Garden Club of Inverness 2024-2025 Programs

Members Nancy Kaye and Shirley Putman took a trip to London last fall to experience the renowned Chelsea Flower Show, and to visit our Zoom friend Nancy Stevens in Scotland. 

Nancy and Shirley will present a short program highlighting their adventures at the London show.  Through pictures and narrative, they will provide members with an overview of individual garden exhibits, as well as the numerous sculptures and floral displays.  Through their presentation, they hope to entice many members to attend next year’s gardenSusan is a new dahlia hobbyist but has jumped in with both feet!  She will share what she’s learned about growing these beautiful flowers, as well as some surprising facts. She started a year ago with 6 tubers, and now has multiples each of 26 different varieties! With names like Bridezilla, Beets Me and Cafe Au Lait, and sizes from tiny 2” blooms to 10” “dinner plate” varieties, dahlias offer something for everyone.  Whether you put one dahlia tuber in a pot on your patio, or build an entire garden devoted to them like Susan did, everyone can enjoy the magic of these beauties. 

Victoria Salerno is a first-year doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Environmental Biology.  She is also Nancy Kaye’s niece! She is passionate about conservation and pollinators.  As part of her doctoral studies, she is examining the impact of microclimates and global change on solitary bees. 

Victoria will share what she has learned about these vital pollinators and what we can do to help them survive and even thrive.

Stephanie Dalton is the owner/principal of Can’t ContainHer, specializing in landscape design as well as four-season custom container garden design and installation. 

Be it on the front stoop, porch, flanking the garage, patio, or balcony garden, containers provide seasonal color, design, and most importantly, curb appeal to our environments. This program includes a demonstration of selecting the right container, soil, and plants, as well as essential maintenance practices of container gardening.  

Dan Pilguy is the owner and operator of Arlington Crest Farms and is entering his 10th year of business in Palatine. He last visited our club in 2019, and since then, has had many incredible experiences, grown produce for and at local food establishments, and learned a great deal along the way.  

Dan will return to share his trials and tribulations over the past decade as a suburban farmer. He will share what he has learned, including best practices as a grower, how he has developed his business to meet the needs of local consumers, and his hopes for future endeavors to make a lasting impact in the community. 

Kim White is a naturalist, former co-steward for the DuPage County Forest Preserve, education coordinator for the DuPage Monarch Project, and avid gardener.  She formerly spent 19 years associated with the Brookfield Zoo’s Education Department, both as a volunteer and an employee.

In this program she will introduce us to the women pioneers who made significant contributions to our understanding of the natural world. From Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 B.C.) to today, we will learn how their passions in botany, entomology, ornithology, paleontology, art, and literature advanced the field of Natural History. 

Fabbrini’s Flowers in Hoffman Estates is a family-owned floral shop known for its high-quality arrangements and creative, trend-forward designs. With over 50 years of experience, Fabbrini’s blends classic craftsmanship with modern aesthetics to create stunning floral pieces for every occasion. 

The presentation will share current trends in floral design, color palettes, and arrangement styles. By exploring Fabbrini’s design process, we will gain insight into what’s trending in today’s floral industry. And, some lucky winners will take home a lovely arrangement!

Heather Prince has been a part of the green industry for over 25 years, working in various facets, from public to private. She currently balances a busy freelance horticultural writing and teaching schedule with her role as email marketing manager for The Garden of Words. She is a trained horticulturist specializing in trees, shrubs, and native species, with a passion for connecting people with plants. 

Roses dazzle, delight, and romance us in many ways. Fall in love with roses as we dive into the commonly available varieties as well as explore hardy heirlooms, species, and climbers.  Learn the basics of culture and care, plus how to choose what roses will best match your space and expectations.