REMINDER!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 16 2021

BATAVIA PLAIN DIRT GARDENERS MEETING VIA ZOOM

SHOW AND TELL!

Winter is here – almost. It’s the time of year to think back over the past year’s gardens and what we’ve learned. Then we can start dreaming and planning next year’s gardens!

Is there a favorite tool, gadget, or tip you found this past year? A tool or gadget you now know you could never do without? A long dormant rose bush that you coaxed into glorious bloom using a new technique? A tip for clearing an area for a new garden? November is SHOW AND TELL!

We want to hear from everyone who has a tip to tell – so we can all have an even better garden next year! Join us via ZOOM – link below

Topic: Plain Dirt Gardeners Time: Nov 16, 2021 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85976532277?pwd=ejZWSllyZlREbXlTUEJ0YWV4Y1lpdz09

Meeting ID: 859 7653 2277 Passcode: Plaindirt One tap mobile +13126266799,,85976532277#,,,,*436492386# US (Chicago) +19294362866,,85976532277#,,,,*436492386# US (New York)

Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 436 2866 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 859 7653 2277 Passcode: 436492386 Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kiREZe9Yd

Can’t wait to hear about all sorts of new tools and gardening tips!

If you have questions, e-mail us at BataviaPlainDirtGardeners@gmail.com

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 16 2021

BATAVIA PLAIN DIRT GARDENERS MEETING VIA ZOOM

SHOW AND TELL!

Winter is here – almost. It’s the time of year to think back over the past year’s gardens and what we’ve learned. Then we can start dreaming and planning next year’s gardens!

Is there a favorite tool, gadget, or tip you found this past year? A tool or gadget you now know you could never do without? A long dormant rose bush that you coaxed into glorious bloom using a new technique? A tip for clearing an area for a new garden? November is SHOW AND TELL!

We want to hear from everyone who has a tip to tell – so we can all have an even better garden next year! Join us via ZOOM – link below

Topic: Plain Dirt Gardeners

Time: Nov 16, 2021 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting by clicking on the link below, or copy and paste to your computer

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85976532277?pwd=ejZWSllyZlREbXlTUEJ0YWV4Y1lpdz09

Meeting ID: 859 7653 2277 Passcode: Plaindirt One tap mobile +13126266799,,85976532277#,,,,*436492386# US (Chicago) +19294362866,,85976532277#,,,,*436492386# US (New York)

Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 436 2866 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 859 7653 2277

Passcode: 436492386

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kiREZe9Yd

Can’t wait to hear about all sorts of new tools and gardening tips!

If you have questions, e-mail us at BataviaPlainDirtGardeners@gmail.com

REMINDER! October 19 Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners IN PERSON meeting!

Fall is here, and the pumpkins will soon be covered with frost! Before that happens, please join the Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners on Tuesday evening, October 19 for comradery, refreshments, and a creative activity.

We will be making a Pumpkin Planter to be used as an indoor or outdoor centerpiece. We will provide the pumpkin, soil, sedum, and embellishments. If you have sedum or embellishments that you would like to share with others, please bring them! Also please bring your own pumpkin cutting utensil. Either a sharp knife, or a pumpkin cutting tool for jack-o-lanterns. We are looking forward to seeing everyone!

Per the current State of Illinois requirements, we ask that you please wear a mask while inside.

Date: Tuesday, October 19

Time: 6:45 p.m. refreshments

7 pm short business meeting followed by activity

PLEASE NOTE LOCATION!

We will meet at

The Lodge at Laurelwood Park

800 N. River Street, Batavia

(You may remember it as the Batavia Boathouse) It is now part of the Park District, and should be a great gathering place! If you have any questions, please e-mail us at BataviaPlainDirtGardeners@gmail.com

October 19 Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners IN PERSON meeting!

Fall is here, and the pumpkins will soon be covered with frost! Before that happens, please join the Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners on Tuesday evening, October 19 for comradery, refreshments, and a creative activity.

We will be making a Pumpkin Planter to be used as an indoor or outdoor centerpiece. We will provide the pumpkin, soil, sedum, and embellishments. If you have sedum or embellishments that you would like to share with others, please bring them! Also please bring your own pumpkin cutting utensil. Either a sharp knife, or a pumpkin cutting tool for jack-o-lanterns. We are looking forward to seeing everyone!

Per the current State of Illinois requirements, we ask that you please wear a mask while inside.

Date: Tuesday, October 19

Time: 6:45 p.m. refreshments

7 pm short business meeting followed by activity

PLEASE NOTE LOCATION!

We will meet at

The Lodge at Laurelwood Park

800 N. River Street, Batavia

(You may remember it as the Batavia Boathouse) It is now part of the Park District, and should be a great gathering place!

If you have any questions, please e-mail us at BataviaPlainDirtGardeners@gmail.com

REMINDER! BPDG Meeting Tuesday 9/21/2021 at 6:15 at Peck Farm Park!

Welcome back! A Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners in person meeting will be held at Peck Farm Park on Tuesday September 21 at 6:15 pm. (Please note the time, which is earlier than our normal meeting time)

We will be touring the Butterfly House, following which we will have an important and informative business meeting in the 3-sided barn. We will be outside all evening, with shelter from wind and weather.

The Butterfly House has beautiful native and exotic non-native butterflies in its exhibit. Christina Shiel, Peck Farm Manager, has graciously offered to let us to tour that evening, after the normal closing of the house! We must wear masks while in the exhibit. Susan Jensen and Lorayne Hjersa will conduct the tour and talk about the operation of the exhibit.

Please meet outside the Butterfly House at 6:15 p.m.. It is located just off the southeast corner of the parking lot. Peck Farm Park is located at 4038 Kaneville Road, Geneva. Enter at the south parking lot, where the Museum and Butterfly House are located.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again!

For questions, please e-mail us at BataviaPlainDirtGardeners@gmail.com

Photo: Blue Morpho Butterfly (SCAP)

Hi Gardeners,

Thank you so much to Kay, Dida, Terri, Mary, Carol and Melissa for your help cleaning up weeds, big branches and clipped plants! Things are looking pretty tidy at the Wildflower Sanctuary, so our upcoming work days will not be until October 8 and 23.

The plant of the week is Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii). See if you can find them blooming near the dam.

FYI: There is one more plant sale this fall if any of you are interested in buying trees or shrubs. The Conservation Foundation’s Native Tree and Shrub Sale is open for online ordering Monday, September 20th to Friday, October 15th. Order pick-up is on Saturday, October 23rd from 8:30-11:00 am at the McDonald Farm in Naperville, IL.

Look out for the order link at www.theconservationfoundation.org

Have a good weekend!

Sarah

Welcome back! A Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners in person meeting will be held at Peck Farm Park on Tuesday September 21 at 6:15 pm. (Please note the time, which is earlier than our normal meeting time)

We will be touring the Butterfly House, following which we will have an important and informative business meeting in the 3-sided barn. We will be outside all evening, with shelter from wind and weather.

The Butterfly House has beautiful native and exotic non-native butterflies in its exhibit. Christina Shiel, Peck Farm Manager, has graciously offered to let us to tour that evening, after the normal closing of the house! We must wear masks while in the exhibit. Susan Jensen and Lorayne Hjersa will conduct the tour and talk about the operation of the exhibit.

Please meet outside the Butterfly House at 6:15 p.m.. It is located just off the southeast corner of the parking lot. Peck Farm Park is located at 4038 Kaneville Road, Geneva. Enter at the south parking lot, where the Museum and Butterfly House are located.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again!

For questions, please e-mail us at BataviaPlainDirtGardeners@gmail.com

Photo: Blue Morpho Butterfly (SCAP)

Come Visit My Garden - Sunday Sept 19

 Linda Sonner invites you to visit her garden on Sunday, September 19, from 2 to 4 pm weather permitting (not in the rain).  Though she tells us her garden is still a work in progress, she says that sharing one’s garden with fellow gardeners is always delightful. Linda’s garden is at 1168 Pine in Batavia.

Hello Gardeners!

A big thank you goes out to Carol and Terri for their help at the last work day! They even kept working after I had to leave.

Yes! We will be having a work day starting at 8:00 on Saturday, September 11. We will have a few Liatris plants to plant in the little prairie, and then we will be moving over to the east (wooded) side to do some clean up. We need to move some big branches and clip off some perennials. The good news is that the Park District got all of the weeds in the cracks of the sidewalk, so we do not have to worry about them for a while. Please bring drinking water, gloves, eye protection, clippers, loppers, trowels and something to haul clippings if you have them.

Please save the dates of Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 23. We will take a little break before then, and then do some fall clean-up on those dates starting at 9:00. (We will start a little later than during the summer since the sun will be sleeping in.)

Hope to see you Saturday!

Sarah

Full disclosure: I took this photo at the Arboretum, not the WFS

What fun! Gardeners, we’re all invited!

Farm Stroll 2021 Offers Tours of 12 Small Family-Owned Farms

Woodstock, Ill. – Come out for a day in the country! On Sunday, Sept. 26, McHenry County will host its annual Farm Stroll, a self-guided tour of the county’s diversified family farms. A total of 12 farms will be part of this educational agriculture-centric tour. Fruit and vegetable growers, dairy cows, beef cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, horses, honey bees, perennial plants and more will be featured within these 12 farms.

Because this is a family-friendly, free, self-guided tour, there is no beginning or end of the tour—just choose the farms that interest you and visit during the designated time.

The Farm Stroll is organized by the McHenry County Farm Bureau and University of Illinois Extension McHenry County Master Gardeners. Extension Master Gardener and 4-H volunteers will be onsite to assist farm families in accommodating guests and conducting demonstrations and tours.

There is no charge for the Farm Stroll, but most farms will be selling food, produce or other farm-related products. Bring cash to purchase items directly from the farmers.

Remember, these are working farms: dress appropriately and supervise children at all times. No pets, please. A few farms will have toilet facilities, but several do not.

Visit McHenry County Farm Bureau for more info at mchenrycfb.org or at facebook.com/McHenryCountyFarmBureau or call 815-338-1520. Also visit University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners at web.extension.illinois.edu/lm or facebook.com/McHenryCoMasterGardener.

Thank you so much to Lorayne! Today we gave the Cress Creek Garden Club a tour of the WFS. It was hot, but the gardeners from Naperville seemed to enjoy their visit. It definitely helped to divide the group in half so that everyone could see and hear, and Lorayne made that possible.

Yes, we will have a work day on Saturday starting at 8:00. We will start in the Little Prairie for just a short time getting some invasives that have popped up. Then we will head to the shade, and work on clearing paths on the east side. Please bring gardening gloves, eye protection, clippers, loppers, weed diggers and drinking water. Windmill City Fest doesn't really get going until noon, so hopefully parking will not be an issue.

Please save the date: Our next work day will be Saturday, September 11th. By then we will have some plants from the Wild Ones Sale that need to be planted.

Hope to see you then!

Sarah

This guy (or gal) entertained the Cress Creek Garden Club this am

Can you find the Cardinal Flowers at the WFS? The hummingbirds have.

The weather has been beautiful lately, so it is a great time to take a stroll through the Batavia Wildflower Sanctuary. See if you can find the cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis), great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica, photo #1) and obedient plants (Physostega virginiana, photo #2).

Thank you so much to Terri for your help on Friday! A lot of weeds met their match.

Fall is a great time to plant, and the Wild Ones of Greater Kane County is having one more native plant sale. Their trees, shrubs and perennials need to be preordered by August 18. See https://startinyouryard.com/ for details and to order. You can split an order with a friend if you don't want 8 plants of all the same kind.

Our next work day at the Wildflower Sanctuary will be on Saturday, August 28 starting at 8:00 am. Stay tuned for details when it gets closer, but if you would like to get extra credit and do some work on your own, we could really use some help pulling weeds between the cracks of the brick pavers and cutting back plants that are hanging over the sidewalk.

Thanks for your help!

Sarah

Hello Gardeners,

This is just a friendly reminder that we will be having a work day on Friday starting at 8:00. Please bring gardening gloves, eye protection, drinking water, clippers, loppers, weed diggers, and a bucket or tarp for toting the clippings and weeds.

The yellow flowers in the picture below are called golden glow or cutleaf coneflower or Rudbeckia laciniata. They are pretty, but need to be trimmed back so that people can get by on the Riverwalk. We also have some weeds to pull near the dam, and I am counting on the soil being nice and soft after this week's rain.

The second picture is of cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) that happily have started blooming along the west part of the boardwalk.

Hope to see you on Friday the 13th!

Sarah

Thank you, Nancy H., for finding and sharing this excellent info on Hosta Viruses – especially on Hosta Virus X. Gardeners, be aware that this virus can decimate your hostas, it needs to be addressed - agressively - as soon as you see it. Care must be taken so that it isn’t spread to other hostas.

https://www.delvalhosta.org/hvx?fbclid=IwAR1vhraIEf4M4mSXTEsGz7lxOxCPPPZkl8yK6xd7x_6VQ3onFUreQ7ezaW0

Dear Gardeners,

Thank you so much to Terri and Charlie for your help on July 24th! Lots of weeds met their demise that day.

This is a beautiful time of year to check out our Little Prairie, and the geese and red-winged blackbirds are no longer guarding their little ones, so come take a stroll at the Riverwalk!

Please save the dates for work days on August 13 and 28, starting at 8:00. I will send more details when they get closer. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying the summer!

Sarah

Hello Gardeners!

Please join us for a field trip on Monday, July 19th!

We will meet in the parking lot by the Batavia Riverwalk, just north of the police station at 9:30 am, and then carpool to Warrenville.

John and Barbara R. have a garden that we will be touring at 10:00. Their yard features beautiful sculptures, thousands of day lilies, 750 types of hosta, grafted trees and variegated bushes. John also sells plants, and has offered to give the Plain Dirt Gardeners a donation with part of the proceeds from any purchases.

After we leave their garden, we will be heading to Cantigny for lunch in the cafe. Admission to Cantigny is $5 per car, unless someone has a membership. When we are done with lunch, we can walk around and explore the new and improved gardens there.

We would love to have your company! Feel free to bring a friend, but please let me know if you would like to join us for all or part of the day. Let me know too, if you are willing to drive.

Hope to see you soon!

Sarah K.

RSVP and questions – BataviaPlainDirtGardeners@gmail.com

Thank you to Mary, Deb, Lindsay, and Jo for your help on Saturday! One of the highlights of the day was seeing a rabbit out for a walk in a stroller. Oh yes, and we got a bunch of trimming and weeding done too!

When you have a chance, take a stroll through the WFS. The Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum), Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) and Cup Plants (Silphium perfoliatum) are all starting to bloom, and the Button Bushes are buzzing with bumble bees.

We will be having a work day on Friday (July 9th) starting at 8:00. We will start in the Little Prairie and move to the shade when it gets warm. Please bring drinking water, gardening gloves, eye protection, clippers, weed diggers and something to haul clippings in. The person who finds my missing weed digger will get an extra treat! Please do not come if it is raining.

Save the date: our next work day will be Saturday, July 24th.

Hope to see you then!

Sarah

Thank you so much to Terri for braving the elements to help out on June 18th, and for being willing to water our new plants while I was out of town!

Yes! We will be having a work day on Saturday, July 3rd, starting at 8:00. We will be on the east (wooded) side weeding and clipping stuff back off of the paths, so we will be in the shade. There is also some purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) popping up here and there, so we need to get rid of it before it is done flowering! (see first photo)

If you are willing to join us on Saturday, please bring gardening gloves, drinking water, eye protection, clippers, loppers, and something to tote weeds in.

Hope to see you then!

Sarah Kimber

Native Plants Chair

Reminder! It looks like we will have a great night for a walk!

We have an exciting, informative "walk and talk" meeting planed for our Plain Dirt Gardeners on Tuesday, June 15. Mayor Schielke will host a walk around the Wild Flower Sanctuary and tell us about the history of the area. 

Please meet at 6:30 just outside the council chambers entrance to City Hall. We are hoping for a beautiful evening. 

Thank you so much to Mary, Carol and Terri for braving the heat and gnats to clean up a lot of weeds on Saturday. Thanks too, to Jo for donating the fun lead plants (Amorpha canescens). Hopefully they will be glorious next year.

Unfortunately we have weeds and shrubs encroaching on the Riverwalk on the east (wooded) side of the WFS, so we are going to have an extra bonus clean-up day starting at 8:00 am on Monday, June 14 as well as the previously scheduled one on Friday, June 18. Luckily we will be in the shade! Please bring water, eye protection, weed diggers, clippers, loppers and something to tote the weeds in.

If you would like to help out on your own, we really need to have Crown vetch (Securigera varia) removed from the little prairie, where it is taking over. See photo below. The second picture is a quiz. See if you can find those yellow flowers at the WFS. If you do, their species will be obvious. Hint: they are at eye level.

Hope to see you next week!

Sarah Kimber

Email System is Changing......Sign Up Now

 Bad News:  Our Blogsite is dropping the automated email system we have been using.  We cannot get into it to get your email addresses and move them to the new provider.

Good News:  You can now go to our blogsite and join our NEW system.  When you go the the blogsite you will be prompted to enter your name, email and birth month and day (but not year!).  Enter the information and you will be in our new system.  If you do not want us to know your birthday, just enter any old date as we are not collecting this information (it is just included with MailChimp, our new provider).  

Do it Yourself at our blogspot:   Bpdgclub.blogspot.com

Just in Case:  Troubles dealing with this: contact us by email and we will add you ourselves. Email us at BataviaPlainDirtGardeners@gmail.com

Looking for a Garden Walk Coordinator

 We need someone to coordinate the 2022 Garden Walk.  We have a committee of experienced people who helped with the last gardens walk and are willing to help with all the activities.  We ready have gardens identified to visit this summer.  We need someone to coordinate the committee and connect with the gardeners on the walk.  

If you are interested, or even if you just want to learn more and decide not to do it, please call me and let’s talk.  This is a fun fund raiser for the club that brings people together and provides gardening joy to those in our community.  

We have simplified the activities of the day of the garden walk, have local ticket sites, and have even automated the ticket sales to make this a fun event.  If you like people and like bringing people together, it is easy to be successful with this project. 

Please give me a call!  Diana Sharp (630) 879-7578

Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners’ June 15 “Walk and Talk”

We have an exciting, informative "walk and talk" meeting planed for our Plain Dirt Gardeners on Tuesday, June 15. Mayor Schielke will host a walk around the Wild Flower Sanctuary and tell us about the history of the area. 

Please meet at 6:30 just outside the council chambers entrance to City Hall. We are hoping for a beautiful evening. 

Good Morning, Gardeners! This is just a friendly reminder that we will be having a work day at the WFS on Saturday am starting at 8:00. Due to the heat and the weeds, we will start in the little prairie and then move over to the woods on the east side of the Riverwalk when it gets hot.

Please bring weed diggers, WATER, gloves, eye protection, clippers and a bucket or something to haul weeds.

Hope to see you then!

Sarah

Thank you SO much to Diana, Terri, Lorayne and Melissa for doing WFS tours for the public on Saturday. The walks seemed like a success, and we even had some publicity from Misty and Aimee of the Batavia Library.

Our June work days will be Saturday, June 5th and Friday, June 18th starting at 8:00. If 8:00 is too early for you, 9:00 is fine! On the 5th, we will be on the wooded (east) side to go after weeds (especially in the sidewalk cracks) and do some trimming. Please bring drinking water and eye protection, and if you have them, gardening gloves, weed digger, clippers, loppers, a kneeling pad and a bucket or tarp for hauling the weeds in.

In the meantime, I hope you have a fun and relaxing Memorial Day weekend,

Sarah Kimber

Native Plants Chair

Thank you to Terri and Mary for braving the rain and helping out on Saturday! A lot of weeds were pulled, trash picked up, plants planted, bushes trimmed and sand filled into cracks. Fortunately none of us is sweet enough to melt in the rain.

Thanks too, to Kay and Dida for all of the planting that you have done. Looking good! I am sure the plants appreciated the rain last night.

And a huge thank you to an anonymous financial donor! We now have a pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) and a witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) on the wooded side and crested iris (Iris cristata) and hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) by the boardwalk. See if you can find them next time you take a stroll through the WFS.

On Saturday, May 22, we will be offering wildflower walks for the public at 9:00 and 1:00. They start at the Peg Bond Center, last about 1 hour, and people can come to either one. If you are willing to help out with the 9:00 one, please meet by the little prairie at 8:15. If you just want to do the 1:00 walk, then meet us by the little prairie at 12:15. We will need to arrive early to see what is blooming and plan the walks.

The photo this week is from the plaza by City Hall. You will have to check that out too, especially the planters and kaleidoscope!

Sarah Kimber

Native Plants Chair

CANCELING TONIGHTS MEETING

 Rain is wonderful, but not wonderful for a tour of the Wildflower Sanctuary with the mayor.  We are going to cancel the tour tonight and try for next month!  The good thing is that we are getting a nice rain and the plants will be flourishing thanks to these raindrops.  Stay dry, dear gardening friends.  Keep your eyes open for more announcements about next weekend’s tours (Saturday at 9 and at 1) of the Wildflower Sanctuary and next month’s meeting.  

Also - We are thankful for the donations of plants, your time, and your help with so many things along the way that made the plant sale a success.  The proceeds of over $5,000 will help with covering costs for plants and other needs at the Wildflower Sanctuary and the horticulture scholarship in the year ahead.  

REMINDER! Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners meeting

Tuesday May 18, 2021

We have an exciting, informative "walk and talk" meeting planed for our Plain Dirt Gardeners on Tuesday, May 18. Mayor Schielke will host a walk around the Wild Flower Sanctuary and tell us about the history of the area.

Please meet at 6:30 just outside the council chambers entrance to City Hall. We are hoping for a beautiful evening, however the rain date is June 15.

Thank you to Deb and Lindsay for putting in the new cobblestone path! It looks great, and we will fill in the gaps with quartz sand this weekend.

Speaking of the weekend, this is a friendly reminder that we will be having a clean-up day at the WFS on Saturday, May 15th starting at 9:00 am. I would like to get things looking tidy for the public wildflower walks on May 22nd, so we will be dead-heading in the savannah area by the boardwalk, weeding cracks in the pavers, and weed wrenching some invasive shrubs. Please bring drinking water, and if you have them, gardening gloves, weed diggers, clippers, loppers and something to haul the clippings in (a tarp or bucket)

The public wildflower walks will be at 9:00m and 1:00 on May 22nd. If you are willing to help out with them, we will be meeting by the little prairie at 8:15 to get ready and see what is blooming where.

Here are some fun things that are blooming now:

Paw paw (Asimina triloba)

Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)

Thanks for your help!

Sarah

Plant Sale - THANK YOU!!!

Thank you to everyone who supported our 2021 Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners plant sale! To all our members (and non-members) who donated plants and volunteered time to help with set-up and sale, you are awesome. We couldn’t have done it without you. A huge thank you to Linda and Nancy for hosting our plant sale in your front yards. And THANK YOU to all our customers! We were so excited to see you and really appreciate your support. Happy planting, and we look forward to seeing you at our 2022 plant sale next May!

Doris Trout, Plant Sale Chairperson

Hi Gardeners!

Welcome to our newest volunteer and favorite IMSA student, Oliver, and thank you so much to Mary, Terri, Melissa and Oliver for all of your hard work at the WFS last Friday. Thanks too, to Kay, Dida and Jo for the beautification you have done between work days.

The Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners will be having a plant sale this week, so the next WFS work day will be on Saturday, May 15, starting at 9:00. Then on Saturday, May 22, we will be having tours of the WFS for the public at 9:00 and 1:00.

If you are interested in shopping at the plant sale, it will be from 9:00 to 12:00 on Saturday, May 8 at 1168 Pine St. (east side of Batavia) and 415 Maple Lane (west side).

The photos below are of our newest residents, and our newest tree. The tree is a swamp white oak in the savannah area surrounded by the boardwalk. It is from the Millions Trees Project of Living Lands and Waters. If you would like one for your yard, there are still some available at the Red Oak Nature Center south of town on Route 25.

Check out the latest Neighbors of Batavia Magazine for more WFS photos!

Sarah

Batavia Plain Dirt Gardener’s Big Plant Sale this Saturday

 Saturday, May 8, 2021 is our Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners Plant Sale, and we are so excited to have TWO locations this year for our customers. Both locations are open for business from 9:00AM until noon. The locations are:

East side of Batavia: 1168 Pine Street, Batavia IL
West side of Batavia: 415 Maple Lane, Batavia IL

The selection of plants at both locations looks GREAT! When you come to the plant sale, you may wish to bring a container (box or cart or clothes basket) so you can collect plants as you are browsing and selecting plants for your yard.  

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday and thank you for your support of Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners!

This just in! from the City of Batavia’s April 23 Newsletter. I encourage all of our Plain Dirt Gardeners, and their friends, to complete the survey!(Note: you may need to copy and paste the links into a new window)

Fox River Corridor Survey and Plan

In partnership with the City of Batavia, the Batavia Park District has launched a comprehensive planning process for the Batavia Fox River Corridor that is intended to enhance recreational function, river ecology, cultural importance, and stewardship of Batavia’s most valuable natural resources for future generations. The Park District has engaged a consultant team of planning, design, and engineering professionals led by Hitchcock Design Group (HDG), to develop a compelling vision for a 2-mile section of the Fox River from Fabyan Parkway to Carlisle Road, giving special attention to evaluating the function, safety, and use of the Batavia Dam and Depot Pond.

Residents and valued community partners are always a priority when determining the future of the City of Batavia. We are looking for your survey feedback so that we can best plan what changes you would like to see implemented in this ongoing project.

If you would like to learn more about the Batavia Fox River Corridor Planning process, you can view the April 20 Committee of the Whole joint board meeting to observe discussion and a presentation with the Hitchcock Design Group, the Batavia Park District, and the City of Batavia found on the Batavia Access Television YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LflVIEn9x0Q

For more information on the process with the Hitchcock Design Group:

https://www.hitchcockdesigngroup.com/batavia-fox-river-corridor/?fbclid=IwAR1nPFW41UTq83EgRP_HIGFXe5Ox0rSV769cNYNFEgTtOv291JMlJ-vD900

Take the Fox River Corridor Survey:

https://www.hitchcockdesigngroup.com/batavia-fox-river-corridor/survey/?fbclid=IwAR2BzHd7T19Priy6EVCwSxNVmOOC_LeU5ipKbfXcw5vI7Y-Tci8sr6o6wZA

Tables, Wagons and Volunteers Needed

 Tables, Wagons, and More Volunteers

Our Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners Plant Sale date (May 8, 2021) is fast approaching! Ten days and counting until we are selling all of the beautiful plants that you have donated to the plant sale. Let us know if you need help digging and potting, or if you need more pots for your plants.  

Keep those plant donations happy! We appreciate your generosity in sharing your beautiful plants and are eager to have our customers come to select plants for their own yards. As we get closer to the sale date, check your plants to be sure they have been potted with enough soil and are watered and staying healthy. Take some time to trim away any “straggling” debris, such as exposed root hairs or dried leaves. And please be sure to include an identification stick with each plant.

Tables and wagons are still needed at both locations of the plant sale. If you have either or both, please contact Doris. And if you have not gotten around to volunteering to help with set up or the sale, now is the time to let Doris know. Contact her as soon as possible at olgctrout@gmail.comor call (630) 482-2572. Thanks!!!

 

Hello Gardeners!

The calendar says spring, but we are having a little taste of summer this week. I hope you are able to get out and enjoy it at least a little bit.

Thank you to George and Fister Quarries for donating a truckload of quartz sand for use on our paths, and thank you to Mary and her truck for helping me haul it all to the WFS.

Thanks too, to Terri, Deb, Lindsay and Mary for all of your hard work last Friday, and to Kay, Dida and Jo for all of your work in between clean-up days. Please let me know if I left anyone out!

Our next work day will be on Friday, April 30 starting at 9:00. We will be moving over to the savannah area that is surrounded by the boardwalk to do some weeding and dead-heading. If you have them, please bring gardening gloves, clippers, weed diggers, drinking water, eye protection, and something to haul clippings in. If you cannot make it on Friday, but would like to help, we could use some dead-heading in the little prairie.

The photos below are of Deb and Lindsay putting in a new stepping stone path and the latest flower to open up at the WFS: woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata). Take a stroll along the Riverwalk to see if you can find them (both the path and the phlox).

Hope to see you Friday!

Sarah

Help Needed for the Plant Sale

Thanks to those who have already let Doris know you can help with the plant sale.  We need additional volunteers and Doris needs to know which house you would like to work at so she can be sure we have the coverage needed.  

The dates are set-up (Friday, May 7 afternoon) and the plant sale (Saturday, May 8 8:30 to noon) at both locations.  

If you have not already done so, please send Doris an email or give her a phone call. 

Doris phone: (630) 482-2572 and email: olgctrout@gmail.com

Thank you so much to Terri, Mary, Robbin, Deb, Jo, Amy and Wally for all of your hard work yesterday! The woods and sidewalk are looking a lot better.

I also want to Welcome Amy and Wally! We are glad you have joined our project, and appreciate some youthful energy.

Our battle against fig buttercups continues, and it sounds like we need to start earlier next year. Click here for more info: https://www.lfwa.org/updates/tips-controlling-lesser-celandine?rq=lesser%20celandine

We are expecting! See below for a photo of mama. They have chosen the perfect location for a nest because it is outside of the boardwalk railing near the gazebo, babies and passers-by will both be safe that way. The next photo is of False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum). This one is at the WFS, but there are some beautiful clumps of it along the Fox River Trail west of the river and south of Batavia. You can tell it from Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) because Rue Anemone has 6 petals and the leaves are single and shaped like a duck's foot. False Rue Anemone has 5 petals and compound leaves. Full disclosure: that is a photo from the internet. I don't know of any Rue Anemone blooming around here.

Our next work day will be Friday, April 23 starting at 9:00. We will be spreading quartz sand between the rocks on the stepping stone paths, pulling fig buttercups and dead-heading near the dam and in the savannah surrounded by the boardwalk. If you have them, please bring gardening gloves, drinking water, eye protection, weed diggers, clippers, a bucket for toting and/or a broom. We will still need masks when close together, but not when spread out to work.

Hope to see you then!

Sarah Kimber

Wildflower Sanctuary Work Day Saturday!

 Hi All,

This is just a friendly reminder that we will be having a clean-up day on Saturday (April 17) starting at 9:00 am.  We will be meeting on the wooded (east) side of the Riverwalk to dead-head last year's perennials and pull fig buttercups/lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)  Fun fact: the "fig" in fig buttercup refers to the shape of the roots.   

If you have them, please bring gardening gloves, clippers, weed diggers, drinking water, eye protection, kneeling pad and a bucket to tote weeds and/or clippings. We will wear masks when close together, but can take them off when we are spread out to work.

Also,

We will be hosting walks through the WFS for the general public on May 22 at 9:00 and 1:00. Please let me know if you would be willing to help.

Thanks so much!

Sarah   

Plant Sale Volunteers Needed and Sticks for your pots!

 April 15, 2021

 

We are just three weeks away from our May 8, 2021 plant sale! Hopefully, you have had a chance to look around your yard and are finding some plants that you can donate to the sale. 

If you are ready to use some identification sticks for your plant donations, let me know. Thanks to Bonnie and Jim, I have some sticks ready for your use now. 

We are in need of more volunteers to help with set-up (Friday, May 7) and the plant sale (Saturday, May 8) at both locations. Many thanks to all who have already let me know you can help. If you are available to help and have not already contacted me, please send an email or give me a phone call me. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you! 

Doris phone: (630) 482-2572 and email: olgctrout@gmail.com

Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners April 20 Meeting

 Join us for the 6:45 April 20 BPDG meeting on Zoom.  We will have a short business meeting to discuss final plans for the plant sale (coming May 7 set up and May 8 sales at Linda’s and Nancy’s), get a quick update on the Garden Walk planning, and enjoy a presentation by Linda Sonner and Lorayne Hrejsa.  Their presentation will focus on the effects of climate change that are evident worldwide, including in our gardens.  The reality of climate change will be explained as well as what we as gardeners can do to address the challenge and lessen our carbon footprint with good gardening practices.

Time: Apr 20, 2021 06:45 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting using this internet link any time after 6:30 pm on 4/20/21.  Meeting starts at 6:45 pm.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84207529730?pwd=MDZIRGczeFc3L0VsRFB4aitGazNyUT09

If prompted, here is the meeting ID and password:
Meeting ID: 842 0752 9730
Passcode: 474701

Or, if you do not want to join by computer, you can listen to the meeting by phone

       +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

If prompted, here is the meeting ID and password:
Meeting ID: 842 0752 9730
Passcode: 474701

  

For more information contact Diana Sharp (630) 879-7578

Sent from my iPad

Wildflower Sanctuary Update - April 10 Clean-Up Day Planned

 Hello Gardeners!

Our weather has been gorgeous lately, so take a stroll around the Riverwalk and see if you can find Cutleaf Toothwort (Dentaria laciniata), Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) and Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria).

Thank you so much to Nancy and Terri for all of your help last week! 

Our next clean-up day will be on Saturday, April 10th starting at 9:00 am. We will be meeting on the east (wooded) side to work on dead-heading and pulling weeds, especially fig buttercups/lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria).  If you have them, bring gardening gloves, clippers, weed diggers, knee pads, eye protection and something to haul the clippings in.  Please do not come if it is raining.

Hope to see you then!

Plant Sale Information and Call for Volunteers

 Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners, we are getting ready for our 2021 Plant Sale, to be held in two locations, one on the east side of Batavia, and one on the west side of Batavia. Our plant sale will be on Saturday, May 8 from 9:00 AM - noon, and set up will be on Friday, May 7.  Please let Doris know when you are available to help and at which location you will be helping. Give her a call at (630) 482-2572 or send an email to olgctrout@gmail.com

Our two locations are: 

East Side: 1168 Pine Street, Batavia — Linda Sonner’s home

West Side: 415 Maple Lane, Batavia - Nancy Hollmeier’s home

Of course, we are hoping you have some plants to donate to our sale. Now is the time to check your garden to see what you might be able to donate. As always, please pot your donations with enough soil and keep them watered so they are in good shape for the sale. Include plant identification sticks in your pots so our customers know what they are buying. 

Remember, we are looking for a variety of plants, so please limit donations to no more than 10 plants of any one variety. If you are in need of pots for your donations, several of our members have them available. You may contact Diana Sharp (630) 879-7578 for empty potsand she will let you know where you can get them.

A few more things about the plant sale…
Do you need help digging and potting your plants?
Do you need help getting your plants to the sale locations?
Do you have wagons that we can use to help our customers get their plants to their vehicles?
If your answer to any of these questions is YES, please contact Doris at (630) 482-2572 or send an email to olgctrout@gmail.com

We need your plants.....

 Have you noticed all the great things already popping up in your garden?  Will you have a few extras that need a new home?  It is time to start thinking about what you will donate to the Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners’ plant sale.  We are looking for donations of sun and shade perennials, ferns, hosta, iris, small shrubs and small trees, ground covers, bulbs, and especially native plants.  We look forward to your donations arriving on Friday, May 7 at one or both of the two houses where we are holding the sale and we hope you will volunteer to help with the sale on May 8.  Please mark your calendars and get your trowels ready.  If you need pots, contact Diana Sharp (630) 879-7578. 

Wildflower Sanctuary Update

 Thank you so much to everyone who helped out at the WFS on Saturday!  We dead-headed perennials, pulled weeds, picked up litter, and swept swept swept the boardwalk.  Also a huge thank you to the very generous anonymous donor who gave us money to buy plants this spring!

Take a stroll along the riverwalk this week to see the Daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) that are blooming along the Cut.  Yes, I know they are non-native, but they are pretty nonetheless. Common Blue Violets (Viola soria) are also blooming.  They are native and also the state flower for Illinois. You will also see Fig Buttercups (ficaria verna) blooming in the wooded area.  They are also known as Lesser Celandine, which is not the same as Celandine Poppies.  They are native to Europe and western Asia, and have become very invasive in the Midwest (and the WFS)! Yes, we are working to eradicate them.

Since we still have a lot of dead-heading and weeding to do before more of the spring ephemerals start to bloom, we will have work days on Saturdays, April 3 and April 10, starting at 9:00 am.  On April 3rd, we will meet near the dam and work our way south. If you have them, please bring gloves, drinking water, clippers, weed diggers, eye protection and something to haul clippings in.  

Unfortunately we will have to cancel the work day on Friday, April 9th, but if you would like to help out on your own sometime, we need dead-heading done in the part of the little prairie that is next to the Riverain parking lot.      

Finally, thank you to the Plain Dirt Gardners who did a beautiful job with spring planings in the kaleidoscope!

Happy Spring!

Sarah   

BATAVIA PLAIN DIRT GARDENERS ANNUAL PERENNIAL AND NATIVE PLANT SALE

Each Saturday before Mother’s Day, the Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners have held a perennial and native plant sale. We are known for offering native and perennial plants that are perfect for yards in the area, sold by gardeners who can advise others about their care. Funding supports the Batavia Wildflower Sanctuary and local horticultural scholarships.

Postponed last year due to COVID restrictions, we have had a year to get ready for the 2021 sale. We have moved outdoors at two locations to provide plenty of social distancing. We are asking everyone to wear masks while shopping!

Sale Date: Saturday, May 8, 2021

Time: 9 a.m. to noon

LOCATIONS:

East Side: 1168 Pine Street, Batavia

West Side: 415 Maple Lane, Batavia

Visit the one closest to your home or visit both! You might even spy some of the same plants you’re buying planted in the yards you visit.

Wildflower Sanctuary Fun in the Woods Day

This is just a friendly reminder that we will be having a work day at the Batavia Wildflower Sanctuary on Saturday (3/27) starting at 9:00.  I take that back.  Not a WORK day but a morning of getting together for fun in the woods.

We will be meeting on the wooded (east) side to work on deadheading the perennials before the spring flowers are out.  If you have them, please bring clippers, gloves, eye protection, water and something to haul the clippings in.  We will need masks for when we are close together, but can take them off if we are spread out.    

Hope to see you then!

Happy Spring!

Sarah

Rhubarb - March 16 6:45 pm Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners Meeting

Join the Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners Tuesday March 16 at 6:45 pm as our own Yvonne Richter talks about Raising Rhubarb and its many uses.  Discussion to follow.  We also will talk a bit more about the upcoming plant sale and potential garden walk.  See you on ZOOM using the following links:

Time: Mar 16, 2021  6:45 PM Central Time
Join Zoom Meeting 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83803119335?pwd=K3JUZE9iWGdEZmV5OEhPbVpNTGxxUT09 

Meeting ID: 838 0311 9335
Passcode: 318674

OR - by phone: 
Dial by your location
       +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

Meeting ID: 838 0311 9335
Passcode: 318674

Hello Gardeners,

Spring really is on the way! Snowdrops are booming and cranes have been flying overhead, so it is time to get back to the Wildflower Sanctuary. Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday's Zoom planning meeting. You've got me fired up and looking forward to playing in the dirt.

Please save the dates for work days starting at 9:00 on March 27, April 9, April 17, April 23, April 30, and May 15. I will have more details when they get closer, but we will start with deadheading in the woods on the east side so that we can be done before the spring ephemerals start to bloom.

Also, please help spread the word: we will be offering tours for the public on Saturday, May 22 at 9:00 and 1:00. All are welcome.

Sarah Kimber

Native Plants Chair