Customers get first dibs on their favorite native plants at special event
(March 29, 2022) — Gardeners can get a head start on buying native plants at an exclusive ticketed in-person Native Plant Presale 4 to 7 p.m. May 12 at Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St. in Oak Brook.
Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. on April 11 and can be purchased online at dupageforest.org/native-plant-sale. Tickets are $15, and ticketholders will receive a one-hour time slot to shop and get gardening advice from District plant experts. Only 300 tickets will be sold, and all proceeds from presale ticket sales will support the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, which is hosting the event.
Tickets are not required for the regular two-day Native Plant Sale, which runs 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Friday, May 13, and 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, at Mayslake Peabody Estate.
Plants and merchandise can be purchased using cash, check, or credit card, and shoppers are encouraged to bring their own boxes or containers to transport plants home, and plastic to line their trunks.
This year’s sale will feature 13 new plant species. A list of native flowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs that may be available are posted at dupageforest.org/native-plant-sale. Actual plant availability is based on what the supplier delivers the week of the sale. The Native Plant Sale page also includes other details about the sale and links to helpful blogs on native plants and gardening.
Gardeners can get free wood chips for their gardens on Saturday, May 14 and 21 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Forest Preserve District’s native plant nursery at Blackwell Forest Preserve, 29W220 Mack Road in West Chicago. Homeowners can bring vehicles no larger than a pickup truck to take mulch; contractors are not allowed. A District employee will be on hand with a tractor to help fill trailers or truck beds. People who want smaller amounts should bring their own hand tools and containers.
All plants at the sale originate from seed collected within 100 miles of DuPage County and are not treated with insecticides containing neonictinoids, which are harmful to bees and other pollinators. Gardeners who landscape with native plants help wildlife by provide additional habitat for them.
“The Native Plant Sale is intended to raise public awareness, spark interest and deepen knowledge about the many benefits of gardening with native plants — from healthy habitat for wildlife and people to resource conservation and climate benefits to simple beauty,” said Anamari Dorgan, District director of Community Engagement Services.
All proceeds from the sale go to support educational programming at the Forest Preserve District.
Gardeners can learn about landscaping with native plants and attracting pollinators at several Forest Preserve District programs.
Native Landscaping: Challenges Q&A
Discuss common challenges faced in native gardening and find answers to questions that have arisen from your personal native-landscaping experiences. Ages 18 and up. $10 per person. Register online or at 630-933-7248.
| April 7 | 6:30 – 8 p.m. | Online |
Native Landscaping: Creating Your Garden Design
Share drawings or photos of your yard in advance, and then get customized one-on-one advice at a one-hour meeting with a plant expert who will help you select native plants to match your goals and growing conditions. Ages 18 and up. Online $30 per meeting; in-person, $20. Register online or at 630-933-7248.
| April 5, 12, 19 & 26 | 3 – 4 p.m. & 6 – 7 p.m. | Online |
| April 10 | 1, 2 & 3 p.m. | Fullersburg Woods |
| April 21 | 5, 6 & 7 p.m. | St. James Farm |
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has been connecting people to nature for more than 100 years. More than 6.2 million people visit its 60 forest preserves, 166 miles of trails, six education centers and scores of programs each year. For information, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the District’s e-newsletter, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok pages.
# # #