Thomas Street Community Garden

01/20/2025

Strange times...

08/20/2024

Bonus Good Growing Fact of the Week: Pawpaw is the only host plant for zebra swallowtail butterfly caterpillars.

The time of year is nearing when the pawpaw (Asimina triloba) fruit will ripen and those lucky enough to have access to the fruit (and beat the wildlife to the

08/18/2024

Grow together!

05/24/2024

I always play Tony Joe White’s “Poke Salad Annie” to new gardeners when we find it growing in the garden. Maybe someday we will cook it up!

05/22/2024

How to harvest basil

05/22/2024

Replaced two of our original raised wooden beds with corrugated steel to test them out. Went together easily and look snazzy. Now to find out how plants fare in them.

05/05/2024

Another great meetup with our members today! We met some neighbors interested in joining the garden and want YOU to know that we have space for more gardeners in our group. Come join us on Sundays from 11-1.

04/23/2024

Tours and plants for sale!

04/18/2024

The Thomas Street Community Garden is hosting an information session and garden tour for all prospective members interested in joining us for the 2024 gardening season.

Two half hour intro sessions will be held, starting at 10:30 AM on Sunday April 21st and 10:30 AM Sunday April 28th.

No previous gardening experience is required, all are welcome!

04/03/2024

Another native plant sale! Always buy native plants.

📢 2024 Native Plant Sale is Here! 🌱🌳🪻🌻

Our third annual native plant sale is now underway! This year, we are offering NINE different garden designs and packages available for pre-order, all created by Jeremy Ohmes of Wild World Gardens and Keith Sykora of Stellar Native Plant Nursery. The plants in the packages are coming from Midwest Groundcovers as part of their Natural Garden Natives line, a selection of pesticide-free, local ecotype native plants, and we’ll be selling plants in one-pint containers. Be sure to order soon, supplies are limited!

You can pick up your pre-ordered packages, and browse around for individual plants, on Saturday, June 1st, 9am-2pm, at Moraine Valley Community College, Lot D (9000 W. College Parkway, Lot D., Palos Hills, IL 60465).

Deadline to pre-order is MAY 1ST!

04/01/2024

Buy and plant native saplings! Order in advance.

Native Sapling Distribution for Cook County Residents
To celebrate Earth Day, Cook County Extension is sponsoring a sapling distribution. The trees and shrubs are young bareroot saplings and should be planted as soon as possible after pick up. While easy to plant due to their small size, they will require regular watering during their first couple of growing seasons.

We are offering 6 kinds of saplings: American Plum, Chickasaw Plum, Hazelnut, Nannyberry, Pecan, and Persimmon. To learn more about each type visit
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P7sTfwWTJkFlWSfmQ2Kc_qnmsSGNE7ic/view

NOTE: The saplings must be picked up in person!
Saturday April 20 from 1 to 4 pm
8753 South Greenwood Ave, Suite 100, Chicago IL 60619.

We will do our best to fulfill all advance orders. Please bring plastic bags to transport your saplings home.
A copy of your responses will be emailed to you. If you are able, please bring the email with you to help speed the pick up process.

Quantities are limited, so if you are interested in a bulk order, you may place your own order directly with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Mason State Tree Nursery.