Getting Chicago Green and Growing

After a long, cold Chicago winter, a little color does a lot of good. The Garfield Park Conservatory was the perfect place to get some this weekend-and it’s free at that! Earth Day was officially two days ago, but the conservatory’s 18th Annual Green and Growing Fair kept the spirit of sustainability alive.

The event featured a host of vendors and exhibitors. Their tables were framed beautifully in the fanned leaves of huge palm trees and fringed with an impressive collection of multicolored blossoms, the latter, part of the seasonal Spring Flower Show. Local school children and hobby musicians played surprisingly pretty music as visitors strolled from booth to booth.

Vendors came from organic farms and local greenhouses to promulgate plants and natural pest controls for the urban gardener. The selection of herbs was impressive! You could find anything from fennel to bergamot. I purchased two pots for my humble indoor plant collection (very affordable) from a well informed employee of the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance. I learned a little about the delineations of basil plants and that the plants I had purchased had been grown in the Conservatory itself. The group grows plants there year round and donates them to worthy causes to sell at fairs and events.

At other tables groups taught visitors how to properly plant a tree or urged residents to choose local plants for their gardens. Some promoted food education programs for children and others advertised community gardens or city beautification programs. These great green programs are all members of Chicago’s Greening Network (aka GreenNet), the fair’s official sponsor. GreenNet brings public and non-profit groups together to make Chicago greener and more sustainable.

This year they announced the winner of the One Seed One Chicago contest at the Growing Fair. Participants voted online and in person to determine the city’s favorite seed. All three contestants are native plants that have suffered a lack of attention at the expense of more tropical flowers. Anyone who voted got free seeds for their plant of choice to add to their garden.

The fair continued outside where a composting demonstration was held and volunteers gave out samples of unique types of honey. To my surprise the most exotic-tasting was not from Iran but rather a cranberry flower honey from Michigan. It had an unfamiliar bite to it that really complemented the super-sweetness of the honey. It was quite delicious and made me think on how interesting a purely local diet could be. Other booths showed visitors how to plant a seed, sharpen a gardening tool, and how to garden on your knees without hurting your back. Before leaving I was instructed on the construction of tomato plant and bean tepees by a naturalist from North Park Village Nature who seems to be commonly referred to as the “stick guy”. Using bamboo branches, string, and a set of rather complicated tying techniques, he helped me construct my own little tripod.

The Conservatory itself lies off the beaten path and the event wasn’t particularly advertised. But it seems I was not the only one who discovered this little gem. The crowd and bustle of this event were more than I had expected. It was a treat to see people, young and old, from the heart of the city to the suburbs, the learning how to make the world a little greener.

Photos by Appetite for Good

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