Landscaping Naturally in Batavia
Native landscaping is beautiful, offering food and shelter for birds, butterflies and other desirable wildlife. The root system of native plants helps rainfall to percolate into the soil, reducing erosion and runoff, which improves water quality. And, once established, it is low maintenance. These vigorous and hardy plants require no irrigation or fertilization.
Below are a list of resources to get you started and stores where you can purchase your new native plants.
Education, Classes and Networking Opportunities
Learn how to create a native, healthy yard by avoiding and removing invasive species and planting native groupings. These resources will help you how.
Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners Club
This gardening club established and maintains the local Wildflower Sanctuary at the Batavia Riverwalk, encourages gardening and offers educational programs at each meeting. They meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month (except July and August) at 6:45 p.m in the Meeting room of the Batavia Public Library in Batavia. Contact Diana Sharp at 630-879-7578 for more information.
The Conservation Foundation
Conservation@Home Program
www.theconservationfoundation.org
This program encourages and recognizes property owners that protect or create yards that are environmentally friendly and conserve water. This includes planting native vegetation, such as prairie and woodland wildflowers, trees and shrubs, creating butterfly and rain gardens, and removing exotic species of plants. They have a number of plant lists and other resources on their website to help guide you. In addition they have rain barrels for sale. Rain barrels are a simple, efficient, low-cost method to collect and recycle water by capturing rainwater at the end of your down spout.
University of Illinois Extension Office - Kane County Unit
535 South Randall Road
St. Charles, IL 60174-1591
Phone: 630-584-6166
web.extension.uiuc.edu/kane/
The UofI Extension Office offers a variety classes in gardening and cooking. Often there are native landscaping classes.
The Chicago Botanical Garden
The CBG has a website that offers a wide breadth of information about both native and invasive plants. They have a chart that lists the invasive plants and offers suggestions for what might be a good alternative. It is helpful.
www.chicagobotanic.org/research/conservation/invasive/chicago/index.php
Where to purchase native plants
Each of these sources offers a fairly wide variety of native plants with knowledgeable staff.
Annual Spring Plant Sale by Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners on the Saturday
before Mother's Day in May
The Natural Garden
38W443 Highway 64
St. Charles, IL 60175
630-584-0150
www.thenaturalgardeninc.com
The Growing Place
2000 Montgomery Road
Aurora, IL 60504
630-820-8088
www.thegrowingplace.com
Aquatic Nursery
If ponds are your passion, be sure to see Robert Steinbach in South Elgin. He offers many native aquatic plants. He also understands the balance of things and can guide you toward a water feature with minimal mechanical filtering and chemicals. Nursery visits by appointment only. 847-741-7678. Be sure to allot the proper amount of time. Understanding the balance of things can take a little time...
Books
Kane County Wild Plants and Natural Areas by Dick Young
It is a great local plant guide. The book is available for check out at the library and available for purchase from the Kane County Forest Preserve.