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Wicker Park Landscape Design Workshops Start in January

By Alisa Hauser | December 31, 2015 9:27am
 Richard Tilley is a master gardener and member of the Wicker Park Garden Club.
Richard Tilley is a master gardener and member of the Wicker Park Garden Club.
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DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser

WICKER PARK — A popular Saturday morning landscape design class begins its next series in January and provides eight weekly hands-on workshops.

Organizers from the Wicker Park Garden Club, who tend to the neighborhood's namesake park gardens, have assembled a lineup of professional designers and avid gardeners to lead its 10th season.

Eight Saturday morning classes led by seasoned gardeners will teach participants how to create a landscaped garden for their home, as well as draw up a blueprint for the planting season in spring.

"Winter is a great time to create and plan. It is probably the best class we do all year, and people have a great time and meet people from all over Chicagoland," said Doug Wood, president of the Wicker Park Garden Club.

As of Thursday, Wood said there are 10 slots left for the class, which has a maximum capacity of 40 students.

Scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays from Jan. 9 to Feb. 27, the series is geared toward folks who want to create gardens for their homes, businesses, empty lots and places of worship.

Participation in the series, which provides 24 hours of training, costs $120. The classes take place in the Wicker Park Fieldhouse, 1425 N. Damen Ave.

The series will take students through the process of design, both in lectures and hands-on projects.

Activities will include creating a site plan, determining usage and bed areas, incorporating architectural influences, selecting plants for sun and shade and understanding native and sustainable plant palettes, among other topics.

Each week will spotlight a different design focus and require homework. The final week will culminate with each student delivering a semi-formal presentation on his or her landscape garden plan — a blueprint for spring when outdoor work can begin.

For more information or to register for the series, email Wood.

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