Livingston County Master Gardener Projects

Garden Pots at 4-H Park

18142 4H Park Road, Pontiac, IL

An annual theme fills the garden pots located throughout 4-H Park. Plants for Pollinators is a recent and popular theme. Plants are always picked based on the conditions of each pots location (sun vs. shade)

green hosta, chartreuse sweet potato vine, white elephant ear, dragon wing begonia
white flower over green, spiked foliage
marigolds peek out from under green hostas in the foreground, the background is a carnival game
close-up of begonia petals

Dargan Park

732 E Madison St, Pontiac, IL

A native plant garden showcasing the beauty of native native plants in the landscape. Each native plant was selected to create a continuous display of color throughout the season. Additional special features include the garden's designation as a Monarch Waystation and Pollinator Pocket.

Extension Office Prairie and Pollinator Garden

1412 S Locust St, Pontiac, IL

Visitors learn about using native plants in the home landscape when visiting the garden which participates in I-Pollinate and is designed as a Pollinator Pocket. Garden selections bloom spring through autumn, offering habitat and pollen all season; planting them in clumps helps foraging insects and birds find food.

Village of Flanagan

124 S Main St, Flanagan, IL

Artesian Park, Flanagan, IL

Container garden and pollinator plantings are located at the library and the park to enjoy while out or to replicate at home. Master Gardeners design the plantings and resource Flanagan School FFA to grow the plants from seed. At Flanagan Library, Master Gardeners installed a registered Monarch Waystation and a Pollinator Pocket. At Artesian Park, Master Gardeners design and plant six raised beds which they designed and built with the community.

a full view of the library, library sign, and garden bed
pink roses grow in the foreground of a garden bed filled with purple flowering sage that runs along a brick building
false sunflower fills a garden bed that is designated a monarch waystation and pollinator pocket
lantana, purple grass, and a green succulent fill a galvanized and wood planter

Flanagan School Garden

202 E Falcon Hwy, Flanagan, IL

Each spring and fall, students of all ages plant and visit the garden beds of Flanagan School Garden. In spring, emerging tulips and daffodils reinvigorate student excitement for gardening. As the weather warms, classes explore the garden beds finding spaces for story time, and a few many-legged reading mate. The space includes a butterfly garden, a native prairie plant bed, a flowering perennial bed, a raised vegetable garden bed, and a sunflower house; every square inch is loved by students and staff. The garden is registered in I-Pollinate, as a Pollinator Pocket, and as a Monarch Waystation.

prairie dock leaves pop out of a ground cover and purple black flowers sit above in a planter
a black plastic basket of garlic
flowering dill is in focus and nasturtiums and a black plastic basket of garlic are blurred in the background
large prairie dock leaves stand erect over mulch and vinca vine
a wide view of the garden through the sunflower house

Yost House Garden

298 W Water St, Pontiac, IL 61764

A cottage-style garden with historically relevant plants is sited on the grounds of the historical Catherine V. Yost House, a Queen Anne-style Victorian home. Master Gardeners host educational workshops on the uses of garden plants during the summer house touring season. A variety of spring bulbs and a mix of natives and perennials act as host to pollinators at this site that is registered as a Pollinator Pocket.

Educational Outreach Programs

Youth Enrichment Lessons

Master Gardeners created an outreach program for youth in the schools of Livingston County. Work in groups of three, volunteers present 45-minute lessons to students to 5th grade and 2nd grade classes during the fall and spring of each school year. Lessons are provided on a variety of topics such as insects, the prairie food chain, and seeds. The lessons are well received by students and teachers in the county.

A Day in the Garden Patch

A morning filled with gardening education, hosted in spring just in time to help gardeners find inspiration on their own gardening projects. There is always a make and take component and time to gather with other gardeners. This program sells out every spring as it is loved by gardeners in the community.