Chicago Community Gardeners Association

preSERVE Garden Volunteer Day - Weeknight Edition
2016-07-28 17:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | preSERVE Garden, 1231 S. Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Our second month of weeknight volunteer days in the garden is almost here. Can’t make it on the weekend? Join us on the evening of Thursday, July 28th to get your hands dirty in the garden. After the hard work is done, join us for a quick bite with your fellow gardeners!
What to bring : gardening glove and a hat (if you have them). Email slowfoodpreserve@gmail.com with questions and to RSVP. Hope to see you in the garden!

Green and Growing: A Speaker Series - Five Keys to Organic Success
2016-07-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Tuesday, July 26 at 7pm – From the Ground Up: Five keys to Organic Garden Success
Speaker: Jean Nolan, founder of The Organic Gardener Ltd and author of From the Group Up: A Food Grower’s Education in life, Love and the Movement That’s Changing a Nation.

CCGA Summer 2016 Perennial Distribution - Friday, July 22, 2016
2016-07-22 10:00 - 13:00 | New Horizons Community Garden, 401 S. Central Park, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
CCGA PERENNIAL PLANT DISTRIBUTION
COMING UP!
Our friends at Elite Growers will be providing the CCGA Resources Committee with perennials for distribution to community gardeners later this month.
FRIDAY, July 22, 2016
New Horizons Community Garden
401 S. Central Park
(southeast corner of Van Buren and Central Park)
Note: Parking is available on both Central Park and Van Buren
TO PRE-REGISTER –
Please email the following information to Mamie Gray (mamie@uic.edu):
NAME of community garden
ADDRESS of community garden
EMAIL of contact person for community garden
(Pre-registration is not complete without this information)
10:00 a.m CHECK-IN:
$5.00 Registration Fee, payable when you check on at the event.
No credit cards please. One group of perennials per community garden.
11:00 a.m DISTRIBUTION:
Until 1:00 p.m. or when all plants are gone.
Want to volunteer to help sort and distribute the perennials?
Email Ellen Newcomer at ecnewcomer334@gmail.com. We need volunteers for two hour shifts at 8:30 a.m. Let Ellen know your availability. THANKS!
See You There!

Container Herb Gardening Workshop
2016-07-21 18:00 - 19:00
Herbs are extremely useful and attractive when used in containers. A single herb can be grown in a container as a specimen plant or several herbs can be planted together to give the balcony or patio gardener a functional culinary herb garden. Join the Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and create your own container herb garden! This workshop is free, but registration is limited. Please contact communitygardens@chicagoparkdistrict.com to sign up!

Slow Food Chicago/Growing Power Urban Orchard Crop Mob
2016-07-16 13:00 - 16:00 | Growing Power’s South Chicago Farm, Corner of 89th Street and Mackinaw Avenue, Chicago, IL, United States
Come help Slow Food Chicago plant Growing Power’s urban orchard on Saturday, July 16th from 1-4pm.
We’ll be planting apple, pear and paw paw trees, as well as raspberry and rose bushes at Growing Power’s South Chicago Farm located at the corner of 89th Street and Mackinaw Avenue in Clara Schaffer Park.
Please bring a water bottle and wear closed-toe shoes to the farm for volunteering.

Iced Tea Social Saturday July 16th Noon to 5pm at Fulton Street Flower & Vegetable Garden
2016-07-16 12:00 - 17:00 | Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden, 4427 W. Fulton, Chicago, IL, United States
Hello CCGA’ers, here is another event that’s just too good to miss and is happening right in the City on Chicago’s West Side.
Stop by to support our fellow community gardeners and grab something to drink and eat fresh food right from our gardens on the West Side!
See the rest of post below for details…

preSERVE Garden Volunteer Day
2016-07-16 10:00 - 12:00 | preSERVE Garden, 1231 S. Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Join us for a weekend volunteer day this July at the preSERVE garden in North Lawndale (a partnership between Slow Food Chicago, the Chicago Honey Co-Op, the North Lawndale Greening Committee, and Neighborspace).
Gather with us in the garden to get your hands a little dirty and then reap the benefits of that sweat equity via a community meal with your fellow volunteers afterwards.
Please bring gardening gloves and a hat if you have them. Email slowfoodpreserve@gmail.com with questions and to RSVP. Hope to see you in the garden!

First Annual Uptown Garden Walk
2016-07-16
The beauty of Uptown’s gardens is reflective of its diverse and vibrant community members. The First Annual Uptown Garden Walk provides residents an opportunity to explore the various unique identities of the neighborhood. Garden Walk participants will explore gardens that both residents and organizations have come together to create and maintain throughout the years.
There will be three different themes to help give a full picture of some of the different types of gardens that exist. Join one of the Guided Tours at the times listed below, or Guide Yourself using the map, sunrise to sunset.
Sidewalk Gardens: Starts at 10am from Chase Park, (4701 N Ashland), and tours the Sheridan Park and Buena Park neighborhoods, showcasing reimagined public spaces like the Sunnyside Mall and Triangle Gardens – and other spaces you might not traditionally think of as ‘gardens’
Coastal Gardens: Starts at 1pm from Margate Park, (4921 N Marine), and tours Uptown’s original coastline, highlighting beautiful park and community gardens as well as restored native habitat along the lakefront.
Heritage Gardens: Starts at 7pm at Winthrop Family Historical Garden, (4630 N Winthrop), and tours Uptown’s central corridor and Sheridan Road, showing where Uptown’s powerful history meets our present through beautiful deep-roots community gardens.
All are welcome! RSVP is encouraged but not required for the guided tours.
Community members are also welcome to explore the gardens on self-guided tours. Maps listing the gardens and recommended routes will be available for pick up at each of the starting locations (listed above) throughout the day.

First Annual Uptown Garden Walk - Saturday, July 16, 2016
2016-07-16 | The Institute of Cultural Affairs in the U.S.A, 4750 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
The walk features 24 gardens across 3 themes. There will be 3 formal tours during the day, and residents can also pick up a map at any start location for a self-guided tour. The Sidewalk Tour starting at 10AM at Chase Park, 4701 N. Ashland, will showcase reimagined neighborhood spaces, such as Sunnyside Mall, as nontraditional gardens. The Coastal Tour starting at 1PM at Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine, will tour Uptown’s original coastline gardens and native habitats, such as the Marovitz Savanna. The Heritage Tour starting at 7PM at Winthrop Family Historical Garden, 4630 N. Winthrop, will tour gardens associated with Uptown history.
The garden walk is part of an effort to bring awareness to Uptown’s natural assets and original coastal zone. There is currently a lot of energy around revitalizing Uptown, and the natural resources are critical as a representation of the diverse community and organizations in Uptown.
The walking component also aims to highlight Uptown as a walkable neighborhood with many community resources within its borders, including local businesses, historic architecture, and nature along the routes.
The featured gardens are primarily publicly accessible gardens, such as parks, community, and school gardens. We hope that the garden walk will continue to expand and showcase the uniqueness of Uptown’s gardens and residents for years to come. All are welcome to attend the Garden Walk and are encouraged to RSVP.
The map & all the garden details are accessible on the ICA website. We also have a facebook page for easy social media sharing.

Garden to Go
2016-07-14 18:00
Kids (and parents) who grow their own vegetables are more likely to eat them. Join us for a cooking demonstration using freshly harvested produce from the garden that the whole family can enjoy! For more information, please contact communitygardens@chicagoparkdistrict.com.

18th Annual Bowmanville Garden Walk
2016-07-09 09:00 - 16:30 | GreenSpace, 5384 North Bowmanville, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
The18th Anniversary Bowmanville Garden Walk will be held on Saturday July 9, 2016. Rain or Shine, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Welcome table at Bowmanville & Bell on the BCO GreenSpace, $4.00 suggested donation.
This is one of Chicago’s best Garden Walk events!
Bowmanville residents welcome neighbors and visitors by showing their yards to display their gardens. The day offers you a friendly venue of hospitality and ways to learn more about gardening. Corner parkway gardens found at various intersections throughout Bowmanville are again a highlight, and at the Bowmanville & Bell welcome tent the UI Extension “Ask a Master Gardener” table is always a hit.
Go to the BCO website for more information: bcochicago.org
The Bowmanville Garden Walk features the neighborhood, its residential gardens and the three BCO community gardens
Also included will be the 10th Annual Garden Walk Amateur Photography Contest!
Every year the photo contest grows in popularity. At the photo exhibit, a garden photo is selected by visitors’ votes and the photographer wins a prize and the winning photo is used for the poster and event publicity for the next Garden Walk event.

Beekeeping 101
2016-07-07 18:00 - 19:00
Bees are some of the hardest working creatures on the planet. In this 2 hour workshop, join the Chicago Honey Co-op to learn what you will need to know before you make a decision to keep a beehive. We’ll cover beekeeping history, life and habits of honeybees, beekeeping equipment, Chicago beekeeping rules and best practices for managing a beehive. For more information, please contact communitygardens@chicagoparkdistrict.com.

Small Space Gardening Workshop
2016-06-30 18:00 - 19:00
In an urban setting like Chicago, many gardeners are limited in how much growing space they have to plant, and constantly seek creative ways to navigate this challenge. Join staff from the Chicago Botanic Garden for a workshop on small space gardening, and learn more about maximizing your gardening potential!

Pullman: 22nd Annual Garden Walk - A Garden Tour and Tea
2016-06-25 10:00 - 16:00 | Pullman National Monument Visitor Center, 11141 South Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60628, United States
The Historic Pullman Garden Club, with co-sponsors the Historic Pullman Foundation and Pullman State Historic Site, invite you back to the Victorian era of the 1880’s during the 22nd Annual Garden Walk – A Garden Tour and Tea, on Saturday June 25, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Victorians passed the summer days more leisurely than we do today and so can you, as you step back in time within this picturesque historic neighborhood. The event begins at the Pullman National Monument Visitor Center, 11141 South Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago IL 60628, where you will pick up a ticket brochure/map to begin your tour.
Tickets include a light Summer-themed Tea to be held on the veranda of the Hotel Florence. You can enjoy one of the guided walking tours of the historic district, or use the self-guided tour map and stroll at your own pace. The tour will wind through the row house lined blocks to visit the public gardens, including the Gateway Garden, a part of the NeighborSpace community garden network, select private gardens, plus our community food garden and urban gardens. Tea service will begin at 11 a.m.
Tickets for the event are $12 in advance by emailing historicpullmangardens@gmail.com or calling (773) 568-2441 until June 23rd or $15 on the day of the event.
The Pullman Historic District can be reached by taking the 111th Street exit west off of I-94 or via the Metra Electric Train Line, exiting on the 111th St/Pullman stop.

22nd Annual Pullman Garden Walk
2016-06-25 10:00 - 16:00 | Historic Pullman Visitor Center, 614 East 113th Street, Chicago, IL, 60628, United States
The Historic Pullman Garden Club hosts the 22nd Annual Garden Walk, on Saturday, June 25th, 2016 from 10am-4pm.

Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon
2016-06-25 07:30 - 17:30 | Daley Plaza, 50 W Washington St, Chicago, IL, 60602, United States
Imagine a Chicago where everyone is rooting for each other. That’s what Chicago Cares’ Serve-a-thon is all about. This June 25, 5,000 people will spend the day volunteering, meeting critical needs in every corner of the city. Along the way, we’ll meet new people. We’ll break down barriers. We’ll see what’s possible when we all roll up our sleeves and work hard together. Register now for Chicago’s largest single day of service!
A $10 fee covers everything you need for the day. We’ll organize all the details, and hook you up with supplies, a T-shirt, light breakfast, lunch, plus a party with food and beer (for those of us of drinking age) afterward. You just show up and make a huge impact.

All About Herbs Workshop
2016-06-23 18:00 - 19:00
There are many ways to define an herb. A gardener may wish to choose herb plants that have culinary value, aromatic value or medicinal value. And in addition to these traditional qualities, many herbs also offer a great deal of ornamental value to the garden as well. Join the Illinois Extension Master Gardeners to learn all about herbs!

Worm Bin Building Workshop
2016-06-16 18:00 - 19:00
Worm composting is an easy, efficient way to recycle food wastes into a fine, high-quality compost for your houseplants or garden. Join the Illinois Extension Master Gardener program and make your own take-home worm bin! This event is free, but registration is required. Please contact communitygardens@chicagoparkdistrict.com to reserve your spot.

Hideout Veggie Bingo
2016-06-15 17:30 - 20:00 | The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia, Chicago, IL, 60642, United States
NeighborSpace and The Hideout present Veggie Bingo! Every Wednesday evening from June 15th – August 31st. All proceeds benefit Chicago community gardens and gardening organizations:

Wednesday, June 15: Chicago Community Gardeners Association
Wednesday, June 22: El Paseo Community Garden
Wednesday, June 29: Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden
Wednesday, July 6: Fulton Street Flower and Vegetable Garden
Wednesday, July 13: Children’s Garden of Hope/Humboldt Park
Wednesday, July 20: The Oscar Meyer Magnet School Garden Project
Wednesday, July 27: Hermitage Street Community Garden
Wednesday, August 3: Bush Community Garden/Children’s Garden of Hope
Wednesday, August 10: North Lawndale Greening Committee
Wednesday, August 17: Jardincito Nature Play Garden
Wednesday, August 24: McKinley Library Park
Wednesday, August 31: South Merrill Community Garden

We’ll be bingo’ing away a cornucopia of prizes from the following Chicago stalwarts:

Big Shoulders Coffee
Dusty Groove Records
Improv Olympic Theater
Mana Food Bar
Music Box Theater
Olivia’s Market
Spinning J Bakery
…and more!

Games run 5:30-8 pm; kids are welcome as long as they’re with a responsible grownup. Bingo cards are $4 apiece or 3 for $10. Bring some food and have a fun night supporting Chicago community gardens!
Like us on Facebook for updates and more prize and garden info.

Learning Garden Leadership Awards Dinner
2016-06-14 17:30 - 20:00 | The Kitchen, 316 North Clark, Chicago, IL, 60654, United States
The Kitchen Community is a nonprofit organization that builds edible Learning Gardens in Chicago public schools. Learning Gardens serve as outdoor, experiential classrooms that expose kids to real, healthy food. To date, we have gardens in 115 schools across the city. On June 14th, we will be honoring 25 CPS teachers who are doing exemplary work using their Learning Garden as a tool for teaching. Please join us in celebrating their efforts!

Community Roots Demonstration & Community Garden Formal Opening - June 11th
2016-06-11 10:00 - 14:00 | Skinner Park, 1331 W Adams St., Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
The Community Roots Demonstration & Community Garden will formally open to the public on June 11 of this year with a full day of festivities to kick off the beginning of the programming season.
Located in Skinner Park on the Near West Side of Chicago, the garden will soon become home to a wide offering of classes and workshops, as well as opportunities for more passive and informal garden learning. Because this new space is being envisioned as a place for all of Chicago’s gardeners to gather, you’ll see many familiar faces from our green-thumbed community—Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois Extension Master Gardeners, Chicago Honey Co-op, Social Ecologies, and more. Don’t forget to bring the kids; there will be tons of fun activities for them too. —plus, there will be a LOT of kid-friendly activities. We envision this space as a home for all of Chicago’s Gardeners. Join in the festivities June 11, 10am-2pm.

Green and Growing: A Speaker Series - Fearless Food Gardening in Chicagoland
2016-06-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Tuesday, June 7 at 7pm – Fearless Food Gardening in Chicagoland
Speaker: LaManda Joy, founder of Peterson Garden Project as well as author of Start a Community Garden: The Essential Handbook

Green and Growing: A Speaker Series - Perennials, The Economizers of the Edible Landscape
2016-05-18 19:00 - 21:00
Wednesday, May 18 at 7pm – Perennials, The Economizers of the Edible Landscape
Speaker: Lisa Hilgenberg, horitculturalist for the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden

CCGA Coordinating Meeting Saturday May 14th at 11am
2016-05-14 11:00 - 13:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Please join us at 11am Saturday May 14th at the Chicago Center for Green Technology at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. The meeting agenda includes: CCGA Working Team reports on: Tasks for 2016 and Budget (income and expenses); Calendar for the year to include dates for coordinating meetings, plant distributions, workshops (see conference evaluation list) and the 2017 CCGA Annual Conference. We’ll meet on the 2nd floor, after the Vegetable Seedling Distribution. You’ll find parking behind the building.

Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse Plant Sale May 14th and 15th
2016-05-14 10:00 - 2016-05-15 14:00 | Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, 3501 N. Kilbourn, Chicago, IL, 60641, United States
Help us celebrate our 20th year! Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse will offer more than 150 varieties of organically-grown vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings. Customers can expect a wide variety of open-pollinated and heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Other highlights include an assortment of herbs, greens and onions. This year will feature many new plants selected for city gardening in small spaces and containers. These seedlings are grown with the support of a team of dedicated volunteers who make this Plant Sale possible. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about plant selection and planting. This yearly fundraiser supports the greenhouse and our work to connect kids to nature and healthy foods.
Also Available at the Plant Sale: Perennials and other plants donated by volunteers of the Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse, organic compost, and light snacks. In addition, a cookbook compiled by the Friends of Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse will be available for purchase. Look for the Friends of Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse tables just outside the main gate to the gardens.
Dates: May 14th and 15th (10am – 2pm)
Plant Prices ($2.00 to $5.00) CASH ONLY
*Sunday there will be a kids station with hands on planting activities to help jump start their green thumbs!
Where: Kilbourn Park – 3501 North Kilbourn Avenue Greenhouse , Chicago, IL 60641
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1228495890495388/
Event Bright: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kilbourn-parks-organic-gh-plant-sale-tickets-24495198799

DÍA DE SIEMBRA /PLANTING DAY at El Paseo
2016-05-14 10:00 - 14:00 | El Paseo Community Garden, 966 W. 21st St, Chicago, IL, United States
Si llueve sera el próximo día Domingo 15 de Mayo
If it rains we will reschedule for the next day, Sunday May 15th
• Limpiar/ Clean-up
• Sembrar cajas compartidas/Plant shared beds
• Formar equipos para / Make teams for shared
• Convivo /Pot-Luck
Traigan un platillo para compartir! / Bring a dish to share!
El PASEO
COMMUNITY GARDEN
(773) 234-6168

Howard Area Community Garden's 1st Spring Plant Sale May 14th and 15th
2016-05-14 09:00 - 2016-05-15 15:00 | Howard Area Community Garden, 1715-25 W. Juneway Terrace, Chicago, IL, 60626, United States
The Howard Area Community Garden‘s first Spring Plant Sale will be in full swing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 and Sunday, May 15, in our garden at the corner of Hermitage and Juneway in the North of Howard neighborhood (Rogers Park). We will have over 1300 plants, representing 30 varieties, all grown using organic methods and materials by volunteers. All proceeds will go towards improving this wonderful little community garden, founded in 1982. We’ve posted a list of our plants over on our blog: http://howardareacommunitygarden.blogspo…

CCGA Vegetable Seedling Distribution May 14, 9am
2016-05-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Vegetable Seedling Distribution
445 N. Sacramento Blvd
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Register Now!
The Resources Committee has grown hundreds of vegetable seedlings to kick-start your gardens: 18 types of tomatoes (including some gorgeous heirlooms), sweet and hot peppers, kale, rosemary, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, parsley, basil and collards. We will also have a variety of ornamental annuals, including asclepias, ageratum, datura, impatiens, rudbeckia, snapdragons, marigolds, verbena bonariensis, pentas, talinum, salvia and nasturtiums…whew! Each community garden will receive a large pre-selected sampler box of goodies. Bonus items: lucky winners (we’ll explain) will get to choose from a selection of beautiful perennials donated by our good friends at Westover Farms.
Registration Fee – $5.00
Pre-Register with your name, name of garden, address of community garden and contact email to: Mamie Gray mamie@uic.edu
Check-In: 9:00am to 9:30am
Workshop: 9:30am to 10:00am
“Building a Better Tomato Cage”
Distribution: 10:00am to 11:00am
One Sampler Box Per Garden.
This event is for Community Gardens only.
No Private, Home, or Backyard gardens.

Building Healthy Soil
2016-05-14 09:00 - 12:00 | Arturo Velasquez Institute Greenhouse, 2800 S Western Ave , Chicago, IL, 60608, United States
Learn about composting, vermicomposting, cover cropping, and other soil-building techniques. This workshop will cover soil testing and pH for vegetable crops. Healthy soil is the key to healthy plants! This workshop is instructed by Joan Hopkins, 2007 Windy City Harvest graduate and Windy City Harvest Corps Coordinator.
Saturday, May 14th, 2016 9 a.m. – noon Arturo Velasquez Institute Greenhouse Register Online – http://www.chicagobotanic.org/education/windy_city_harvest

Green and Growing: A Speaker Series - Weird Vegetables
2016-05-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Monday, May 9 at 7pm –Weird Vegetables – Weird vegetables to grow and how to grow things weirdly!
Speaker: Amanda Thomsen, author of Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating a Yard Totally Tailored to You
