City of Gardens hosts Spring Kick-Off event

Staff Report

The Rockford Park District’s City of Gardens is holding its Spring Kick-Off Wednesday, April 27, at Cliffbreakers. Prior to the event, attendees can participate in a free container planting workshop with Christy Webber Landscapes at 4:30 p.m. Social hour and exhibits from local environmental organizations begin at 5 p.m., with dinner to follow at 6.

Featured on HGTV’s Landscaper’s Challenge and at the 2011 Chicago Flower & Garden show, this year’s keynote speaker is Christy Webber Landscapes. Webber’s clients include Apprentice reality star Bill Rancic and wife Giuliana, Millennium Park, and the Art Institute of Chicago Modern Wing. From starting her business in the back of an old pickup truck to development of a 12.5-acre eco-industrial park, Webber has grown her business into one of the largest landscape contractor firms in Chicago. Christy’s talk will focus on “Going Green to Make Green,” creating a better quality of life through the enhancement of outdoor spaces.

“Giving you a patch of sod for your kids to play on, spotting the first unusual bird in your native habitat, having a party on a patio that wows your guests, or just making you smile when you see your mud patch turned into something beautiful—that is what makes us tick,” says Webber about her company.

The winners of this year’s business category Atwood Award, Winnebago County Soil & Water Conservation District, and Gordon Eggers in the Individual category, will also be honored at the dinner. The Atwood Award is presented for outstanding contributions in the field of public conservation and is presented by the Rockford Park District, Rockford Park District Foundation, and Winnebago County Forest Preserve District.

The cost is $40 per person for the Kick-Off event, and reservations can be made by calling (815) 987-1670.

The mission of the Rockford Park District’s City of Gardens is to provide community-wide enhancement of public and private places to create a beautiful, healthy and safe environment in which to live, work and play.

For more information, contact Ruth Miller at (815) 987-1670 or ruthmiller@rockford-parkdistrict.org.

From the April 20-26, 2011 issue