Lisa Maier and her husband, Christopher, have been working to naturalize their quarter acre lot since they moved in eight years ago. Lisa's passion for birds and fascination with the interconnected relationship between birds, insects, and plants has been the driving force behind her yard's design as she aims to […]
Jim and Sally moved to Woodstock 4 years ago from downstate Illinois where they participated in bi-weekly prairie walks. When they came to McHenry County and discovered the WPPC, they decided to upgrade their landscaping to a more native environment. Their home is located on a 1/2 acre lot with […]
The Westwood Elementary School Garden was created in 2018 to enhance the school's curriculum and serve as an outdoor classroom. It is a community effort led by the school staff and enhanced by help from Judy and Jack Speer of Smallwater Education, a grant from Illinois Clean Energy Foundation and […]
Our 1½ acre yard has several perennial flower gardens that attract butterflies, bees and humming birds. The highlight is the 50’x100’ plus wildflower garden with native wetland plants started with seed in 2009. In the center of it all is a 25’ Bald-Cypress Tree. We have several nesting bird boxes […]
My property is in a newer "conservation design" subdivision which has about 25 acres of well-managed prairie plantings. The non-turf areas of my 1/2 acre yard feature almost entirely native species arranged in planting beds, three rain gardens and a backyard prairie as well as a nice mix of native […]
Green Living Expo, Saturday, November 6th from 10 am to 5 pm The WPPC will be having a virtual booth at this year's Green Living Expo on Saturday, November 6th from 10 am to 5 pm. Registration is required, but free. This year's Expo is focusing on four areas of […]
We're back! The WPPC's 2022 Native Plant Sale will be Sunday, May 1 from 12pm to 3pm in the commons area of McHenry County College. We'll have a full selection of natives on hand for sunny, shady or moist areas of your property. There should be a selection of heirloom […]
Description: You are invited to take a stroll through rolling oak savanna and open prairie area on 3+ acres in the Pine Ridge subdivision in Bull Valley. Linda and Terry began restoring natives to the landscape in 1991 by adding plant diversity to their property hoping to transform it into […]
Description: You are invited to take a stroll through rolling oak savanna and open prairie area on 3+ acres in the Pine Ridge subdivision in Bull Valley. Linda and Terry began restoring natives to the landscape in 1991 by adding plant diversity to their property hoping to transform it into […]
Description: Barb and Mike moved to Crystal Lake in the summer of 2006. At that time, there were large portions of the 1 1/2 acre corner property that were simply manicured lawn. Starting in 2009, with H.M. Hepperlen as mentor, prairie plants were introduced and the yard has continued to […]
Property Description: Explore a 1.25-acre yard in a residential neighborhood that has been converted from traditional non-native landscaping to majority native species. Sarah and Scott have lived at the property for 10 years with their two children and dog and have been removing invasive species and adding native trees, shrubs, […]
Description: On a whim about twenty years ago, Dave Zieger and John Shiel agreed that they might as well start working to restore a portion of the church property in Wonder Lake that was right across the street from Dave's living room window. Dave brought it up, since its neglected […]
Description: Scattered islands of natural landscaping--all developed over a thirty-year period and placed within the confines of a 1/4 acre city lot. The yard is planted with a delightful combination of native plants, various grasses, native shrubs and trees. John will discuss "his dilemma" of what to do about shade […]
Description: As you walk along the paths, you’ll meander through oak forests (with bottle brush and other natives on the forest floor), a restored pond, prairie fields on gently rolling hills with wide vistas of sky and edged by oaks. Many species of birds are attracted to this beautiful parcel […]
The next WPPC Business Meeting will be Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 7pm in the McHenry County College Commons area. The major topic of discussion will be the upcoming seminar. The public is welcome, but only WPPC voting members may vote on proposals.
Natural Landscape Seminar: The WPPC's annual Natural Landscape Seminar will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2023 in the Luecht Auditorium at McHenry County College. The pre-registration period is now over, but you may still register at the door starting at 8am on February 18. We've confirmed some great speakers […]
The next WPPC Business Meeting will be Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 7pm in the McHenry County College Commons area. The major topic of discussion will be the upcoming plant sale. The public is welcome, but only WPPC voting members may vote on proposals.
The WPPC's annual Native Plant Sale will be Sunday, May 7, 2023 from 12pm to 3pm in the commons area of McHenry County College. The entrance to the commons area is located on the south side of the campus, which is the opposite side from the intersection with the stop […]
Description: A number of paths traverse through this 3/4 of an acre restored native woodland with more than 175 different native plant species including 50+ Oak Trees and 30+ Hickories. Sedges and forbs bloom throughout the season. In May the yard will feature blooming Trillium, Virginia Bluebells and Spring Beauties […]
Description: Our yard consists of a prairie garden, a native shrub-land garden, a mixed shrub-land garden, various native borders, two vegetable gardens, an herb garden and some spots of lawn. Of particular interest is the wide diversity of plant material and our efforts to control weeds and stabilize the compositions […]
Description: Come see the results of Jim "the Native Seed Man" and Marlene's efforts to reconstruct a native prairie in what was once a soy bean field. You will see a progression of prairies, started in 2006 with seed gathered in McHenry County. You can compare seeded prairie to that […]
The WPPC's Annual Meeting will be Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 7pm in the McHenry County College Commons area. The major topic of discussion will be the Executive Board elections. The public is welcome, but only WPPC voting members may vote on proposals or elections.
Description: We will meet in front of West Elementary School and walk a short distance to Butternut Preserve where site stewards Judi Stuck and Nicole Griffith will guide us through the beautiful 16 acre preserve along the Kishwaukee River. A path leads through the tall grass prairie and crosses over […]
Description: This 3 acre property has a variety of habitats: pond, steep slope, partial forest and dry and sunny. The native gardens range from brand new to 5 years old. Come learn from our mistakes and successes! Some of our planting goals have been to create low maintenance gardens in […]
The WPPC's next Business Meeting will be Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 7pm in the McHenry County College Commons area. The public is welcome, but only WPPC voting members may vote on proposals or elections.
The WPPC (along with McHenry County Audubon and Friends of Hackmatack) will sponsor a viewing of the movie “Fluddles” on Tuesday, November 28 at 6:30 pm in the Luecht Auditorium at McHenry County College. The movie, produced and directed by Bob Dolgan, explores life around vernal pools and marshes in […]
The next WPPC Business Meeting will be Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 7pm via Zoom. The major topic of discussion will be the upcoming seminar. The public is welcome, but only WPPC voting members may vote on proposals.
The WPPC's annual Natural Landscaping Seminar will be held on February 17, 2024 at McHenry County College. We'll feature presentations on controlling invasive plants, design techniques for a native garden, manaaging tree diseases and pests and our wonderful cyclical Cicadas. See our seminar page for more information, registration links […]
The next WPPC Business Meeting will be Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 7pm in the McHenry County College Commons area. The major topic of discussion will be the upcoming plant sale. The public is welcome, but only WPPC voting members may vote on proposals.
The WPPC's Annual Native Plant Sale will be Sunday, May 5, 2024 in the commons area at McHenry County College. The sale runs from noon until 3, but it's best to arrive early as many of our most popular species sell out quickly. We often have a line forming before […]
Description: The Fen in Trout Valley is common land that is approximately 8 acres in size and is located on either side of Trout Valley Road. Until a few years ago the fen was overgrown with invasive species including significant accumulations of buckthorn, burning bush, honeysuckle and garlic mustard that […]
Description: This walk will be led by Dave Schwaegler, who is a steward at the Lake in the Hills Fen. Lake in the Hills Fen is a dedicated Illinois Nature preserve featuring three diverse habitats: dry hill prairies, sedge meadows, and rare and beautiful fens. You will have the opportunity […]
The WPPC's Annual Meeting will be Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 7pm in the McHenry County College Commons area. The major topic of discussion will be the Executive Board elections. The public is welcome, but only WPPC voting members may vote on proposals or elections.
Description: This walk will take place at Native's Haven Nursery on Sunday, July 21, 2024. The walk is free of charge, and no pre-registration is required. Guided tours of the property will begin at 11am and 2pm. Bill and Terrie Warzecha, the owners of Native's Haven, describe their wonderful property […]
Description: This is the first of two walks today. This beautiful yard showcases various young native prairie gardens started from seed! Enjoy the blooms of Spotted Bee Balm, Compass Plants, Ironweed, and Black-Eyed Susans while seeing the progression of the prairie gardens. This yard offers a unique opportunity to compare […]
Description: This is the second of two walks today. Our yard is the culmination of (thankfully) minimal blood, lots of sweat, and tears of joy! Our journey began in 2019 with our WPPC mentee garden. From those first plant babies going in the ground, we knew we were hooked and […]
