OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
Native Plants, Butterfly and Rain Gardens
The Conservation Foundation's Conservation@Home is a homeowner education and watershed protection program that encourages and recognizes property owners that protect and/or create yards that are environmentally friendly and conserve water. This includes planting native vegetation, such as prairie and woodland wildflowers, trees and shrubs, creating butterfly and rain gardens, and removing exotic species of plants. For more information, visit the Conservation Foundation's Conservation@Home website.
Composting
The University of Illinois Extension office website is an excellent resource for composting and vermiculture (worm composting) information.
Nurseries, Green Gardening Education
Several local nurseries in St. Charles, including The Natural Garden, Inc. and Heinz Brothers Greenhouse provide native plants and classes on creating butterfly and native gardens. The University of Illinois' Kane County Extension program also offers a variety of educational programs on butterfly and native gardening.
Natural Landscaping
The Wild Ones - Natural Landscapers, Ltd. is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and share information with members and community at the "plant-roots" level and to promote biodiversity and environmentally sound practices.
