May 8-9: Celebrate spring at the annual plant sale
Published April 29, 2025
Bring color, excitement and delicious produce to your garden this spring with College of Lake County’s (CLC) annual plant sale. Stop by the newly renovated greenhouse 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 8 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, May 9 at the Grayslake Campus to shop from the selection of flowers, vegetables, herbs, perennials and hanging baskets.
All plants are grown in the college’s greenhouse by student workers and staff. Proceeds from the sales support the horticulture program.
“Our plants are affordable, and the money all goes to a good cause,” said Laboratory Coordinator Melanie Bromberek. “We take pride in plants being healthy and appropriate for the time of year. Store-bought plants are usually more mature and won’t do as well in a garden.”
The greenhouse recently went through renovations to improve the quality of plant growth. The polycarbonate roof and wall panels were replaced to increase light transmission. Airflow equipment and drainage also were replaced and improved.
“The greenhouse is a learning lab for students in the horticulture program,” said Health and Biological Sciences Dean Jeet Saini. “If there is poor light transmission happening when students are growing inside the greenhouse, then the plants are not going to be of high quality. We want students growing plants in an ideal environment.”
Many of the available plants are outdoor plants. In recent years, an emphasis has been placed on providing more native Lake County plants.
“Plants are for everybody, and most things are made to be easy to grow,” Bromberek said. “If you’ve never grown anything before, we will have people there to help you to pick something out that works for you.”
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