February Garden Club Program
February 14, 2026
Animal Resistant Gardening, by Mel Zaloudek
Successful strategies on how to minimize your landscape losses through a combination of tactical plant selection, physical barriers and effective repellents.
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:
February, Lap Blankets for Seniors
March 28, 2026, Spring Cleanup
April 24, 2026, Arbor Day
May 16, 2026, Plant Sale
December Garden Club Program
December 13, 2025
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.
Christmas Parade 2025
November 28th, 2025
This was our second year participating in the Christmas Parade, and it was an amazing experience! While the weather was cold, it was thankfully warmer than last year—and spirits were high. We had wonderful participation from our members, making the event especially memorable.
George stole the show in a lighted poinsettia outfit. Chris P's granddaughter and her friend dressed as Christmas trees. They delighted the crowd with high-fives and spread cheer all along the parade route.
Jane's son drove the truck, which was decorated so festively that Santa himself would have approved. Riding in the truck were Jane, Nancy Z, and Betty. Riding in the back were Holly and Donna, Chris P, and Cris C. The wheelbarrows—beautifully prepared with treat packages assembled by Nancy C—were pushed by Mary, Nancy, Stacy, and Kevin. Our banner carriers, Cindy and Judy, proudly led the way, while Pat and others helped hand out candy canes to the crowd.
It was a joyful, festive evening filled with laughter, community spirit, and holiday magic. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this year’s parade such a success!
Wreath Decorating 2025
November 22nd, 2025
We had another very successful wreath-decorating event to kick off the holiday season! Organizers Mary Yott and Nancy Colby did a superb job coordinating every detail, from ordering supplies to having everything delivered and the workspace set up well ahead of time. Their thoughtful planning made the day run seamlessly.
Joan Vitello added a special touch by creating beautiful bows that perfectly complemented each wreath. We were also delighted by a visit from Mayor Scott Gardner, who stopped by to show his support and generously delivered coffee and donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts.
In total, 20 dedicated gardeners worked diligently to create more than 30 beautiful wreaths and swags. These festive creations are now hanging throughout the Village of Antioch, spreading holiday cheer and showcasing what we truly mean by Cultivating a Nicer Community.
Thank you to all of our gardeners who donated their time and talent to make this year’s event both fun and memorable.
November Garden Club Program
November 8, 2025
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.
October Garden Club Program
October 11, 2025
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.
September Garden Club Program
September 13, 2025
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!
Membership committee welcoming members and guests
June Garden Club Program
June 14, 2025
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.
Hostess chair Sharon P helping with setup
April Garden Club Program
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
Executive table
February Garden Club Program
Meetings are held at the Antioch Senior Center
The address is 817 Holbek Dr., Antioch, Il. 60002
Doors open at 12:30 pm, meeting starts at 1:00 pm.
1st Annual Roundtable and Soupfest
During this relaxing kickoff to our 2025 programs we all shared a bowl of hot soup and some interesting gardening conversations. A few members brought crockpots of soup to share and then we enjoyed catching up on what everyone was doing over the holidays. The informal program asked members to bring their favorite gardening tool to demonstrate and recommend
Our next program will be on March 8th
Getting Started with Seeds
This detailed presentation takes you back to the important basics but throws in a lot of "pro" tips for your seed starting success. Even experienced vegetable and flower gardeners will learn a lot! This presentation will get gardeners on the right path for the planting season.
Membership chairs Carol and Jennifer welcoming mmebers and guests
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