Programs and Events
Twin City Garden Club meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2101 S. Prospect Ave., Champaign, IL, (corner of Prospect and Devonshire), unless otherwise noted in calendar. Parking for our meetings is in the back parking lot of the church. Enter through the door marked "Office".
2023-2024 Calendar
September 19, 2023
1 pm. Choir Room in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Program—Chicago Field Museum’s Field Guide
Presenter: Mike Skreiner
Mike Skreiner has completed the University of Illinois Extension Master Natural Program and is member of the Sierra Club. The collaborative Field Guide was published by the Field Museum, Chicago, on their website in May 2022, with free public access. This program discusses epilogue thoughts over one year later: what is the significance of the Field Guide and what are some take-aways stimulated by it; what are some plant and pollinator interaction issues, and what can we do about them?
NGC Goal: Environment
October 15-17, 2023
Central Region Annual Convention, Des Moines, Iowa
October 17, 2023
1 pm. Choir Room in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Program— Beneficial insects: unseen, under-appeciated, and under threat—what can you do to save biodiversity?
Presenter: Dr. Tommy McElrath
Let’s talk about the bugs you might not see every day, but that really run the world. From pollinators to decomposers, to predators and parasites, presenter Tommy McElrath will show preserved specimens from the INHS Insect Collection along with a presentation on the under-appreciated arthropods in your backyards, Illinois, and around the world. Dr. McElrath is the Insect Collections Manager, Illinois Natural History Survey/Prairie Research Institute/University of Illinois
NGC Goal: Environment
November 21, 2022
1 pm. Choir Room in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Program—Pruning
Presenter: Ryan Pankau
Ryan Pankau, an Extension Educator in Horticulture at the University of Illinois Extension, will discuss how to properly prune trees and shrubs.
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Noon in Fellowship Hall at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Join us for a Holiday Luncheon
A catered buffet will be provided; cost TBA. Get ready to play some Bingo! Guests are welcome!
January 16, 2024
1 pm.Choir Room in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Program—Houseplants 101 with Planted
Presenter: Kristyn McReaken
Join the owner of Planted, Kristyn McReaken, for a presentation on all things houseplants! The class will include a discussion about caring for your houseplants, choosing the best plants for you, using plants to enhance your home, and Q&A.
NGC Goal: Horticulture
February 20, 2024
1 pm. Choir Room in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Program— Spring Beauties: Vernal Wildflowers of Central Illinois
Presenter: James Ellis
After a long winter, many people anxiously await the new growth of spring. Please join us to learn about common spring wildflowers found in the region, how to identify them, and where to find them. Jamie Ellis is the natural areas coordinator for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Trained in botany, plant ecology, and natural resource management at the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan, he has published articles on prairie ecology, conservation, and management for both academic and general audiences. He is a long-time member and volunteer with Grand Prairie Friends, a natural areas conservation organization and land trust based in east-central Illinois.
NGC Goal: Horticulture
March 19, 2023
1 pm. Choir Room in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Program— Composting - it's really easy & so good for your plants!
Presenter: Becky Prather
Becky Prather, past co-owner of Ewe Poo Compost Company, will cover how to start composting, type of area needed to get started, benefits to your soil and plants as well as how beneficial sheep's wool is to your container gardens.
NGC Goal: Horticulture, Environment
April 16, 2023
Noon at Manzella's Italian Patio, 115 S 1st St., Champaign
Luncheon and installation of officers.
April date TBA, 2023
GCI Annual Convention, Springfield, IL
May 4, 2024
PLANT SALE
8 am - noon, Front parking lot at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2101 S. Prospect, Champaign
May 21, 2024
1 pm. Choir Room in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Program— Multi-Season Gardens
Presenter: Kathy Mundell-Bligh
Kathy Mundell-Bligh is the Coordinator of Educational Services at the Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses and Garden Center in Bloomington-Normal, IL. Her program will discuss how to plant and maintain a multi-season garden.
June 2-5, 2024
National Garden Clubs Convention, The Westin Westminster, Denver, CO
June 18, 2024
Noon, Tori Corkery's Home
Luncheon
Join us for lunch and bring a guest or two!
Box lunches will be provided. Cost TBA
Plant Sale
Visit us from 8 am to noon on Saturday, May 4, 2024, for our annual plant sale. Perennials, herbs, and much more – all dug from member gardens!
Sale is held in the front parking lot in front of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2101 S. Prospect Avenue, Champaign, IL.
