May 7-8: Celebrate spring at annual plant sale
Published April 09, 2026
Bring color, excitement and delicious produce to your garden this spring with College of Lake County’s (CLC) annual plant sale. Stop by the horticulture greenhouse 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, May 8 at the Grayslake Campus to shop from the selection of flowers, vegetables, herbs, native perennials and hanging baskets.
Proceeds from the sales support the horticulture program. All plants are grown in the college’s greenhouse by student workers and staff. Second-year horticulture student and student worker Edwin Santamaria notes how the care given to the plants makes them better than those bought at big box stores.
“Our plants are better quality because we work to take care of each individual plant,” Santamaria said. “We make sure they are all nursed to the highest quality.”
This year, the plant sale has a variety of new native perennials, including Illinois bundleflower, Jacob’s ladder and cardinal flower.
“Native plants are great in the garden for attracting a variety of pollinators and other beneficial insects,” said Horticulture Laboratory Specialist Andy Lueder. “Natives are also naturally accustomed to our climate, so as long as they have the right soil, they overwinter readily and are extremely drought tolerant once they've become established.”
There will be a wider variety of ornamental plants available this year. Also new are mixed planters available for purchase.