My kids have this unspoken competition between themselves. Periodically, they will take a picture of themselves (yes, I have just dated myself by refusing to call it a selfie) and then use that picture as the screen saver on my phone. The result is that whenever I look at my phone I see their bright, smiling face.
They especially like doing it because it means that the picture of their brother or sister that was the screen saver has now been replaced with their own picture. They think it means that they are now my favorite and that donât think I know how to change the picture. Sometimes I just let them believe what they want to believe.
My current screen saver features a picture of my daughter Sarah during a recent visit to the Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens. It is a wonderful reminder of our visit to a beautiful place. The Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens is located in Rockford on the banks of the Rock River. Their mission is to to ‘help people enjoy life’. We certainly did that as we spent a recent cold wintery day wandering around their beautiful conservatory. Beginning on March 19, they will feature a âSimply Spring: Butterfly Exhibit.â They will feature native and tropical butterflies in all stages of their life as they fly around the tropical conservatory. They are closed on Mondays, but are open TuesdayâFriday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission fees range from $1-8 depending on your age. The address is 1354 North 2nd Street, Rockford, IL 61107. Their phone number is 815-987-8858. For more information, their website is www.nicholasconservatory.com. I hope that you are able to enjoy a few hours among the gorgeous plants.
Also, the Plantaholics Retreat Spring Garden Symposium at the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville Wisconsin is the perfect kick off for the gardening season. The Symposium will feature three gardening experts speaking on a wide range of topics from âUnderutilized Woodies and Perennials for the Midwest Landscapeâ to âPots of Bold: Designing with Dramaâ and âFlowers and Foliage: New Exciting Annuals.â The Retreat takes place on Saturday, March 19 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville and costs $65 to attend. For more information call Mark at 608-754-1779 or visit their website at rotarybotanicalgardens.org.
Gardenfest will be taking place at McHenry County College on Saturday, April 9. There are over 30 workshops planned for every level of gardener from the novice to the experienced. Kerry Ann Mendez will be giving the keynote address, âThree Seasons of Outrageous Color from Perennialsâ. Gardenfest takes place in the Luecht Conference Center at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake. Registration is $45 and includes lunch. For more information call 815-455-8764 or visit the website: www.mchenry.edu/gardenfest
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.
