Now celebrating its centennial year, Elmhurst Garden Club keeps our town beautiful

By Maureen Callahan

While Elmhurst lives up to its “Tree Town” nickname, this suburb is also known for its beautiful gardens. Many green spaces in town are initiated and carefully maintained by our very own Elmhurst Garden Club (EGC).

Now 170 members strong, this 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is celebrating its centennial year. This summer also marks the thirtieth anniversary of the club’s annual Garden Walk and Faire. Proceeds raised are reinvested in the community.

EGC keeps Elmhurst attractive by maintaining areas around town, such as our section of the Illinois Prairie Path. The group also participates in several outreach opportunities.

“There’s a real focus on beautifying the community while assisting others.”

– Elmhurst Garden Club Vice President of Programs, Deb Kobiljak

Members curate an 8,800-square-foot section of culinary, fragrant, and medicinal herbs in Wilder Park. The area, known as Elizabeth’s Friendship Walk, is part of a collaboration with Elmhurst Park District. EGC helpers plant the garden in the spring, prepare it for the summer Garden Walk and Faire, and get the area ready for the winter season. Elizabeth’s Friendship Walk caught the eye of Illinois when it earned a first-place award from the National Council of State Garden Clubs for Landscape Design.

“The women who belong to the club seem to put full dedication into helping others and the community,” said Elmhurst Garden Club Vice President of Programs Deb Kobiljak.

Volunteers also meticulously maintain an herb garden and other areas of campus grounds at Elmhurst Ray Graham Learning Center. A nature therapy program partnership between EGC and Ray Graham helps adults with special needs become more familiar with various natural topics, such as a Monarch Waystation and butterfly garden.

Partnerships with Indigo Memory Care add a ray of sunshine to the lives of memory care patients through garden design and arts and crafts.

York students benefit from mentorship with EGC members to learn the basics of planting, growing, and maintaining a healthy garden in keeping with environmental issues and sustainability. Horticultural development at Elmhurst University Arboretum is another of the club’s ongoing outreach efforts.

EGC is proud of its legacy of financial assistance raised through proceeds raised at the annual Garden Walk and Faire. High school students are invited to apply for summer scholarships of up to $1,000 toward workshops or camps relevant to topics such as botany, horticulture, or landscape design.

College students entering junior or senior year are also encouraged to apply for funds for similar areas of study. Over $238,000 in scholarships have been awarded in the last two and a half decades.

Lectures relevant to various topics, such as new garden design education, are held periodically throughout the year at Elmhurst Library.

“There’s a real focus on beautifying the community while assisting others,” Kobiljak said.

The Garden Walk and Faire showcases some of Elmhurst’s most inspiring landscapes.

Garden & Walk Faire at a Glance

An Afternoon in the Garden will take place on Sunday, July 12th, starting at 10 a.m. Come on out to see some of Elmhurst’s most well-appointed home gardens while supporting a wonderful cause. Take advantage of some stunning photo opportunities for your social media pages before shopping for plants, flowers and crafts in Wilder Park at the end of the route.

Please note that tickets to the Garden Walk and Faire are only available online this year. No tickets will be sold at the event.

For more information on meeting times and locations or the annual Garden Walk and Faire, visit elmhurstgardenclub.org.
EGC welcomes new members at any time of the year.