WATERING TIP: We’re in a dry spell so make sure you’re watering your plants deeply. Plants that were installed this year, need 1″ of water weekly. You can set a few cans in the border when watering to check the amount applied or dig down a few inches 30 minutes after watering to see how deep the water has penetrated. A good 6″ is ideal. Be sure to water deeply around and away from the center of the plant. You want the plant to be “reaching out” to find water. New gardeners are often surprised to find that what they considered a good soaking is only wetting the soil to a depth of an inch or so. If plants aren’t watered deeply, they can turn out quite well but will be very shallow rooted. Subsequently, the plants can be hurt if a few days of watering are skipped and the top of the soil becomes dry. It’s far better to strengthen your plants by deep watering when needed. This will make borders self-sufficient—exactly what perennial gardeners have in mind.

Upcoming Events (click on the Events tab for more details):

August 1 – Garden Forum for Members Only – Worm Farms and Composting

September 5 – Presentation on Selecting, Planting, and Caring for Roses by Judy Kosbab, Rose Garden Curator at Cantigny

October 3 – Presentation on Bonsai Trees by Nick Cargola

November 7 – Presentation to be announced

December 12 – Holiday Party for Members Only

We are the Hoffman Estates Garden Club (HEGC), working since 1957 to promote an interest in gardening and share our knowledge.  Click here to read the article, “The History of the Hoffman Estates Garden Club” posted in the  March/April 2022 issue of the Hoffman Estates Citizen newsletter.

COME CHECK US OUT!

Monthly meetings take place the first Thursday of the month (as noted on our Events page) at

Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, IL