~ October 1, 2025

October is one of our favorite times of year at the Nursery! Fall has arrived and we are in full swing with tree tagging appointments, digging, shipping, and planting. Much like Spring, Fall is its own special kind of chaos; our heads are on a swivel and there are so many moving parts, but we wouldn’t have it any other way! 

September wrapped up our comprehensive inventory, juggling fresh Fall orders, and seeding our grass strips. Becky and Maggie even managed to squeeze in a trip to Washington, D.C. to lobby with the AmericanHort Impact Washington Fly-In. You can read all about this trip and the policy initiatives on our blog.

This month, we’re also celebrating Oak-tober! Oaks are a keystone species in Illinois, supporting more wildlife than nearly any other tree. Their ecological importance reminds us why diversity in our nursery rows and in our landscapes is so vital! You can read more on our blog about how Oaks are our latest Tree of the Month. 

In the middle of this month on Tuesday, October 14th at 4pm, SGN and iTrees.com are co-hosting the 100+ Women Who Care of Grundy County, a giving circle of women who support our community by contributing to local charities as a group. No committees, no event planning, and no volunteering. Women in Grundy County can join as an individual or team for $100 per gathering and each $100 gets one charity nomination. Three nominations are chosen at random to give a 2 minute talk on their charity. After all three pitches, each $100 gets one vote for which charity should receive the collected funds! For more information or to RSVP, please contact Devan Gagliardo at 815-941-0852 or devan@cfgrundycounty.com. We have enjoyed attending these past giving circles and are excited to host the Fall gathering! 

As the leaves turn and the days grow shorter, October brings both a rush of activity and a moment to pause and appreciate the season’s beauty. Whether you’re planting trees, walking through a park, or just enjoying the colors outside your window, we hope you find the same joy in fall that we do here on the farm. Fall is a beautiful time to visit the nursery – reach out if you would like to Gather at the Grove with us, we would love to have you!

~ Maggie Thomas Harper