Review Chicago Antique Malls: Part 4 - Lake County (Zurko Productions )

This past weekend I had the opportunity to journey to the Antique Show at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Illinois. This is an event run by Zurko Promotions - details of which are on their website (linked here)   A really fun part of summer for me is going to garage sales, flea markets and these outside antique shows. I was super exited to head to Lake Country after a fun girls day to the Sandwich Antique Market just a month earlier. 

Lake Country Antique Show - Photo From Zurko Promotions

I should have taken heart in the photo provided on the Zurko website - that being a very large indoor room with vendors displaying on tables - i.e. not a great deal of larger items like furniture. 

What you see is what you get! Table with lots of costume jewelry, post cards, maps, buttons, bits and pieces. Lots of glassware too. 

There were also about 30 stands outside this main building. Five of which were selling beads - all the same merchandise and same price points. I enjoyed the exterior vendors more - unique furniture, old boxes, garden items. 

Read on the the 4th of my Antique Mall and Fair reviews...

Review Chicago Antique Mall - Sandwich, IL Antique Fair (Part 3)

Antique Wrought Iron Fencing

I have given a few reviews of antique malls and stores around the Chicago area (link here.) In the summertime there is added adventure to getting to any of a number of larger antique events such as Sunday's at Sandwich Antique Show.  I remember going to an antique market in Sandwich maybe 15 years ago or longer. It was almost too overwhelming and too much to cover in a day.  Today the market is undergoing a bit of revitalization having contracted significantly since my visit years ago. Under new management and a few years into the rejuvenation. I really enjoyed my visit and highly recommend as a day trip.

Spring Flower Show - Garfield Park Conservatory

For the Love of Tulips
Spring Showing in my Yard

Today I visited the Spring Flower show, entitled Sun Showers, at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  I look forward to spring flower and garden shows to get my creative fix. I also start thinking about the ephemeral and bulbs that will be breaking through in my own yard.  Plus it's just so great to get into a warm space that is bursting with color and fragrance! 

At Garfield Park Conservatory flower shows - one display house, the show house, is taken over by the display items. At times the explosion of flowers also spills over into Horticulture Hall and the lobby. This show was no exception. 

Please  enjoy the photos.  I'm not sure the colors are 100% true, but here are the shots of my favorites :)

Review - Chihuly at Denver Botanic Garden

Chihuly - Blue Spiky Glass at
Denver Botanic Garden, 2014

Denver Botanic Gardens presented an outdoor exhibit artwork by celebrated American artist, Dale Chihuly.  The Glass from Chihuly's sculptures – ranging in size and form – added bold colors and dramatic beauty to the Gardens' 24-acre urban oasis.  Chihuly first exhibited glass within a garden setting at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory - which houses a permanent exhibit of Chihuly glass in it's Aroid House. 

The glass in Denver was on such a large scale. In some cases the glass over took the surroundings it was so overbearing, beautiful, creative, and yet at times not in sync with the surroundings.  Which is not to say that I didn't love the exhibit - I adore the Denver Botanic Gardens, I think I just had very different expectations.  There was a piece of art glass almost around every corner - so much to take in.  

Take a virtual tour, see what you think from the photos below. 

Creatures of the Night - Halloween @ Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory

Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory hosts an special Halloween themed evening called Creatures of the Night each October.  The event showcases nocturnal animals in the Conservatory's living collection.  It is a unique opportunity for kids of all ages to get up close and personal with some very interesting creatures!  The range of animals has included fruit bat, owls, spiders, wolves, big snakes, cockroaches, even a raccoon and more creepy crawlers. 

Creatures of the Night, Chicago, 2014

I took my children when they were much younger - in the 5-12 year old range. They had a blast and it really supplemented their classroom learning.  Not only did they get to touch the animals and observe them up close, but also ask the handlers questions about what the animals eat, how they behave and more. My kids, now driving and on their own, continue to go to the event with their friends. It's an unexpected tradition in our family now.

Kids and adults come in costume. There are treats to enjoy and often music. It's an experience not to be missed (and well worth the small donation requested.)

Lily and Daylily Flower Show

Daylily Flower Arrangement

This past weekend I attended the Day Lily and Lily show at the Chicago Botanic Garden sponsored by Sponsored by the Northshore Iris and Daylily Society and Wisconsin-Illinois Lily Society respectively. 

At Chicago Botanic garden flower shows - there is placement of only one stem with one flower each submitted by member of the sponsoring society. In the lily show they had also purchased some for display. The layout gets you close to each flower to see the differences up.

I have been jaded by the overwhelming plantings of tawny daylily plants which are considered invasive in my area and many surrounding states. This is 

Ditch Lilies in Illinois

Hemerocallis fulva here is a shot of them in my garden.  Included in this are the Stella De Oro variety. They are pretty but, for me,  no longer pack a "WOW" in the garden.  They even varry the name "ditch lilies" because they can be seen by roadsides. It seems every year there are dozens of people giving them away for free - which is exactly where I pickup up most of mine. I was super pleased to see the potential and so many different varieties of both Hemerocallis and true lily (Lilium) . 

Please  enjoy the photos.  I'm not sure the colors are 100% true, but here are the shots of my favorites :)

Outrageous Orchids! (Flower Show Review)

I visited the Orchid Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden. This was a wonderful respite from the snowy day. As a friend said - this winter White is the new Black. :D  I very much enjoyed seeing all the bright colors of the orchids.  I recall the first time I ever saw an Orchid was at the Joaquin Antonio Uribe Botanic Garden of Medellin, Colombia.  I was 12 years old and the 34 acre botanical garden in the middle of the city was so impressive! More so was the massive collection of orchids in the unique architectural space called the Orchidiarium. All I can say is that it was simultaneously overwhelming, impressive and memorable.  While the exhibit at the Chicago Botanic Garden pales in comparison - it's much easier to get to than Colombia, and well worth the visit!

Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show - 2014

Start Thinking Spring - Shows, Events, Road-trips

This weekend the first spring flower show starts in Chicago, thus kicking of several months of events that culminate in the beginning of spring and ethnic fest etc. in Chicago. 

As I did last year, here is a listing of events from Iowa - Wisconsin - Illinois - Michigan. I was searching out potential weekend adventures and road-trips and thought I might share with you all. Maybe provide some ideas, or just save you some time on your own searching.  All links and information was accurate as of 1/24/2013  If you find other shows or errors herein please note in comments! Thank you

Transparent tips on Succulent

Succulent Container Garden

(Succulent pictures just because I think they are so pretty and I spend too much time with them this time of year :)  )

• Chicago - Lincoln Park Conservatory Spring Flower Show - January 26 - May 12

Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory Public Tours - Whoo Hoo!



Garfield Park Conservatory - Oct 2011

It is exciting that Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory is now Offering Guided Tours! I'm one of the Garfield Park Conservatory Guides and did my master gardener training and volunteering there -so I'm happy to show you around. Lots of interesting plant facts, and historical information and just fun!  Each of the tour guides brings their own unique energy and spirit! 

There are three tour options;

1) Behind-the-Scenes (Adults only) - see the propagation houses, works

2) Tropical Treat - (all ages)

3) Conversatory Highlights - General Tour.

Check out the website for more information and click the "Tour Registration for Visitors" button to purchase your tour tickets online.

I'm giving a tour this Sunday!

Hope to see you there - Touring with Teresa!

Humming to myself today :)

Dahlia Diversity - Impressive Showing (Flower Show Review)

This past weekend I attended the Dahlia show at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I so enjoyed seeing all the different varieties. Please  enjoy the photos. If I had thought about it at that time I would have jotted down the names of each of these!

A flower show is essentially a display of only one stem with one flower each submitted by a different grower, or in this case member of the Dahlia association. In this photo below you can see how this is all arranged. I also had a chance to talk with some of the members. I didn't know Dahlias were from Mexico, and of course hybridized in Holland, Europe etc over the years. Those guys did a great job showing off the splendor!

Dahlia Show - Chicago Botanic Garden Sep 2011

There were a few rooms with tables of flowers. Luckily I could get up close and explore each flower that interested me! And take lots of photos. The shots here are my favorites :)

One Pane at a Time - Garfield Park Conservatory Update

The other night I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  This was part of the launch of the One Pane at a Time campaign to raise funds to recover from the summer hailstorm severely damaged the Garfield Park Conservatory's glass-paned roof.  The resulting damage to the conservatory exhibition halls and propagation greenhouses will take years, many hours and many dollars to fix.


Here are a few shots of the interior as of September, 2011.

Prop house 1 - ~2009

Prop House 1 - Sept 2011

Above are two photos of Propagation House 1.  One the left you can see what this looks like today.  The house is closed until all the glass can be removed and the roof rebuilt.  There is a protective ceiling down the main walkway to allow people to pass through.  If one goes outside this path they need to wear hard hats and protective wear to guard against falling glass.  One the right is the exact same Propagation house in 2009 when I first started volunteering at Garfield Park Conservatory.  There are now few places for propagation and storage of plants.   





Garfield Conservatory Show House - Sep 2011



Garfield Conservatory Show House - Sep 2011



We walked through the Show House.  I recalled that the first room open to the public when the Conservatory first opened.  So much history here.  Even though I know that it had been rebuilt before, it was still shocking to see that it had been cleared - to remove the broken roof and also the broken glass from the floor / plant beds.  Only a few of the larger trees were not removed.  In the pictures below you can see in the photo on the left - the temporary roof that is across the fern room (out the window the building in the back is the roof of the fern room.)  In the photo on the right, you can see how they have removed most plants.



We also passed along through the construction zome to the historic fern room.  With the temporary roof in place and all the glass removed from the beds, the plants were starting to come back.  They did suffer from sun damage, over handling (walking on the mosses and the shop vac to remove glass) - but plants are resilient!  The pond had been drained to be cleaned and at the time of our viewing had not been filled. It wouldn't surprise me if the space is used to store shade loving plants for the winter.



Garfield Park Consevatory Show House Dec 2009



I put to the side here a photo of the show house during the Holiday Show last year.  The Conservatory will still be having a large display of Poinsettias this year and other colorful holiday plants.  This will be displayed around the conservatory as the show house will still be closed.

Thanks for reading this update. Please pass along the word about the One-Pane-at-a-time Campaign.  Individuals are being asked to buy a glass pane to rebuild the conservatory's roof. (or get your employer excited to contribute - email to ask how!)

Donations can be made at www.garfieldconservatory.org/one_pane_at_a_time.htm

Today I'm singing various opera arias - so excited for lyric season to be starting soon.

Teresa Marie