Gardening Lecture: Growing Garlic
2025-09-11 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Garlic is usually harvested in July, but did you know that it is planted in the fall? Join us as we learn about this easy-to-grow crop: what type of garlic to grow, when and how to plant it, and how to harvest your bulbs and scapes. Register here.

TET (Toddler Exploration Time): 2025/2026
2025-09-19 09:30 - 11:15, 2025-10-17 09:30 - 11:15, 2025-11-21 09:30 - 11:15 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Young learners (18 months – 5 years) will be delighted with stories, lessons, and crafts led by FOPCON’s education docents at the Oak Park Conservatory. Each month is a different topic. Advanced registration for 9:30-10:15 or 10:30-11:15 is required. Limited to 30 children and their caregivers. FREE.
Themes:
September 19, 2025. Fall Seeds.
October 17, 2025. Night Flyers.
November 21, 2025. Treeing Around.
January 16, 2025. Frosty.
February 20, 2025. What’s That Sound?
March 20, 2025. Pitter, Patter, Splash.

Registration Links:
September – November 2025:
Register HERE for 9:30.
Register HERE for 10:30.

January – March 2026:
Register HERE for 9:30.
Register HERE for 10:30.

Uncorked September 2025
2025-09-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Summertime is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks at the Oak Park Conservatory. Celebrate summer in the Rubinstein Garden with friends under the night sky. Admission includes two drink tickets, an appetizer, and a guided tour of the showrooms.
Tickets are $25. Advance sales only. Tickets will not be sold at the door. FOPCON members receive a 20% discount. Contact operations@fopcon.org for a discount code before registering. Tickets are $25 ($20 for FOPCON Members). Ages 21+
Registration Full. Vendors: Taco Mucho & BlackOut Bakery. Music by The Replays.

Gardening Lecture: Author Talk, Mysterious Moths
2025-10-16 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Though seldom seen due to their nocturnal nature, moths are every bit as beautiful and charismatic as their butterfly cousins. Their role as pollinators is essential to the survival of many of our plants, especially orchids. Most importantly, moths and their caterpillars are food for birds, bats, and countless other animals. We will take a photographic journey into the intriguing world of moths, exploring which of our native plants are most enticing to these lovely Lepidopterans. We can all greatly benefit the ecosystem around us by “moth gardening” in our yards! We are excited to host Chelsea Gottfried, co-author of Gardening for Moths, for this program. This lecture is co-sponsored by West Cook Wild Ones. Register here.
Chelsea Gottfried is a naturalist from Crawford County, Ohio. In 2020, she founded Forest Friends, a nature-based preschool where children learn and explore in nature. An avid native plant gardener and a passionate entomologist, Chelsea’s areas of expertise include moths, bees, dragonflies, and damselflies. She enjoys capturing up-close images of insects and flowers using macrophotography. Her first book, Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide, which she co-authored with Jim McCormac, was released in 2023 and features many of her photographs.

Gardening Lecture: Houseplant Pest Management
2025-11-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Pests aren’t only in our gardens – they often end up on our houseplants, as well. Join us as we learn about how to prevent pests from showing up, identify them if they do, and how to effectively treat them and keep them from spreading. Register here.

Winter Greens Open House
2025-11-15 10:00 - 13:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
On Saturday, Nov 15, join us for a winter greens open house! Live demos of creating holiday containers and wreaths will be going on throughout the day. Refreshments will be served. No registration required.
Nov 14-Dec 21, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Shop the Oak Park Conservatory’s Winter Greens Market for a selection of winter greens for your home. An array of fresh greens including balsam, fir, boxwood, winter berries, magnolia tips, spruce tops, and more will be available along with many other natural items for your winter decoration needs.

TET (Toddler Exploration Time): 2025/2026
2026-01-16 09:30 - 11:15, 2026-02-20 09:30 - 11:15 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Young learners (18 months – 5 years) will be delighted with stories, lessons, and crafts led by FOPCON’s education docents at the Oak Park Conservatory. Each month is a different topic. Advanced registration for 9:30-10:15 or 10:30-11:15 is required. Limited to 30 children and their caregivers. FREE.
Themes:
January 16, 2025. Frosty.
February 20, 2025. What’s That Sound?
March 20, 2025. Pitter, Patter, Splash.
April 17, 2026. Spring Fling.*
May 15, 2026. Busy Bees.*

Registration Links:
January – March 2026:
Register HERE for 9:30.
Register HERE for 10:30.
*Registration for April and May available March 2026.

Gardening Lecture: Winter Sowing
2026-01-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Winter sowing is becoming a more widely known method of growing healthy seedlings, and we can start winter sowing now! Join us as we learn about what equipment you’ll need, how to set it up, and the timing for growing a variety of seeds. Register here.
Do not miss the upcoming Seed Swap, and get your garden started! Details here.

Seed Swap
2026-01-25 11:00 - 14:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Join us at the Oak Park Conservatory to honor the great U.S. tradition of swapping seeds with neighbors. Browse a selection of herbs, vegetables, floral, perennial, and native seeds. We will have expert gardeners on hand to guide you in getting your garden off to a good start! Please label your seed donations with the variety, source, and year when possible. Note the first hour is open to FOPCON Members only.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm | FOPCON Members
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm | General Public
Join our upcoming lectures to learn the winter sowing essentials. Details HERE.

Gardening Lecture: Building a Drought-Tolerant Garden
2026-02-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
We can’t change the amount of rainfall we receive, but we can adapt the way we garden. Join us as we learn about drought-tolerant gardening: what are the best plants to grow, and how can we make the most effective use of the rainfall we do receive. Register here.

Learn and Grow: Preparing for the Growing Season
2026-04-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory for our popular Learn & Grow gardening lecture series in person at the Conservatory. We will help you prepare for the gardening season and highlight plants available at our Annual Plant Sale. Programs are for all gardening levels. Registration is required for these free programs. Ages 18+

Apr 8: Preparing for the Growing Season
Ready, set, grow! It’s time to get back into the garden, but there’s a lot to do besides deciding which plants you’re interested in. Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory to learn how to prepare your soil, tools, pots, and compost to get the most out of the upcoming season. Register here.

Learn and Grow: Tomatoes 101
2026-04-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory for our popular Learn & Grow gardening lecture series in person at the Conservatory. We will help you prepare for the gardening season and highlight plants available at our Annual Plant Sale. Programs are for all gardening levels. Registration is required for these free programs. Ages 18+

Apr 15: Tomatoes 101
Tomatoes are the most popular crop to grow, yet even experienced gardeners can still struggle to do it successfully. Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory to learn about the essentials for soil, sun, and water, as well as the basics of caging, pruning, and fertilizing. Register here.

Learn and Grow: Container Gardening with Annuals
2026-04-22 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory for our popular Learn & Grow gardening lecture series in person at the Conservatory. We will help you prepare for the gardening season and highlight plants available at our Annual Plant Sale. Programs are for all gardening levels. Registration is required for these free programs. Ages 18+

Apr 22: Container Gardening with Annuals
How do others make their containers of annuals look so great? Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory for tips on how to match up plants with complementary colors, textures, and heights to design a container you’ll be proud of. Plants from the Annual Plant Sale will be showcased. Register here.

Spring Plant and Tool Exchange
2026-05-17 09:30 - 11:30 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Plant swap at the Conservatory! Join other gardeners and share your favorite plants and extra tools at the annual spring exchange. Please bring at least one healthy plant from your garden or a house plant to participate in the swap. Be sure to label your plants. You can bring as many as you like! Advanced registration is required. Register here.
Drop Off, 9:30-10:30 am
Pick Up, 11:00-11:30 am

Help keep plastic pots out of our landfills – save your garden plastic pots from the Annual Plant Sale and return them for reuse.

Uncorked 2026
2026-06-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Summertime is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks at the Oak Park Conservatory. Celebrate summer in the Rubinstein Garden with friends under the night sky. Presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Your registration will include two glasses of wine, beer, or a non-alcoholic beverage, an appetizer, and a guided tour of the showrooms.
Tickets are $25. Advance sales only. Tickets will not be sold at the door. FOPCON members receive a 20% discount. Contact operations@fopcon.org for a discount code before registering. Tickets are $25 ($20 for FOPCON Members)
Details:
June 26: Featuring music by Petra van Nuis. Food provided by Cafe Cubano. Artisan: Aunt Diana’s Old Fashioned Fudge. Register here.
July 24: Featuring music by Meisha Herron. Food provided by Happy Apple Pie Shop. Artisan: Todd and Holland. Register here.
August 21: Featuring music by Rosemary Szurko Trio. Food provided by Taco Mucho. Artisan: Karma and Spice. Register here.
September 18: Featuring music by The Replays. Food provided by Grape Leaves. Artisan: River Forest Chocolates. Register here.

32nd Annual Garden Walk
2026-06-28 10:00 - 16:00 | IL
Mark your calendars for the 32nd annual Garden Walk in Oak Park and River Forest. Enjoy a self-guided tour featuring unique private and public gardens. Tickets go on sale May 1 at fopcon.org or gcoprf.org. Members of FOPCON and GCOPRF are eligible for discounted tickets. Transportation is not provided. Children 12 and under are free.
More details on our Garden Walk page.
Presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory (FOPCON) and the Garden Club of Oak Park and River Forest (GCOPRF). Proceeds from the Walk benefit the missions of both organizations.

Uncorked 2026
2026-07-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Summertime is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks at the Oak Park Conservatory. Celebrate summer in the Rubinstein Garden with friends under the night sky. Presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Your registration will include two glasses of wine, beer, or a non-alcoholic beverage, an appetizer, and a guided tour of the showrooms.
Tickets are $25. Advance sales only. Tickets will not be sold at the door. FOPCON members receive a 20% discount. Contact operations@fopcon.org for a discount code before registering. Tickets are $25 ($20 for FOPCON Members)
Details:
July 24: Featuring music by Meisha Herron. Food provided by Happy Apple Pie Shop. Artisan: Todd and Holland. Register here.
August 21: Featuring music by Rosemary Szurko Trio. Food provided by Taco Mucho. Artisan: Karma and Spice. Register here.
September 18: Featuring music by The Replays. Food provided by Grape Leaves. Artisan: River Forest Chocolates. Register here.

Uncorked 2026
2026-08-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Summertime is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks at the Oak Park Conservatory. Celebrate summer in the Rubinstein Garden with friends under the night sky. Presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Your registration will include two glasses of wine, beer, or a non-alcoholic beverage, an appetizer, and a guided tour of the showrooms.
Tickets are $25. Advance sales only. Tickets will not be sold at the door. FOPCON members receive a 20% discount. Contact operations@fopcon.org for a discount code before registering. Tickets are $25 ($20 for FOPCON Members)
Details:
August 21: Featuring music by Rosemary Szurko Trio. Food provided by Taco Mucho. Artisan: Karma and Spice. Register here.
September 18: Featuring music by The Replays. Food provided by Grape Leaves. Artisan: River Forest Chocolates. Register here.

Fall Plant and Tool Exchange
2026-09-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Join other gardeners and share your favorite plants and tools at the Fall Plant and Tool Exchange. Save your garden plastic pots and drop them off at our Garden Pot Return so they can be reused and kept out of landfills. Please bring at least one plant to participate in the plant exchange. Ages 18+
Drop Off, 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Pick Up, 2:30 – 3:00 PM
Register HERE.

Virtual Gardening Lecture: Pollinator Parkways
2026-09-17 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Looking for a unique way to expand your native garden? Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory to learn how to plant a pollinator garden in your parkway. We will share how to prepare your space, guidelines on planting the area between your sidewalk and the street, and recommend low-growing, tolerant native plants for parkways. Register here.

Uncorked 2026
2026-09-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Summertime is the best time to enjoy an evening of music and drinks at the Oak Park Conservatory. Celebrate summer in the Rubinstein Garden with friends under the night sky. Presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Your registration will include two glasses of wine, beer, or a non-alcoholic beverage, an appetizer, and a guided tour of the showrooms.
Tickets are $25. Advance sales only. Tickets will not be sold at the door. FOPCON members receive a 20% discount. Contact operations@fopcon.org for a discount code before registering. Tickets are $25 ($20 for FOPCON Members)
Details:
September 18: Featuring music by The Replays. Food provided by Grape Leaves. Artisan: River Forest Chocolates. Register here.

Virtual Gardening Lecture - Author Talk: Grass Isn’t Greener: Nurturing Nature at Home
2026-10-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
What if your backyard could help save the planet? With a few thoughtful changes, your yard can become a vibrant refuge for pollinators, birds, and bugs—and a surprisingly powerful force for conservation. In this inspiring and practical talk, conservation educator and author/photographer Danae Wolfe shares how reimagining your outdoor space can support biodiversity and build climate resilience. You’ll leave with a fresh perspective, a spark of wonder, and the tools to transform your little patch of earth into something wilder, wiser, and more alive. Presented by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Register here.

Virtual Gardening Lecture: Veggie Seed Sowing
2027-01-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
You’re thinking about veggie seeds you bought and those you might pick up at the seed swap, and you’re wondering if you can start some indoors now. Yes! Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory and learn the growing conditions and equipment needed, how to prevent some bug and disease issues, which veggies to start now, and which to start in the ground later. Registration coming soon.
Join us at the Seed Swap and get your garden started! Details here.

Seed Swap
2027-01-24 11:00 - 14:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
Join us at the Oak Park Conservatory to honor the great U.S. tradition of swapping seeds with neighbors. Browse a selection of herbs, vegetables, floral, perennial, and native seeds. We will have expert gardeners on hand to guide you in getting your garden off to a good start! Please label your seed donations with the variety, source, and year when possible. Note that the first hour is open to FOPCON Members only.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm | FOPCON Members
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm | General Public
Join our upcoming lectures to learn how to start your veggie seeds. Details HERE.

Virtual Gardening Lecture: Winter Pruning 101
2027-02-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield, Oak Park, IL, 60304, United States
A warm day is tempting you to be in the garden, but it’s too early for cleaning beds or planting …it’s a perfect day for pruning shrubs! Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory and learn why winter pruning is important, how to prune, and which shrubs benefit most from a trim this time of year. Registration coming soon.
