Chicago Community Gardeners Association

CCGA Coordinating Meeting – Monday August 29th 2016 at 6:30pm at CCGT Offices
2016-08-29 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), 445 N Sacramento, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
Please join us at 6:30pm Monday August 29th at the Chicago Center for Green Technology at 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. The meeting agenda includes: CCGA Working Team reports and preliminary work-shop planning for the 2017 CCGA Annual Conference. We’ll meet on the 2nd floor and there is parking behind the building.

Garden to Go
2016-08-27 10:00 - 11:00, 2016-07-28 18:00 - 19:30, 2016-07-14 18:00 | IL
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.

Perennial Gardening
2016-08-25 18:00 - 19:00 | IL
Keep your perennial garden growing and blooming successfully with a few valuable lessons from the staff at the Chicago Botanic Garden. For more information, please contact communitygardens@chicagoparkdistrict.com.

Native Pollinators Safari
2016-08-18 18:00 - 19:00 | IL
Honeybees aren’t the only pollinating insects. There are many varieties of native bees, wasps and flies that pollinate the plants we see around us every day. Armed with an identification sheet, go on the hunt with the Chicago Honey Co-op for native species and see how many you can find! For more information, please contact communitygardens@chicagoparkdistrict.com.

Green and Growing: A Speaker Series - Raising Apples in Urban Environments
2016-08-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Monday, August 15th at 7pm – Raising Apples in Urban Environments
Speaker: Dan Bussey, orchardist at Seed Savers Exchange and author of The Illustrated History of Apples in North America.

ANOTHER CCGA Perennial Plant Distribution Friday, August 12, 2016
2016-08-12 10:00 - 13:00 | New Horizons Community Garden, 401 S. Central Park, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
CCGA SECOND PERENNIAL PLANT DISTRIBUTION

Elite Growers does it again!
Elite is donating another group of perennials to CCGA!
FRIDAY, August 12, 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 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!

Jacklyn and the Beanstalk
2016-08-11 08:00 - 2016-08-12 17:00 | Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden, 4919 North Winthrop, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
When 13-year-old Jacklyn, who has a fear of heights, climbs a giant beanstalk, she encounters Giant Baby Ju Ju, whose fear of eating anything fresh causes her to gobble only sugary Smarties and Dum Dum lollipops as a steady diet! “Fee-fi-fo-fum. Will I get a Smartie or will I get a Dum Dum?” With the help of the audience, these two conquer their phobias in this interactive play for children. The show is staged in an outdoor community garden and the scenery is grown from pole beans. Audience members will get to pick and sample fresh beans as they learn about protein and good nutrition. If you think Millennium Park has the only BEAN – you need to check out this show!

Director, Martie Sanders, is a Chicago actress and teaching artist, best known for her work in performing comedic autobiographical stories with Sweat Girls (www.sweatgirls.org). Sanders now takes her love of theater and storytelling, mixes it with her green thumb, and mentors teenagers in growing food and crafting free summer theater for Uptown audiences in the garden. Sanders was awarded grants to pay six young people (ages 14-18) a minimum wage to learn gardening while devising the play. The teen writer/performer/gardeners began growing the scenery in May.
This project is partially supported by funding from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events with an Individual Artist’s Grant, Whole Kids Foundation and The Puffin Foundation.

JACKLYN AND THE BEANSTALK
Conceived and Directed by: Martie Sanders
Adapted and performed by Green Scene Chicago’s Summer Stock Teen Ensemble:
Abubakar Ayuba, Chisom Chima, Catherine Kannah, Devene Parker, Liliane Tran and Aida Zeleke.

WHERE
Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden
4919 North Winthrop, Chicago, Illinois 60640
Audience will sit picnic style in outdoor garden.

SHOW TIMES
August 11 at 11 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm
August 12 at 11 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 6 pm

TICKETS
Free performances
Groups of 6 or more please make a reservation at martie@greenscenechicago.org

WINTHROP HARMONY ARTS GARDEN – PROJECT HISTORY
In 2012, Sanders met with 48th Ward Alderman Harry Osterman asking for public space to create a theater garden. Osterman arranged to give her an abandoned lot to transform into the community garden and performing arts venue that she envisioned. Sanders rallied the neighborhood, teenagers, and all her theater pals to create the The Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden from the ground up. Seven neighborhood families tend the garden and share food collectively. Additionally, four community-based organizations, (Uptown Ministries, Chinese Mutual Aid, Vietnamese Association and Green Scene Chicago), have their own garden beds to tend while mentoring teams of children in grades K-12. NeighborSpace, an urban land trust in Chicago that preserves and sustains gardens on behalf of dedicated community groups, protects the garden. It has summer veggies, perennial flowers, and fruits: Asian pear trees, raspberry, elderberry, strawberry and Concord grape. Going into its fourth summer, Green Scene Chicago has hosted more than 12 public free performances including theater, dance, wind ensembles, spoken word, and an Asian tradition of a “Welcoming the Moon” harvest festival.

GREEN SCENE CHICAGO
Sanders founded Green Scene Chicago in 2012 with the mission to link community members across generations and cultures by using organic gardening lessons to inspire story performances and by using garden sites as theater venues. Sanders teaches her Green Scene Chicago curriculums in Chicago Public Schools during the school year, while The Winthrop Harmony Arts Garden is Green Scene Chicago’s summertime artistic home. Other projects and past teen ensembles from 2013-2016 are documented in photos on www.greenscenechicago.org

PRESS CONTACT
Martie Sanders, martie@greenscenechicag.org. (773) 769-6488

Pine Cone Bird Feeders Workshop
2016-08-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Community Roots Demonstration Garden at Skinner Park, 1331 W Adams St, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
Feeding the birds is a fun activity for the whole family. Join Illinois Extension Master Gardeners to make and take home your own pine cone bird feeders. For more information, please contact communitygardens@chicagoparkdistrict.com.

4th Annual McKinley Park Garden Walk
2016-08-03 13:00 - 16:00 | IL
McKinley Park is home to a 69-acre public park and countless enthusiastic home gardeners! Come see what we have growing! During the walk, garden hosts will have activities which include seed saving as well as share items from their gardens. The McKinley Park Farmer’s Market will be happening at the same time. Finally, special events such as yoga and art classes will be happening throughout the day. Pick up your map at the McKinley Park Community Garden located at 1900 W. Pershing or the McKinley Park Farmer’s Market located that intersection of Archer Ave and Western Ave.

preSERVE Garden Volunteer Day - Weeknight Edition
2016-07-28 17:00 - 19:00 | 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 | IL
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 | IL
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.

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 | IL
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 | IL
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 | IL
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 | IL
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!
