WOODFORD Ill. – The cold and snowy days have arrived, making it the perfect time to dream about how your yard or garden might look this coming summer. Cultivating native plants that naturally thrive in our region offers numerous advantages. Once established, these plants require minimal irrigation and fertilization, as they are inherently suited to the local climate, soil and rainfall. Their low-maintenance nature makes them an excellent choice for conserving water, supporting wildlife habitats and enhancing the natural beauty of landscapes. Spring is an ideal season to establish native plants, as it allows sufficient time for thorough soil preparation and the removal of cool-season weeds prior to planting.
On February 15, the University of Illinois Extension, in partnership with the Roanoke Mennonite Church located at 1195 County Rd 1600 E, Eureka, IL 61503, will host the Woodford Community Seed Swap. This is a great opportunity to receive free native seeds and resources to help you start or build upon your native planting journey. This come-and-go event allows community members to trade or receive native seeds from 9 to 11 AM. Resources on how to start seeds will be available, and Master Gardeners will be on-site to answer any questions.
Seeds will be provided by Wild Ones, Prairie Moon Nursery and AB Hatchery. If you bring seeds to trade, they should be heritage or heirloom and no more than two years old. Please do not bring F1-hybrid seeds. Seeds brought to trade should be in clear plastic bags or re-sealable paper envelopes and clearly labeled so that other seed swappers can easily identify them.
Come by the Roanoke Mennonite Church on Saturday, February 15, from 9 to 11 AM to swap seeds, network with other plant enthusiasts and dream of what’s possible this growing season. To register, visit https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/events. If you need reasonable accommodations to participate, please contact Darci Webber at dlwebber@illinois.edu or contact our office at 309-467-3789. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.