Roy Diblik, co-owner of Northwind Perennial Farm, will present a PowerPoint program, “Native Plants and Pollinators of the Midwest Perennial Garden,” at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Lake Geneva Public Library.
The program will feature perennials, butterflies, moths and bees common to the Lake Geneva Public Library perennial prairie-style gardens Diblik designed. He will introduce the audience to native Midwest plants and the pollinators they attract.
Diblik is a recognized perennial plant expert, grower, designer, speaker and author. With more than 35 years of knowledge growing traditional and Midwest native perennials, he specializes in highly aesthetic, sustainable plant communities for all seasons while reducing maintenance through design. Diblik believes gardens should be thoughtful, ecologically directed, emotionally outreaching and personal. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Lake Geneva Public Library.
Diblik is author of “The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden,” and he gives talks nationally about reduced maintenance gardening. He teaches at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill. He is a contributor to Illinois Landscape Contractor, Chicagoland Gardening Magazine and Wisconsin Gardening Magazine.
In 2011, Diblik spoke about his gravel garden project on Wisconsin Public Television for a program called “The Wisconsin Gardener. Gravel Gardens: Drought Tolerant and Gorgeous.”
In 1991, Diblik co-founded Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington. Today, Northwind Perennial Farm is considered a local landmark and a premier destination spot for gardeners and nature lovers. In 2004, Diblik served as regional plant expert for The Lurie Garden at Chicago’s Millennium Park. Working closely with the designers for this project, Diblik grew and installed 15,000 plants for the garden where he continues to be the official grower. Diblik acted as designer and grower for the garden surrounding the Lewis Sullivan Arch at the Art Institute of Chicago, which won the mayor’s award in 2010 and for the garden of the Boeing Art Gallery in Chicago’s Millennium Park.
Diblik also planted a shade meadow garden in the raised planters along Michigan Avenue in the south courtyard of the Art Institute of Chicago. Diblik served as designer and grower for the rooftop gardens and contemporary mixed meadow planting at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and for the Lake Michigan bike path perennial gardens. He was also the designer and grower for an interactive rooftop garden consisting of perennial plant communities, vegetables, annuals and herbs at the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago and for a new contemporary planting concept around the youth center.
In addition, Diblik designed a perennial garden to showcase the outdoor sculptures for the Boerner Botanic Gardens in Hales Corners. He installed the entrance plantings for The Mitchell Park Domes in Milwaukee. Diblik designed and installed a 5,000-plant perennial garden to create an entryway to the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva and grew and installed boulevard plantings in Fontana and highway plantings to help renovate Highway 67. In 2011, Diblik teamed up with Steve Costner to design and plant the first two gardens at ecologically conscious Green Leaf Inn in Delavan where he continues to develop design concepts as the inn develops. Diblik planted his first suppression garden in fall 2011 at Hawk’s View Golf Course in Lake Geneva. He worked with volunteers to install plantings at the Klehm Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Rockford, Ill.
On Diblik’s website www.northwindperennialfarm.com, he explains why he gardens:
“As I continue to grow as a gardener, I have realized the values that influenced me, and I understand the significance of sharing them with others. Our gardening practices are continuously evolving and now our culture lends itself strongly towards collaboration. Working with deeply experienced, committed practitioners to improve and develop our local plantings, and increasing the health and emotional inspiration of open space is my passion. There is an art to this practice and it evolves endlessly with great joy.”
Everyone is welcome to attend the program at no charge. For more information, call the Lake Geneva Public Library at (262) 249-5299 or visit the library’s Facebook page or lakegeneva.lib.wi.us.
