Events

Tami will explore the inspiration behind this year's theme and program selections. A short video will also be shown to spark our gardening enthusiasm and highlight some exciting new plant choices for the upcoming season.

Location: Highland Park Presbyterian Church

330 Laurel Ave

Highland Park, IL 60035

Time: 12pm

Non-Member Cost: $10 paid at the event by cash or check

Edible gardening has risen in popularity since Covid and continues to gain momentum in 2026. In garden design circles, there is talk of integrating vegetables into your perennial garden or containers, growing a wider variety of more exotic, more compact and edible plants like kiwi and figs. Julia Zoltowsky is the Manager of Urban Food Programs at the Denver Botanic Garden and will coming to us via Zoom to instruct and show us the culinary delicacies of edible flowers and weeds that appear in spring.

Location: Highland Park Presbyterian Church

330 Laurel Ave

Highland Park, IL 60035

Time: 12pm

Non-Member Cost: $10 paid at the event by cash or check

Artificial intelligence is making inroads into the gardening world, and will affect the way we design, grow, and care for our plants and gardens. The basics of AI will be explained, along with its applications to gardening. Come see how you can use “Intelligent Gardening” in your garden.

Location: Highland Park Presbyterian Church

330 Laurel Ave

Highland Park, IL 60035

Time: 12pm

Non-Member Cost: $10 paid at the event by cash or check

Lilacia Park in Lombard, IL was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 for its significant contribution to U.S. horticultural history. It is the home to 700+ lilacs and 35,000 tulips and is best known for its Lombard Lilac Time, a blooming festival that occurs every year the first two weeks in May. We will gather and carpool together from HPPC.

Garden Guild Members Only Event

There are several trends in garden design. From the increasing emphasis on vertical gardening to the new “Sunday Garden” trend, from “Crevice Gardens” to gardens that recreate a particular sense of place, like a rain forest or a mediterranean coast, let’s explore some of these styles.

Location: Highland Park Presbyterian Church

330 Laurel Ave

Highland Park, IL 60035

Time: 12pm

Non-Member Cost: $10 paid at the event by cash or check

Let’s congregate for some fun mid-summer social time with games, prizes, nibbles and drinks!

Garden Guild Members Only Event

In 2026, more gardeners are designing their patios, gardens, and landscapes in a way to bring serenity and tranquility to their outdoor spaces. The principals behind Asian and Japanese gardens exemplify this concept. Yvonne is an intercultural consultant and founder of Chinese Intercultural, LLC. Born in Taiwan, Yvonne speaks on topics to help train business executives on understanding Chinese and East Asian cultures. She will enlighten us on how Confucian symbolism expressed in Asian gardens is used to relieve stress and cultivate inner peace. Learn the cultural history of the East Asian Garden and its carefully composed scenes of ponds, paths, and pavilions, Yvonne will use examples from the Japanese Garden at the CBG and Ping Tom Park in Chicago’s Chinatown.

Location: Highland Park Presbyterian Church

330 Laurel Ave

Highland Park, IL 60035

Time: 12pm

Non-Member Cost: $10 paid at the event by cash or check

Dried and high-quality preserved flowers are back in vogue, and nurseries and flower shops are adding flower pressing classes to their business model to bring in customers during the off-season. We will get a lesson on flower pressing, make a pressed flower art piece, and someone will go home with their very own flower press!

Location: Highland Park Presbyterian Church

330 Laurel Ave

Highland Park, IL 60035

Time: 12pm

Non-Member Cost: $10 paid at the event by cash or check

The trend in flower arranging and event arrangements is towards a more structured, minimalist style, using natural wood elements such as tree branches. Ikebana embodies this design aesthetic. Paula is a 3rd level teacher with the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. She has studied Ikebana since 1987 when she moved to Tokyo, Japan. She joined Ikebana International while there and was the Communications Chairman on their International Board for 4 years. Upon returning to the States in 1993, she has continued studying Ikebana. She gives lectures, demonstrations and participates in Ikebana Exhibitions around the USA, including two exhibitions a year at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Paula will explain and demonstrate the Ikebana style using holiday (Thanksgiving and Christmas) materials.

Location: Highland Park Presbyterian Church

330 Laurel Ave

Highland Park, IL 60035

Time: 12pm

Non-Member Cost: $10 paid at the event by cash or check

We just can't get enough fellowship! The Holiday lights, Piano bar for a few libations, and seasonal potluck makes this evening so special.

Garden Guild Members Only Event