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Glen Ellyn Park District Offers Free Native Seeds Workshop

Posted on: September 22, 2017

The Glen Ellyn Park District is looking for people to take part in a “win-win” educational experience. The Native Seed Workshop, for ages 10 and up, will be held Thursday, October 19 from 7:00 – 8:30 pm at the Frank Johnson Center (490 Kenilworth Avenue) in Glen Ellyn.

This FREE workshop offers benefits to both the Park District and to class participants. Collected seeds will be used in the Park District’s natural area restorations, and participants can take seeds home to plant in their own gardens. A short presentation will highlight the beautiful wildflowers that play an important role in local ecology, including those that work wonderfully in home landscapes.

“From the middle of Summer through late Fall, one way to increase the plant diversity within our parks is to continue to add new native plants around the sites,” said Renae Frigo, Naturalist with the Glen Ellyn Park District. “It’s much more economical to collect and plant seeds cultivated in our park areas than to create separate new plantings.”

Once seeds are collected, the pods, capsules, and chaff need to be separated from the seed. “It’s a big job, so we love to have people come out and help us,” added Frigo. “In return, they get to learn about native plants that can benefit their home landscaping, and they can take seeds with them to get their plantings started.”

There are several species of milkweed that are native to our region. “Milkweed is absolutely necessary for the Monarch butterfly population,” said Frigo. “It’s difficult to find seeds on the open market, but we offer access to them here. We also teach how to plant them correctly, and we give ideas for other host plants that are beneficial to homeowners. Plants like sunflowers, coneflowers, bee balm, asters and others attract birds and beneficial insects, in addition to butterflies and bees.”

There is no cost to attend the workshop, but registration is required. Contact Renae Frigo at [email protected] for more information, or visit www.gepark.org to register for the class. Come help the Park District, and take home some native plant seeds to add to your own garden!