Chicago Gardeners: Mark Your Calendars!
Wild Ones is an organization that advocates for inclusion of native plants in American landscapes. It is not to be confused with the 1953 movie, The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando. Though few people know that Brando was an avid native plant gardener. UPDATE: Just kidding about that, I need to be more obvious when I make stuff up.
Anyway, the North Park Village Chapter of The Wild Ones is organizing their third “triennial” Garden Bus Tour, which will take place on August 1st. Participants will travel together by coach, visiting five private and four public gardens on the North Side of Chicago and near north suburbs.
One of the private gardens on the tour is my own. Actually, I’ve been included in all three of these tours, and it’s been a lot of fun.
The coach will leave from the North Park Village Nature Center (5801 N. Pulaski) at 9 am, where there will also be a picnic lunch (bring your own). The coach will return again to the Nature Center at 4:30 pm.
Tickets are a mere pittance at $10. To order, send a check to Rick McCallister, 6947 N. Oriole, Chicago, IL 60631, or email northparkwildones@gmail.com.
Hope to see you on August 1st!
For more information, go to the NPV Chapter website.
gardeninacity 
I didn’t know that about Brando!! How cool is that! I look forward to meeting you and seeing your garden this summer Jason! My garden pal sue and I will be attending! Have a great week! Nicole
Very excited to get to meet you in person! I was kidding about Brando, by the way. If you read something that sounds kind of unlikely on this blog, I probably made it up.
How very, very cool to show off your wonderful garden! I bet it gets a lot of great comments – fingers crossed for good weather on the day
Thanks. As I recall it was VERY hot when they did the last one.
I hope you will have a great day with lots of visitors in your beautiful garden.
Thank you, Gitte!
Wow; that’s some coach for a $10 ticket!
I know, isn’t it?
What a fun day with a bunch of like minded gardeners AND they get to see your gardens. Now, that sounds like a fun learning experience. 🙂
Yes, I’m looking forward to it.
Ohhh!… How I wish this was closer to my neck of the woods in NH! Sounds like such a fun, learning event. I hope you get lots of visitors and can’t wait to see pictures!!!!
We will certainly take lots of pictures, you can count on that.
I think it would be more appropriate if this bunch traveled by motorcycle. 😉
The only time I rode a motorcycle I didn’t like it because bugs kept getting in my mouth.
Sounds like fun. Wish I didn’t live a 5hr drive from there.
Me too! Are you in Indiana?
I like it! I hope you’ll have lots of photos of your native plants gardens after the tour.
I certainly intend to.
If I lived in the area, then I’d sign up quick as a wink. Looking forward to pictures.
Too bad you’re not closer by.
Wow. That sounds fun.
Oh, what fun! We have a chapter of Wild Ones here in Lexington, KY and they have a tour of certified monarch waystations on July 11, also at a cost of $10. That is a real bargain. Good for you for opening your garden for the third time for a worthy cause.
That sounds like a great tour. Are you going?
I didn’t know that about Brando either! Sounds like a great event.
I was kidding about Brando, I really have no idea if he was a gardener. Though it could be true.
Oh gosh….how exciting! But also a lot of pressure to have everything looking pristine! Good luck with it, I’ll look forward to hearing and seeing more!xxx
For me, pristine is definitely a challenge!
You’ve got a while to whip everything into tip top shape!
That’s the challenge!
Sounds like a great day – and I’m really looking forward to seeing your pictures. What fun to share your garden with other people (in the life, rather than just blogging). I was thinking about trying to organise a gardening club to visit each other’s gardens here (there is NOTHING along those lines). Would be good to look at wildflower sites as well, I now think after reading your post. The wildflowers are wonderful in France – especially the orchids – although possibly less colourful than many of your natives in the States.
I wonder why the French do not join garden clubs as the English and Americans do. I have no idea what French wildflowers are like (except for poppies), though I have visited a few French gardens.
The French in our area don’t join garden clubs, Jason, because they don’t make gardens in the same way as you or I would. It’s hard to buy anything that’s not for fruit or veggie growing round here. The European flora is very rich – UK more impoverished. I love seeing the meadows/verges here.
I don’t know…maybe you should leave us with the challenge of sussing out the subtle jokes. Did you have The Wild Ones in stitches?
I wouldn’t say in stitches … one of them told me they liked the Marlon Brando picture. I grew up in a house where irony and sarcasm featured very prominently in everyday speech. As an adult I found that this way of talking sometimes complicated communication with those who were more straightforward.
Glad you had the update, I believed you that Brando liked native gardening. Great you are on their tour. They will enjoy all your native plants. Brush up on all the plant names and uses, those folks know their stuff. We had Wild Ones here, but not they lost the chapter. In-fighting….
I was thinking of doing a handout of all the native plants that were in bloom (also with the url of the blog).
Good idea. Garden visitors like info like that, maybe with a small photo of the garden too.
What fun, I wish I could come but it’ s rather a long way.
Sadly, it is.
Congrats on your garden being included on these tours….these folks will be able to see your wonderful natives growing beautifully….
Thanks. Hope the weather cooperates!
what a great idea! You sure must inspire for your garden is a beauty:-)
Thanks!
Wish I could make it, sounds like a very fun day. Plus I’d love to see your garden in person. Unfortunately I’m out of town that week. But, you have reminded me to look up my local chapter of this interesting group.
Well, if you’re ever in the northern suburbs, let me know and I’ll show you our garden.