Events

Show Me-Help Me August 27, 2016 10-11 AM
Visit a garden that Ginger Vanderveer (former board member of WCWO) started a long time ago when she got involved with native plants. The garden is constantly evolving and now they are working on selecting for shorter natives to help with visibility at the corner. There are many great natives to view (and there might be some to take home). See how a religious organization carries out its stewardship principle as well as learn about different native plants and management of the garden in a public setting.

The visit will be at Good Shepherd church at 611 Randolph Street in Oak Park, IL.

Please complete the form to RSVP: https://goo.gl/forms/xGhgLsLQr5MaIlkq2  Thanks!

Curious what a Show Me-Help Me is?

Show Me-Help Me Day is a Wild Ones® concept that involves visiting members’ properties so the owner(s) may show visitors their site or get instructive help from visitors to their site. Visitors can ask questions, offer suggestions and share knowledge on natural landscaping for that particular location. It is meant to be an educational day with information exchange and networking among participants. Show-Me properties are more established sites with many native plants in an advanced stage of development. Help-Me properties could be anything from new-construction home sites, recently purchased homes, or rather newly begun natural landscapes. Depending on the properties available for view, you may decide to have a Show-Me Day, a Help-Me Day or a combination of the two.

These outings lack the formality associated with a garden showcase tour. They are meant to be informal, enlightening and relaxed. At a Show Me-Help Me Day you get down-to-earth ideas. The day should be filled with Wild Ones Cinderella and Cruella DeVil stories. Examples might be dealing with exotics, informing neighbors of intentions, handling a wet or dry area, coping with gravel and stones, making allowances for shady areas, dealing with erosion (sloping landscape or otherwise), etc. Members get to see problems firsthand and can offer each other suggestions on how to best solve them.

They're a great way to connect to each other and to the environment.  Hope to see you at one!