April 1, 2022
Perk Up Your Parkway with Native Plants
Planting native plants in your parkway is a great way to help people appreciate native plants by growing them in your parkway for all to enjoy. And it helps pollinators too!
DuPage Forest Blog
Read the latest blog story from the Forest Preserve District, and connect to nature in DuPage.
Native Plant Sale
December 10, 2021
Native Landscaping: Start Planning Now
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
It may be wintertime, but now is the time to start planning your garden for next year. It may not seem like it now, but spring will be here before you know it, making this a great...
August 30, 2021
Why Art Matters to Saving Monarch Butterflies
DuPage Monarch Project is a collaboration of four local environmental organizations, each contributing essential resources of science, education, community organizing and public...
July 22, 2020
Attracting Swallowtails to Your Garden
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Swallowtail butterflies are some of the largest, showiest butterflies found in Illinois. A visit from one in your garden is always a welcome delight.
April 30, 2020
Planting native plants in our yards and gardens is gaining popularity for good reasons.
April 17, 2020
Best Native Shrubs for Your Yard
With winter slowly fading and signs of spring arriving daily, gardeners are getting the itch.
April 9, 2020
Slow Down on Spring Cleaning in Your Garden
With the recent warm weather and native plants starting to emerge from their winter slumber, folks may be eager to do some spring cleaning in their gardens.
April 24, 2019
Spring Woodland Wildflower Guide
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Of all the seasonal blooms, spring wildflowers seem to capture our hearts and attention the most, likely because they’re the first we see after months of drab landscapes. Most...
April 2, 2019
Contain Your Love of Gardening
I know many folks who are interested in growing native plants but feel they can’t because they don’t have a yard or room in their yard to grow them.
May 14, 2018
Avoid Introducing Invasive Plants to Your Landscape
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Many nurseries and garden centers unknowingly sell invasive landscape plants to unsuspecting consumers. These invasives can escape from your yard and wreak havoc on natural areas...
May 7, 2018
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
We all have different sources of inspiration. Sometimes you just have to like something a little before you’ll try it. Other times you have to kick the tires and thoroughly...
April 30, 2018
The Tangled Relationships in a Garden
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
The relationship between milkweed and monarchs is well known and well documented. Monarch butterflies feed on the nectar in milkweed flowers, collecting pollen before transferring...
April 16, 2018
Solutions to Common Garden Challenges
Gardening with native plants has many rewards, but it can also pose some challenges. The beautiful flowers may attract pollinators, but they may also attract unwanted critters,...
April 3, 2018
It’s a perennial question that comes up every planting season: Does it really matter if you plant a full-sun plant in the shade or a shade plant in a sunny spot? Well, it does if...
March 20, 2018
Attracting Wildlife to Your Backyard
When people ask me how to attract birds, bees and butterflies to their backyard, my answer always begins with planting native plants. What do I mean by native plants? A plant is...
March 14, 2018
Reasons to Go Native with Landscaping
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
As the days grow longer and the temperatures grow warmer, you may be thinking about your how you would like to landscape your garden this growing season. This is the perfect time...