WB_072519
WB_072519
WB_072519
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wilmettebeacon.com LIFE & ARTS<br />
the wilmette beacon | July 25, 2019 | 25<br />
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 2 days ago<br />
Yard tour educates public on sustainable gardening<br />
Alexa Burnell<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
Six Wilmette homeowners<br />
opened their doors to<br />
the public, showcasing the<br />
many ways to integrate native<br />
plants, improve soil,<br />
grow healthy gardens and<br />
more during the seventh<br />
annual Go Green Wilmette<br />
Sustainable Yard Tour<br />
Sunday, July 21.<br />
Go Green Board member<br />
Saima Abassi chairs<br />
the event each year, making<br />
it her mission to teach<br />
others that sustainable gardening<br />
practices can be<br />
easily achieved.<br />
“I hope that this yearly<br />
tour shows others that we<br />
can all take steps to help<br />
the environment while creating<br />
aesthetically pleasing<br />
yards. Most important<br />
is the inclusion of native<br />
plants. Each home on display<br />
today includes native<br />
plants and each owner has<br />
found their own unique<br />
way to incorporate them<br />
into their yards,” Abassi<br />
said. “Best of all, this tour<br />
allows visitors to learn<br />
from the homeowners directly.<br />
My hope is that<br />
when visitors see that their<br />
friends and neighbors have<br />
been able to incorporate<br />
sustainable practices, they<br />
will learn that the process<br />
is doable.”<br />
As Abassi mingled with<br />
visitors she explained<br />
how native plants attract<br />
pollinators like bees and<br />
butterflies. Increased presence<br />
of pollinators means<br />
healthier habitats. Native<br />
plants also nourish soil<br />
with their deep roots and<br />
they are incredibly successful<br />
at sequestering carbon,<br />
even mores so than<br />
trees. Native plants are<br />
also able to balance water<br />
levels and feed birds and<br />
other species — the list<br />
goes on and on. Best of all,<br />
simply planting one native<br />
plant, can have a major environmental<br />
impact, while<br />
adding beauty. Bee Balm,<br />
Coneflowers and Milkweed<br />
for example, attract<br />
pollinators and add color<br />
and depth to a garden with<br />
little maintenance.<br />
With Abassi’s main<br />
mission to educate, each<br />
home was decorated with<br />
informative signs, allowing<br />
visitors to take notes<br />
or snap photos, to be used<br />
as a resource when gardening.<br />
She and fellow GGW<br />
members decided all<br />
homes on the tour would<br />
be located near one another,<br />
in East Wilmette, allowing<br />
for visitors to travel to<br />
and from on foot and bike.<br />
The addition of QR codes<br />
this year also allowed visitor<br />
to gain specific info<br />
about each garden.<br />
During the tour, guests<br />
learned useful facts, like<br />
how to improve the health<br />
of soil and encourage a<br />
thriving insect and bacterial<br />
environment by allowing<br />
diverse plants to grow<br />
together.<br />
A homeowner who once<br />
faced flooding and soil nutrient<br />
depletion, resolved<br />
WE’RE OVERTHE TOP<br />
QUARTZ<br />
the issue with a pea stone<br />
grilling patio with a rain<br />
garden tucked nearby<br />
to divert water from the<br />
downspout.<br />
For those interested in<br />
Please see Yard, 26<br />
BEST SELECTION –BEST PRICE –BEST INSTALLATION<br />
1840 Skokie Boulevard<br />
Northbrook, IL60062<br />
847.835.2400<br />
www.lewisfloorandhome.com<br />
Amanda Nugent speaks with visitors of her home in the 500 block of Lake Avenue<br />
during the Go Green Wilmette Sustainable Yard Tour Sunday, July 21, in Wilmette.<br />
Rhonda Holcomb/22nd Century MediA<br />
FLOORING • TILE • RUGS • CABINETRY<br />
COUNTERTOPS • WINDOW TREATMENTS
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