Community Corner
WPPC Native Garden Tour
First 100 Native Gardens Walk
Saturday, August 18
This year the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee (WPPC) is celebrating a major accomplishment---over 100 homeowners in McHenry County have planted native gardens in their yards. Saturday, August 18, twenty-one of these yards will be open to the public for a self-guided tour from 10am to 2pm. Tour yards are located throughout McHenry County in Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Huntley, Johnsburg, Lake-in-the-Hills, Lakewood, Spring Grove, Woodstock, plus one in Lake County, Island Lake, and one in Kane County, Dundee. There is no charge for the tour and attendees may create their own tour route, visiting one or all of the twenty-one yards.
Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Homeowners have planted woodland shade gardens, savanna gardens, prairie gardens, and rain gardens ranging in size from 100 square feet to over 600 square feet on lots ranging in size from a regular city lot to 6 acres. They have all been planted as part of the “Natural Garden in Your Yard” (NGYY) mentoring program of the WPPC. The program is based on the concept that many small native gardens, when combined as part of the bigger picture can make a big difference for a cleaner, healthier environment for all.
Native gardens provide numerous benefits to the homeowner including lower energy costs, no fertilizers or pesticides cost, improved air quality, , improved water drainage, increased number of birds and other wildlife visiting the yard and increased awareness of natural history. By planting a rain garden, homeowners can solve some water issues such as pooling and help to recharge the aquifer.
Find out what's happening in Algonquin-Lake In The Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
A brief description of each yard on the tour, along with the name and address of the owners is available on line at the WPPC website: thewppc.org.
If you are interested in planting a native garden in your yard, visit thewppc.org, and click on “Natural Garden in Your Yard.”
If you have additional questions regarding the NGYY program or the tour,
contact Carol Rice: 847-382-1181 or email: goforsix@aol.com.
