The board of West Cook Wild Ones is volunteering with other local organizations to support their efforts at incorporating native plants in the landscape. Over at the Morton Freshman Center, science teacher Kevin O’Toole has led the creation, installation, and maintenance of a 5,000 sq ft (and growing) Monarch garden as the foundation for a… Read more »
Posts Tagged: butterfly garden
Standing for Science in Your Yard

West Cook Wild Ones loves science– scientists explain the world to us and impact many parts of our lives. One of these areas is our own yards or landscapes in which we we work or live. Science is telling us that even if we are in an urban area, our yards are incredibly important, providing… Read more »
Power of Native Plants

Are you new to native plants and not sure why they’re important? This infographic can help get you started:
Two Simple, Easy, and Natural Steps for Summer Habitat Garden Maintenance

Summer is almost here, and plants are up. You’ve been a good dooby and left some stems standing to provide habitat/nesting areas for cavity-nesting bees (such as Mason Bees and tiny Carpenter bees). Maybe you’re also worried about pulling weeds and not sure how best to handle the situation. Below are some quick and easy… Read more »
Get your yard ready for monarch migration
What kind of milkweed do you have? You can still plant milkweed, just keep it watered. If you can, it would be great to plant more milkweed for next year, and you can sow seeds nowtheyll stay dormant until after winter/spring. Some patches of milkweed (and different kinds is… Read more »
Blog Post – Deb’s Big Backyard: Butterfly Gardening in Fall
Deb’s Big Backyard goes on the road to chat with our amazing Board Member, educator and a self taught butterfly expert, Stephanie Walquist. Watch as she shows how she created her certified butterfly garden.