Description
$495 (special price for Digging In Members, check your email or Slack for the code)
Surround yourself with like-minded professionals for summer fun and beautiful flowers. We’ll visit the Trial Gardens at Ball with over 9 acres of display beds and containers, you’re sure to spark fantastic and creative ideas. The gardens have been the testing grounds for the world’s wealth of horticultural introductions and improvements for over 80 years. You’ll get to see the newest plants from the industry’s leading breeders and marketers at this innovative display.
We’ll visit the fantastic gardens of Midwest Groundcovers and we will take in the magical floral displays in downtown Chicago, one of the most beautiful flower-filled cities in the United States! Learning opportunities abound with our industry speakers and vendors joining us for this mulit-day event.
Our base will be historic Geneva, Illinois located on the Fox River. As you step foot into this community, you’ll immediately feel the warmth and magic of this small town. With its idyllic landscapes, historic charm, a quaint downtown to the dozens of treasured Third Street Victorian homes that now house unique specialty shops and eateries.
Attending this gathering will allow you to learn from others, make industry connections and give you a chance to immerse yourself in the beauty that only Chicago and the surrounding areas can offer during the summer months.
Digging In – Summer Gathering Schedule*
Monday-August 5, 2024
8:30am – We’ll start at The Herrington Inn in Geneva and board the coach to drive to Ball Seed’s Trial Gardens and Headquarters in West Chicago.
9:00am – Private Tour of Ball Seed’s Trial Gardens and Headquarters
11:30am – Top Picks and Rock Solid Performers; Learn the Plant Material that Maximizes Color, Texture and Dimensional Elements to Make your Designs Come to Life
12:30pm – Lunch
1:00pm – Learn more about Clesen Wholesale’s Winter Program for Container Gardening
3:00pm – Depart for Midwest Groundcovers in St. Charles and Tour their Spectacular Gardens
5:30pm- Arrive back at The Herrington Inn for a short break
6:30pm – Group Dinner, The Herrington Inn, with Dinner Speaker, Debra Philips, landscaper, container designer and owner of Scentimental Designs Learn How Debra Incorporates Beautiful Objects in Her Containers
Tuesday-August 6, 2024
9:00am – Depart The Herrington Inn for a full and fun day in Downtown Chicago, We’ll Visit Millennium Park, Lurie Garden, The Magnificent Mile and Much More
5:30pm – Arrive back at The Herrington Inn for a short break
6:30pm – Hands On Workshop with Grow Geneva and Charcuterie Social at Chi Cuterie in Geneva
Wednesday-August 7, 2024
9:30am-11:00am – Visit to Catigny Gardens
Or Feel Free to Depart this Morning, Spend the Day in Geneva or Choose to Extend your Stay in the Chicago Area. You may want to attend the Garden Center Show in Rosemont which is also taking place on Wednesday (this is optional and would be your responsibility to arrange)
*Schedule is subject to changes
Registration – Digging In Summer Gathering $495/member price, check your email or Slack for the discount code $625/general price
Registration includes all meals, transportation and events listed on the schedule.
Travel Info-
You are responsible for booking your flights and accommodations.
Accommodations-
A block of rooms is reserved at The Herrington Inn for August 4-7. We have a special Digging In event room rate at $219/night for a Standard Double or King Room. This is a small, boutique hotel and rooms are limited. You must book your room by June 1 to receive our special rate. To book a room call the Inn at 630-208-7433 and ask to make a reservation in the Digging In Block. Unfortunately, the hotel is not able to honor our special rate outside of our event dates of August 4-7. For those driving, the hotel does offer free parking.
Airport Info-
Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) are both approximately 1 hour from our hotel. You can arrange for an airport transfer from either airport, by contacting a transportation company such as A-1 Airport Services. You can also rent a car or use Uber/Lyft. Getting a group together to share a ride is a great idea and we’ll encourage that in our Slack group for those attending the event.
