Jessica has just moved to Oak Park and is working to remove some lawn and invasives (like Lily of the Valley) and some other non-natives (the ubiquitous orange daylilies) to make room for native plants, an edible garden, butterfly garden, and fruit trees. She wants less maintenance and more life and interest in the yard.  

She would love to have people come to her yard to help with identification of other plants there and to give her some ideas for her large, sunny yard. Even if you are new to native plants, you are an important member of the community; it could also be a great learning opportunity for you, and you can contribute as well.  

All skill and knowledge levels are welcome!  Let's give Jessica a wild welcome to Oak Park!

Please complete the form to RSVP.  Thanks!


Curious what a Show Me-Help Me is?

Show Me-Help Me Day is a Wild Ones® concept that involves visiting members’ properties so the owner(s) may show visitors their site or get instructive help from visitors to their site.  Visitors can ask questions, offer suggestions and share knowledge on natural landscaping for that particular location.  It is meant to be an educational day with information exchange and networking among participants.  Show-Me properties are more established sites with many native plants in an advanced stage of development.  Help-Me properties could be anything from new-construction home sites, recently purchased homes, or rather newly begun natural landscapes.   Depending on the properties available for view, you may decide to have a Show-Me Day, a Help-Me Day or a combination of the two.

These outings lack the formality associated with a garden  showcase tour.  They are meant to be  informal, enlightening and relaxed.   At a Show Me-Help Me Day  you get down-to-earth ideas.  The day should be filled with Wild Ones Cinderella and Cruella DeVil stories.  Examples might be dealing with exotics, informing neighbors of intentions, handling a wet or dry area, coping with gravel and stones, making allowances for shady areas, dealing with erosion (sloping landscape or otherwise), etc.  Members get to see problems firsthand and can offer each other suggestions on how to best solve them.