North Suburban Cook County Master Gardeners

11/03/2021

Benefit #2: Compost reduces methane, a gas that contributes to climate change.

This Halloween, don’t trash your pumpkins; smash them with University of Illinois Extension at sites located throughout Chicago

🎃 Plant Chicago: 4459 S Marshfield Ave, Chicago, IL 60609
🎃 Gary Comer Youth Center: 7200 S Ingleside Ave, Chicago, IL 60619
🎃 Chicago Vocational High School: 2100 E 87th St, Chicago, IL 60617
🎃 Lake View High School: 4015 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
🎃 Chicago High School For Agricultural Sciences: 3857 W 111th St, Chicago, IL 60655

For locations and details, visit go.illinois.edu/pumpkinsmash.

To find another location near you, visit scarce.org/pumpkins

11/03/2021

Gather your pumpkins and join us this Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 10 AM - 2 PM. For more details visit: go.illinois.edu/pumpkinsmash

GREEN YOUR HALLOWEEN by composting your jack-o-lantern!

U of I Extension is hosting a Pumpkin Smash compost collection on Saturday November 6, 2021 from 10 am – 2 pm at five Chicago locations.
• Plant Chicago 4459 S Marshfield Ave, Chicago
• Gary Comer Youth Center 7200 S Ingleside Ave, Chicago
• Chicago Vocational Academy 2100 E 87th St, Chicago
• Lake View HS 4015 N Ashland Ave, Chicago
• Chicago HS for Agricultural Sciences 3857 W 111th St, Chgo
Everyone is welcome to participate in this free family friendly event, but please mask up!
We’ll have a compost education station, activities and seasonal refreshments for you to enjoy, Rain or Shine.
Collect for your block, scout troop or congregation!
Go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash or call Sarah at 217-300-8636 for more information.

11/02/2021

Benefit #1: Compost suppresses plant diseases and pests.
Save your pumpkin and compost it with us this Saturday (Nov 6, 2021 from 10 AM – 2 PM) at one of our pumpkin smash locations.

For locations and details, visit go.illinois.edu/pumpkinsmash.

To find another location near you, visit scarce.org/pumpkins

Made possible in partnership with University of Illinois Extension: Cook County, SCARCE, Plant Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, LRS, and Chicago Mayor's Office.

10/28/2021

Do you use peat moss? Consider these options instead:

A controversy in some gardening communities revolves around the use of peat moss. Peat bogs – the source of peat moss – take thousands of years to form yet some peat is mined at a rate about 200 times faster than it can accumulate. These peat bogs are an essential part of the world’s wetlands ecosystems and further store mass quantities of carbon – more than is stored in all of the forests on Earth. The peat mining process releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; carbon dioxide is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect that causes climate change. In Britain, using peat has become taboo—the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has all but eliminated peat use at its five famous gardens. The RHS has recommendations for using peat-free mixes and making your own at https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=441. On this side of the Atlantic, most peat comes from wetlands in Canada and harvested bogs are being allowed to recover. If you want to err on the side of sustainability, has some advice on making your own potting or seed-starting mix without peat moss at https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/save-wetlands-use-soilless-potting-mixtures.

10/17/2021

Plan now for the pollinators! Join us for a free webinar on our Illinois Native Pollinators.

October 27, 2021 from 6:30 PM- 8 PM.

Registration is required for this free event: GO.ILLINOIS.EDU/NATIVEPOLLINATORS (Link in bio)

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Nejra Muminovic at [email protected] or call 224-347-1089.

10/15/2021

Can you notice the fall colors at

10/14/2021

Plan now for the pollinators! Join us for a free webinar on our Illinois Native Pollinators.

October 27, 2021 from 6:30 PM- 8 PM.

Registration is required for this free event: GO.ILLINOIS.EDU/NATIVEPOLLINATORS

10/14/2021

Join us for a free webinar to learn more about our Illinois native pollinators! Register online: Go.illinois.edu/nativepollinators

October 27, 2021 | 6:30 PM - 8 PM | Zoom | Free

Made possible with the partnership of University of Illinois Extension, Conservation@Home, and Forest Preserve District of Cook County

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Nejra Muminovic at [email protected] or call 224-347-1089.

10/11/2021

Planning on planting bulbs this fall? Join us for a free webinar tomorrow night: Bulbs Basics, Truths, and Myths | Tuesday, October 12, 2021 | 7-8 PM (CST).
Registration is required for this free zoom webinar: https://balibrary.librarycalendar.com/events/bulb-basics

Brought to you in partnership with the University of Illinois Extension, North Cook Master Gardener program, and the Area Library.

09/21/2021

If you're looking for something fun to do this Friday morning (Sept 24, 2021, at 9:30 AM-11 AM) please check out the Barrington Area Library Teaching Garden Fall Clean-up!

Help us put the garden to bed! Registration is required for this free event: https://balibrary.librarycalendar.com/events/fall-clean-workday

Barrington Area Library