From Agatha Christie’s mystery series, to Brother Cadfael’s medieval herb garden, to Michael Pollan’s garden in Second Nature, to the secret garden beloved of children’s literature—gardens have shaped so many of the books we love to read.
Join a conversation with fellow fans of gardens and books to discover how gardens and garden imagery figure in the works of Mary Oliver, Henry Mitchell, Barbara Kingsolver, Lewis Carroll, and many more.
Sip tea, snack on tasty cookies and explore the gardens of your favorite writers. See your garden with new eyes and come away with a list of books you can’t wait to explore!
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Cindy Crosby, author and naturalist
Age: 16 and older
Course number: H445
Instructor
Cindy Crosby, author and naturalist
Cindy Crosby is the author, compiler, or contributor to more than 20 books, including The Tallgrass Prairie: An Introduction, co-author of Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of the Prairie Spirit and author of Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural and Cultural History (Northwestern University Press, 2020). She is a prairie steward at the Schulenberg Prairie and Nachusa Grasslands, and she coordinates dragonfly monitoring programs at both sites. She earned a master’s degree in natural resources at University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. She blogs each week at Tuesdays in the Tallgrass, and she teaches natural history and trains naturalists in the Chicago region.
What to Know
This program meets indoors and outdoors. Check the forecast and dress for the weather.
Please bring materials for taking notes and a water bottle. Tea and cookies will be provided.
Program Schedule
Saturday, August 23, 2025, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Founder’s Room, Thornhill Education Center (Parking Lot 21), West Side
