Northtown Garden Society
Chicago, Illinois
Coneflowers
NGS Volunteer Luncheon
April 13, 2026
A Visit to the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences
April 20, 2026
Edward Warden of the Chicago Ornithologic Society , President, Nighthawk Project, duscussed the Common Nighthawk; what makes them tick, why they are disappearing, and what's being done to save them right here in Chicago. They are one of the fastest declining bird species in North Ameriica.
We honored the many volunteers of NGS who keep this organization moving and vital to the commuity. Thank You All!
A Virtual Tour of Graceland Cemetery
March 5, 2026
The Common Nighthawk
February 5, 2026
Native nursery plants
Root growth on a native plant
Natives in the wild
Members gathered at Warren Park to socialize, enjoy desserts and catch up with each other.
Winter Social and White Elephant Swap
January 8, 2026
Dona Vitale
PROGRAM/ACTIVITY NOTES
Our monthly programs are usually held on the 1st Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Warren Park Field House, 6601 N. Western Ave. Chicago.
We usually feature a social get-together with refreshments followed by a guest speaker.
To view program and activity offerings from previous years, click here.
We Love our Future Farmers!!!
Per HS Principal Hook:
"The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences is being looked at as a model for schools of this kind in other cities across the country. Our school serves as a model not only for its innovative curriculum, but also for dropout prevention and exceptional student motivation. We combine an academic learning environment with hands-on practice in a way that maximizes student success. CHSAS is a public school with a private school feeling. So, welcome to our school! ".
We enjoyed learning about their exceptional program, meeting some of the students and having a wonderful lunch provided by the school.
Amanda Piotrowski, AKA Mandy Crypt, gave us a virtual tour of Graceland Cemetery. She is a researcher and historian who embraces the weird and entertaining side of history. Who knew a cemetery could be so entertainng?
Gillian, Amanda, Nancy and Shelly
Edward and Sig
Alice, Edward and Ellen
Evolution of the Keeler Gardens
April 2, 2026
Gina Iliopoulos, advocate for environmental equity, presented the evolution of the Keeler Gardens, from urban garden to urban oasis.
Gina and Ivah
The Garden of Katie Law
Our plant sale was quite successful this year offering house plants and perennials dug out of member gardens. The proceeds go to support our programs and community service activities.
We continued our member garden visits ths summer but, because of our extremely hot weather and rain, we had to postpone or cancel some of them. Not all gardens are pictured.
Annual Plant sale
May 16, 2026
Visits to Member gardens
June to September, 2026
Planting a new island
Installation at Bubbly Creek
Installation at River Park
Above and left: The Garden of Chris Harvey
Glenna Eaves and Eva Mannaberg
Behind the Scenes at North Park Village Nature Center
September 3, 2026
Annual NGS Picnic
July 23, 2026
We held our annual picnic on the lawn of the Warren Park Field House on a warm summer evening. Everyone brought dishes to share - one of our favorite activites followed by games and prizes.
The Garden of Eva Mannaberg
The Forest Under Foot - Mosses of the Chicago Region
June 4, 2026
Edward Warden was our guest speaker. His presentation focused on mosses of the Chicago Region. Mr. Warden is a naturalist and environmental educator, He is the president of the Chicago Ornithological Society.
Did you know that there are 414 moss species in Chicago?
TOMATOES!
May 7, 2026
Our guest speaker. Bob Zeni (AKA The Chicago Tomato Man), delighted us with his adventures in growing tomatoes after retirement. He atarted in his back yard and has now expanded beyond to grow thousands of plants for tomato afficionados.
Bob's goal in life is to introduce everyone to the absolutely stunning flavor of a homegrown, hand-picked, vine-ripened, heirloom tomato. NGS members were able to select plants for their gardens from those provided by Mr. Zeni.
Matt, Gillian and Nancy
The Nature Center
The Green House
The "Christmas Tree"
Alicee, Susan, Edward and Gillian
A Visit to The Keeler Gardens
July 24, 2026
We visited the Keeler Gardens, a community-focused, non-profit green space located on the northwest side of Chicago. For more information about the wonderful work they do, visit their website, www.keelergardens.org.
A presentation by Matthew Renfree, Director of the North Park Village Nature Center, giave us a behind the scenes look at the wildlife, plants, natural resources and activities at the forty-six acre nature center, a restored native landscape to be enjoyed in any season. Matt and his staff have been working very hard to remove non-native plants to allow for the restoration of the plants that are native to the area. They have built a greenhouse where they grow native seedlings for planting at the nature center as well for sharing with other preserves.
To commemorate the removal of invasive buckthorn, they decorate a buckthorn as a Christmas tree each year.