I heard about the Oak Park Conservatory from my former landlord 9 years ago. I started planting herbs and small vegetables in the back yard of the apartment. She saw my plants and told me about the plant sale. The following spring, I started buying many plants from the Annual Plant Sale. I loved the quality of the plants and the selection to choose from. I continued to go back year after year because of how amazing the plants usually were. A couple of times I went to the plant sales, and they had sold out of some of the plants that I was looking for. At that point I decided to join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory (FOPCON). I thought I was going to just get early access to the plant sale but found so much more.
I soon learned that my membership not only allowed for early access to the plant sale, but also granted reciprocity to 380 gardens and arboreta throughout the United States. My husband and I have used this benefit so many times on our travels and locally. We have used the FOPCON membership to see Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, SC, The North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, NC, San Antonio Botanic Garden, San Antonio, TX and Lady Bird Johnson Garden, Austin, TX. Locally we use our membership to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden, which is currently offering discounted tickets to the orchid show to FOPCON members and The Garfield Park Conservatory. Whenever we plan a trip, we look to see what gardens we can visit on our trips.
Another great perk of FOPCON membership is a 10% discount to Good Earth Garden Center, Clover Garden Center and Westgate Florist. I have used my membership discount at Good Earth and Westgate Florist. I recently used my membership discount at Westgate to buy my mother-in-law a beautiful arrangement for Christmas.
Like many during the COVID pandemic, I wanted to hone my gardening skills. I was in my yard more and I also needed to find something to do to fill my time. I started to attend the online lectures and learned so much from all the speakers. Lecture topics have included growing veggies, how to organize containers, planting spring bulbs and so much more. By joining FOPCON, you are supporting the educational programs that are open to the public.
These are just a few of the reasons why I continue to support FOPCON. Though the main reason is because I believe in the mission. I hope you will join us during our membership drive and take advantage of the many benefits that FOPCON membership can offer.
Ramona Ramos-Sullivan
FOPCON Board Member & Membership Committee Co-Chair
Become a Friend and support the historic Oak Park Conservatory! The Oak Park Conservatory is a local treasure — a vibrant oasis where you can immerse yourself in nature year-round. It’s also where people of all ages can learn more about the natural world and how to cultivate their own thriving gardens. Join The Friends of The Oak Park Conservatory HERE.
