Join us for the 2025 University of Illinois Extension Garden Learning Series!!
This year we have a fantastic variety of topics being presented by The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and Educators along with Educators and Ecologists from the Lake County Forest Preserve District and the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO).
Presentations are scheduled the second Wednesday of each month from 6:00pm-7:30pm starting in February of 2025. This year we have 11 sessions. All sessions are free, virtual, and held on Zoom; they are not recorded.
Registration closes on the Tuesday before each session at 11:59pm. Zoom link, slides, and handouts will be emailed to registrants by 2 pm the day of the presentation (Check ALL your email folders, including SPAM).
We cannot wait to see you at the 2025 Extension Garden Learning Series!
Register for individual programs below. You cannot register for all programs at once.
Session 7 – Gardening for Moths
When: August 13th 2025
Presenter: Lake County Forest Preserve District
Description: Native moth caterpillars and adults play an essential role in local ecosystems. Discover the importance of moths and how to make your landscape moth friendly. Native plant selection and sustainable garden practices will be discussed.
Registration: https://go.illinois.edu/gardeningformoths
Session 8 – Grasses and Sedges for the Home Landscape
When: September 10th, 2025
Presenter: University of Illinois Extension Educator Erin Garrett
Description: Grasses and sedges are often low maintenance, four-season interest plants that can help fill out a landscape design. With the increased availability of native grasses and sedges for purchase, which ones should you use and where? Learn which native grasses and sedges work best for different garden conditions. Native alternatives for non-native and invasive grasses currently planted ornamentally will also be discussed.
Registration: https://go.illinois.edu/grassesandsedges2025
Session 9 – Starting Native Plants from Seed
When: October 8th, 2025
Presenter: Lake County Forest Preserve District
Description: Starting native plants from seed can be challenging until you know the tricks to sparking germination. Discover what it means to stratify and scarify seeds and which species need which treatment.
Registration: https://go.illinois.edu/nativeseeds2025
Session 10 – Native Plants A-Z
When: November 12th, 2025
Presenter: Merleanne Rampale, SWALCO
Description: We’ll let the alphabet help guide us on a little trek through the region as we thumb through and highlight a trove of native species together. Every letter tells a story, and we look forward to spelling it out in a helpful way for those interested in adding more native species to their spaces and learning more about the value of natives and planting native. Planting natives combines beauty with benefits. A native garden and yard can be quite colorful and interesting, contrary to what some might think. They can also provide tremendous benefits for you, for wildlife and the planet. We’ll be exploring colors, textures, environmental benefits and more, as we look at some of the more popular native plant species, and some of the lesser-known, or talked about “sleeper hits”, for you to consider adding to your own backyard and home. We’ll sprinkle in some fun facts as well. Come join us on this tour through the ABCs of natives, with snapshots of several local species that will help you plot out your next landscaping and garden additions/adventures.
Registration: https://go.illinois.edu/natives_a-z_2025
Session 11 – Vermicomposting
When: December 10th, 2025
Presenter: University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners
Description: Learn how to make compost with worms! You will learn the basics of composting, why composting is important, and how to use worms to create compost at home without the need for a lot of space. See the various vermiculture bins, what to feed the worms, how to harvest the vermicompost and ways to use it.
Registration: https://go.illinois.edu/vermicomposting2025