Our Perennial Festival is scheduled for July 11 – 19. The theme this year is Garden Spaces. Explore 13 staff-designed gardens demonstrating the many ways people use gardens to enrich their lives from spaces for birds, bees and butterflies and meditation to spaces for romance and ’staycations’ and many more.

Take a daily staff-led tour at 10:00 a.m. or 3:30 p.m. or experience the gardens on your own with our map. Learn something new at a wide variety of classes and demonstrations. Have fun at one of our special events. Free tool sharpening is available on Saturday, July 11 from 9 – 11 a.m. Click on ‘Perennial Festival’ under our Calendar for a complete list of Perennial Festival activities.

Of course, there will be lots of specials on plants and garden decor. And what would a festival be without fresly popped popcorn and ice-cold lemonade?

I encourage you all to purchase tickets for our benefit garden walk on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28. The gardens are beautiful!

Twelve garden owners have generously agreed to share their gardens with you. Although their gardens were fabulous when we previewed them last summer, they’ve worked very hard this spring to put on special finishing touches.  

Four gardens are just west of St. Charles; two are in Bartlett; two are in West Chicago; one is in Glen Ellyn; and three are in Wheaton. Each group of gardens are in close proximity to each other.

Proceeds will be donated to community organizations that are near and dear to our hearts – University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and DuPage County Animal Care & Control.

One-day tickets are $15; weekend tickets are $25. Purchase tickets at The Planter’s Palette, Kane County Extension – 535 South Randall Rd. – St. Charles, or call 630-293-1040 x 2 and we’ll mail them to you.

Do something good for your community and see some beautiful gardens!

We have finally made it past the average frost-free date for our area.

It’s time to plant warm-weather loving annuals like impatiens, marigolds and zinnias to add color to your landscape all summer long. It’s time to plant herbs and vegetables like basil, beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. It’s time to plant containers and hanging baskets to surround yourself with color.

Celebrate summer with flowers!

Happy May Day!  Why don’t we celebrate May Day anymore?  When we were kids, we would make May Day baskets and fill them with any flowers we could find in our mothers’ gardens.  The best part was trying to hide before the recipient answered the doorbell so you could witness their joyous surprise.  It would be a wonderful way to reconnect with friends and neighbors, don’t you think?

Although the last few days hasn’t felt like it, spring has definitely sprung.  Early spring bulbs like winter aconite are blooming here at The Planter’s Palette and the robins are out in full force.  I can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been up to over the winter.  The final adjustments have been made to the new greenhouse and the plants are starting to move in.  The gift shop sports a fresh new look – new colors, new lighting, and new products.  The only thing missing is YOU!  Join us as we celebrate this new era at The Planter’s Palette at our Grand Re-Opening on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19.