March Garden Club Program

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Rainscaping, by U of I Extension of Lake County Master Gardeners

How to direct and manage water flow in a yard

Meetings are held at the Dolly Spiering Community Center

817 Holbek, Antioch lL 60002

Doors open at 12:30 and the meeting starts at 1:00

Upcoming Events at a Glance:

March 28, 2026, Spring Cleanup

April 24, 2026, Arbor Day

May 16, 2026, Plant Sale

Animal Resistant Gardening, by Mel Zaloudek

The February meeting was the club’s first of the year, and the first official meeting since our November meeting, and it was nice to see familiar faces again.

The meeting had a lively and entertaining presenter - Mel Zaloudek, who resides in Cook County. While some of our plant and pest problems were the same, when asked about beavers and musk rats he was stumped and felt like he was in Canada. (His fur cap would have fit in!)                       Mel shared about pest control:

Bonide Sulfur Organic Concentrated Dust Fungicide - Control diseases in your lawn and garden which can be used on fruits, vegetables and ornamentals around your home. Fine sulfur particles adhere to plants easily to prevent and control common diseases including rust, leaf spot, powdery mildew and other diseases. Apply to grapes, peaches, berries, roses, ornamental shrubs and more. And what’s best, this product is approved for organic gardening and can be used up to the day of harvest. 

Scarecrow brand motion sensor water sprinkler. When a critter moves in front of the sensor it will spray water.  Use caution, as it does not distinguish between squirrels, dogs or humans! 

Have a Heart Live traps - be sure to relocate the animal far enough away that they do not return, at least one mile.

Metal fencing. - holes must be no larger than chicken wire or baby bunnies can get through. Must also be strong, as rabbits will rise up on hind legs and lean with front feet and push over. Additionally, they can jump 2 feet high. 

Deer can travel far for food.  If they damage the bark of your tree do NOT use the tree paint, as it breed fungus and infection.  Instead, after cleaning the wound hit it with spray paint. 

Wrapping the trunk with a sisal rope is a good deterrent. Mothballs, not chips, scattered in beds can help. His strongest advice is to avoid the plants that invite unwanted guests.  Rabbits LOVE hostas and you will have problems with rabbits so long as you have hostas.  Mel provided a great variety of pest-resistant options in his slide show including salvia, dahlia, cleome, tobacco, lantana, lambs ear, Joe-Pye-weed, lungwort, Herman's pride, pachysandra, butterfly bush and giant allium, just to name a few. 

Our annual Christmas party was held on December 13th, and this year’s theme—Cookies and Cocoa—made for a cozy and festive celebration. Members were invited to dress in their finest pajamas, and they certainly delivered!

Each table was set with individual jars of cocoa for every guest, complete with mini marshmallows and peppermint candy spoons, creating the perfect winter treat. Santa made a special appearance and judged the Best Pajamas contest. Judy took first place dressed in festive white, with Mary earning runner-up honors in a burgundy robe topped with a captain’s hat.

Following the contest, everyone enjoyed refreshments featuring homemade cookies, homemade fudge, and a variety of other sweet treats. We then learned about the Crego family’s asters, and free seed packets were handed out to all attendees.

Each guest also received a complimentary gift bag filled with lotions and other small luxuries—a thoughtful surprise for everyone who came. The afternoon wrapped up with a lively White Elephant gift exchange, with participants receiving numbers as they arrived to determine the order of choosing gifts.

It was a joyful, relaxed gathering full of laughter, generosity, and holiday spirit—another wonderful way to celebrate the season together.

Tabletops and Tablescapes, by Kathi Rose

How to create a tablescape that reflects your event and personality. Learn how to use a combination of components: china, glassware, and floral accents.

Don't Squash the Bug, by James Rowan

There are over a million species of insects and spiders on the planet, with about 25,000 of them being in Illinois. In this program we will meet some of them, learn how to distinguish them and separate the "good guys" from the "bad guys".

The club members met on a beautiful day to enjoy soups and sweets and a very informative presentation on spiders and insects.  We learned why they are good for our gardens as well as in our homes.  There were gorgeous cabinets of insects collected by the presenter on display.  

 We had a fantastic kickoff to our new fiscal year after a fun-filled summer break! Our first meeting featured a wonderful presentation by Alyse Berman from Wildbird Shack, who shared her knowledge (and enthusiasm!) about owls. The room was filled with “oohs” and “aahs” as we discovered fascinating owl facts—did you know their eye color can tell you whether they hunt during the day or at night?

After the talk, we gathered around a tasty potluck buffet and enjoyed catching up on everyone’s summer gardening and activities. It was such a great way to reconnect and start the year together!

Our June potluck meeting is the kickoff to summer for our club. We awarded the Nancy Zitkus Scholarship to this year's recipient, Javier Sanchez. Congratulation to Javier!

We also inducted our newest member Trina Z.  Welcome Trina, we are excited to have you!

Our program this month was presented by Antioch Garden Club member Stacy Vogt. She demonstrated how to utilize flowers, herbs and fruits in making a sweet treat. We learned how to make jams and jellies, and how to take the intimidation factor out of this rewarding process. A variety of items were offered for sampling and purchasing. 

Our potluck luncheon never disappoints. In addition to savory foods, we had a dessert table filled with sweet treats that were almost too beautiful to eat.

This month's program was all about rose gardening. Dr. Andrew Plasz, a world-renowned rosarian and winner of the American Rose Society's Joseph & Marion Kilma Medal for rose education, explained the characteristics of various roses and how he judges them. He has been a member of the American Rose Society since 1976. He is one of 30 Master Rosarians in Illinois-Indiana District. He maintains a garden of more than 87 roses of all types and is an avid exhibitor