Our summer gathering was based in the charming town of Geneva, IL west of Chicago. Our event kicked off perfectly with a tour of the gardens at Ball lead by Joan Mazat and Katie Rotella. Although it was a sizzling hot day, this tour started us off just the way we like it; surrounded by flowers and being inspired by hundreds of magnificent container combos. We learned about Clesen’s winter program and all that they offer for container garden designers. We also toured Midwest Groundcovers and the private garden of Debra Phillips learning how she incorporates objects into her container designs. A day downtown Chicago took us to Lurie Garden, on an architectural boat cruise, lunch at Lou Malnati’s for famous Chicago-style deep dish pizza, and taking in the fabulous flower displays along Michigan Ave. We ended our gathering with a fun hands on airplant activity, delicious and creative charcuterie, and a stop at Catigny Gardens. Thank you to our sponsors, Tierra Verde, Capital Garden Products, EarthPlanter, Ball, Crescent Garden, Clesen Wholesale, Dramm, Vyn, Garden of Words, Midwest Groundcovers, Suntory, Green Profit and Star Valley Flowers for helping make this event such a success!
