May Club Program

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Improving your Soil the Natural Way by Ken Benson

Basic soil structure, texture and compaction, and amendments. Soil pH, macro and micro elements along with mycorrhiza, green sand and compost for amendments.  

Meeting for the month of May will be at the Parks and Rec building, located across from the Dolly Spiering Community Center

Antioch Parks and Rec Building

806 Holbek Dr, Antioch lL 60002

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

Upcoming Events at a Glance:

April 24, 2026, Arbor Day

May 16, 2026, Plant Sale

 "What is All the Buzz About Bees" was presented by Karen and Brian
Thomson.  The meeting was held in the Parks and Rec building (May
meeting will be as well!). In addition to the very informative
presentation about bees, they had numerous products for sale and even
some tasty samples.

Karen and Brian have tremendous knowledge and experience with bees and
beekeeping.  There are thousands of different native species of bees
in North America.  The commonly known honeybee is an imported species
from Europe.  Native bees live mostly solitary lives, while the honey
bee lives in large hives.

Flowers to attract bees are Purple coneflower, salvia, bee balm, many
plants that are in the blue family, such as herbs including mint,
oregano and basil.  Many trees are good for bees as their early spring
blossoms have nectar.  Asters and goldenrod flowers are the last
flowers of the season, and goldenrod honey is an item Karen and Brian
sell.

Honey colors vary with the season and the blossoms.  The spring is
usually lighter, summer is amber, and fall is usually darker.  The
regional honey buckwheat is very dark.

Wintering for native versus honey bees is very different.  Native
bees, including hornets and wasps, the colony will die off except for
the queen, who hibernates, and starts a new colony in the spring.  The
honey bees live in hives that they must keep warm, and also must have
a large enough quantity of honey to eat over the winter.

Some fun facts:
Three distinct types of bees: workers, drone, queen.
Queen lives 2-3 years, she can lay 2,000 eggs a day.  She will take
one flight in her life and mate with multiple drones and stores the
semen that lasts her lifetime.
Drone are the males whose egg was not fertilized. They don't do any
real work.  After summer when mating season is done they are kicked
out of the hive.
Workers are the female bees, they do a waggle dance to communicate
precise location of source found, can travel 2-3 miles away from hive
but are smart enough to stay close.
If your honey crystalizes that is a good sign, as that shows it is
pure honey.  To fix, warm the honey in a waterbath 100-110 degrees,
stirring occasionally.  This could take several hours to dissolve.  Do
not microwave, as it destroys beneficial components.
Some beekeepers are "Migrator" beekeepers, where they transport their
hives across the country to follow the seasonal blooms.  A large
market is California for the almond season, there are also cranberries
in Wisconsin, and buckwheat in Ohio.  Honey can be made from those
specific plant blossoms since the hives are located there.

"Local" honey is left to interpretation.  It is best to purchase your
honey from a reputable source, such as a local beekeeper that makes
their own honey.  The honey should be unfiltered, as you want to have
the pollen in the honey.  The pollen in the plants gets into the honey
and helps increase your immunity. One tablespoon of honey a day is
recommended.  Due to poor practices including adulterations and
undesirable additions, all honey from China is illegal to import.
However, Canada imports honey from China, and Canadian honey is
allowed to be imported - this is a loophole that allows the Chinese
honey into the US market.

Additional consumer warnings: Honey of ill repute can be found to have
on the label "Bottled in Illinois" when it was made in China, sold to
Canada, bottled, then imported into  the United States.  "Organic"
honey is not legal to produce in the United States.  By law,
everything within a 3 mile radius would have to be organic.
Additionally, the wood to make the hives would have to come from
organic trees, and that is not possible, as they do not exist.
International law states that for honey to be considered organic the
producer must pass their country's organic requirements only, not that
of the country importing the product.  So you may see organic honey on
a store's shelves, know that it is not a domestic product.

Your best, and safest, bet is to buy your honey and honey related
products from a local beekeeper!

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

How to direct and manage water flow in a yard.

Jill gave a very informative presentation about water runoff and shared how the stormwater runoff goes into sewers, which dumps into local rivers, then into the Mississippi River.  While this was done to prevent contaminants from entering the drinking water supply of Lake Michigan, the water is diverted to the Gulf and leaves our community.  Water preservation through rain barrels, native plants with substantial roots, permeable surfaces and rain gardens will help keep the water local.  Rain barrel water can be used for plants but not vegetables due to roof contaminants. Bioscapes are becoming increasingly popular with municipalities. Rain Gardens are an excellent way to keep water in your yard, and Jill shared how to makes, establish, and maintain one in your own yard.  

Additional information about rainfall management can be found at:

https://extension.illinois.edu/rainfall-management

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 wound paint, as it breeds 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.