schaumburggardenclub.org. Orders can be picked up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday May 18-19, at Spring Valley Nature Center and Heritage Farm. Information regarding pickup location will be shared at the time of your online order. The pre-order deadline is April 19. For information, schaumburggardenclub.org.

Sag Moraine Native Plant Community Native Plant Sale: Orders taken through May 1. Place your order now for native plant packages with a variety of design options. Plants are in one-pint containers and provided by Midwest Groundcovers as part of the Natural Garden Natives line, a selection of pesticide-free, local ecotype native plants. Orders can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at Moraine Valley Community College, 9000 W. College Parkway, Parking Lot D3, Palos Hills. Thousands of individual native plants will also be for sale on June 1 from Stellar Natives, along with advice on landscaping with native plants. For information, sagmoraine.org.

University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the University of Illinois Extension grounds, 100 S. Highway 45, Grayslake. University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners will hold its annual plant sale featuring a beautiful selection of nursery grown varieties not readily available at traditional garden centers — natives, new cultivars of perennials, grasses and pollinator-friendly plants. Many varieties of homegrown tomatoes, along with other vegetables and herbs, will be available. In addition, shop the “Garden Treasures” for new and gently used items to enhance your landscape. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions, help with plant selection and offer gardening advice. All proceeds support projects and programming for volunteers, youth and adults in Lake County. For information, call (847) 223-8627 or visit extension.illinois.edu/events/2024-05-18-lake-county-2024-plant-sale.

Scholarships

Arlington Heights Garden Club Scholarship: The Arlington Heights Garden Club is accepting applications from graduating high school seniors or college students from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, who are or plan to pursue studies in horticulture, environmental science, sustainability, conservation, arboriculture, and similar studies. The garden club has three $2,000 awards available. Details about the application process are available on the club website, ahgardenclub.com/copy-of-scholarships-1 (under the Community section). Deadline for the application is March 15.

Lombard Garden Club Scholarship: Deadline to apply is March 22. Applications for the Lombard Garden Club 2024 college scholarships are now being accepted. The club will offer scholarships up to $3,000 each to Lombard residents who are high school seniors, home-schooled students or students currently enrolled in a college program. Criteria includes being a Lombard resident who is pursuing a career related to horticulture, ecology, landscape design, agriculture, environmental conservation, botany, forestry or related fields. The student needs to have a “C” average or better, verified by a transcript. Participation in extracurricular activities is encouraged. The applicant needs to provide two letters of recommendation from teachers or school counselors. The student is also requested to include a statement of career goals. Send applications to Sue Wiemer at swiemer@comcast.net or call Wiemer with questions at (630) 951-4000. Local high schools and College of DuPage have been provided with additional information. The scholarship coordinator at the school may assist students in applying for this scholarship. Deadline for applications is Friday, March 22. For information, https://lombardgardenclub.org.