Bees, butterflies, and other insects play a crucial role in nature and in agriculture. They pollinate everything from ornamental flowers to many of the foods we enjoy.
In this interactive presentation, explore how humans and insects perceive colors and how to make the most of colorful plant combinations. We’ll look at effective and artistic ways to use a variety of annuals, perennials, native grasses, and shrubs to create attractive gardens for people and pollinators.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Nina Koziol, garden writer
Age: 16 and older
Course number: H471
Instructor
Nina Koziol, garden writer
Nina Koziol teaches at The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Her articles have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicagoland Gardening, and Organic Gardening, and she is a feature writer for The Landscape Contractor. She has a degree in education/environmental science. Her garden is on a deer-infested acre surrounded by Cook County Forest Preserve, not far from a herd of cows and a bevy of draft horses. It includes beds and borders designed for bees, toads, songbirds, butterflies and hummingbirds, two pairs of nesting bluebirds each summer, and an 1,100-square-foot vegetable garden. When she’s not weeding, reading, hiking, raising monarch butterflies, or writing, she’s sure to be out in the garden, watching the sun set and pondering the exact names and heights of the cloud formations.
What to Know
This program meets indoors.
Please bring materials for taking notes and a water bottle.
See Education Program Policies for information about cancellations, refunds, and scholarships.
Program Schedule
Thursday, September 10, 2026, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Thornhill Education Center (parking lot P-21), West Side
