Big & Small Gardening

All ages are invited to learn more about gardening with the Lee County Master Gardeners. This series will be held the first Tuesday of the month starting through April 2026, with some months offering a youth program at 4 p.m. and, some months, an adult program at 6 p.m. Attend one or all. Free. Register by calling the library at 815-456-2823. 

Program 3 (YOUTH) 11/4: Long before commercial paints were available, artists and communities around the globe turned to nature for their color palettes by crushing minerals, boiling plants, and blending earth and charcoal to create pigments for cave paintings, textiles, pottery, and more. From the ochre reds of ancient rock art to the indigo blues of traditional dyes, natural pigments have a rich and fascinating history rooted in both art and science. In this workshop, you'll learn to make your own paints from items like berries, leaves, flowers, and soil, reconnecting with this timeless practice and discovering the beauty of creating color straight from the earth.