KCR_Kendall County Magazine_Spring 2024

Spring 2024

Riches from the Earth

Taste the difference in locally grown produce page 8

Manage Your Living Space

Work smarter, not harder page 15

It’s Growing Season

Beauty and friendship blossom in local garden outposts page 11

Good neighbors make the difference

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Janna Misek Ins Agcy Inc

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1136 Douglas Rd Oswego, IL 60543-9040

1136 Douglas Rd Oswego, IL 60543-9040

Bus: 630-554-1540

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www.jannamisek.com

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Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

Everything’s Coming UpRoses

By: Diane Krieger Spivak | Photos courtesy of Pearl Carpenter and Becky Bajt Photography

Winter is in the rearview mirror and we’re all looking for some sunshine and bursts of color to brighten up our homes and yards. Local gardening gurus share their expertise to help you brighten up your living space, inside and out.

Pearl Carpenter, owner of Farmacy Farmstand in Newark, Illinois, was born into a family of growers. For those new to gardening, Carpenter suggests starting with zinnias to add color outdoors and in.

Penny Monkmeyer, a fourth generation grower and co-owner of Winding Creek Nursery in Millbrook, also sings the praises of zinnias, pointing out that they look great in a container or basket.

Zinnias

“Some of the easiest things that will bloom all season long are zinnias,” says Carpenter. “That’s a flower you can’t go wrong with. You can direct seed once we’ve had our last frost, which is typically, for our zone, around May 15. A pack of seeds is only going to cost you a couple of bucks and you’ll have thousands of blooms. You can scatter zinnia seeds around and they grow beautifully. And the more you pick them and bring those colors into your house, the more they’ll keep coming.”

Pansies

Pansies are also a favorite and look wonderful in a window box on a porch or deck. “Pansies like the cooler weather so they should begin blooming in April,” says Monkmeyer, who notes that they also look great in a decorative container or a basket. “People are using different kinds of antique containers and older things anymore.” However, make sure your pot has drain holes. If not, place rocks in the bottom to avoid root rot.

Butterfly Bush

For a more permanent bloom in your landscape try butterfly bushes, suggests Carpenter. The colorful perennial bush is easy to plant. “They bring in the pollinators,” she says. And who doesn’t love to see butterflies, as colorful as the flowers, adding to the beauty of your landscape?”

Peonies

Sunflowers

Peonies are another favorite perennial bush that will bring gorgeous blooms and wonderful fragrances year after year, notes Carpenter. Some varieties thrive in partial shade. If your yard doesn’t see a lot of full sun. Other shade plants are ferns, which can be planted outside or in hanging baskets on a front porch.

Hostas

Hostas, which come in almost endless shades of green, are known for their greenery more so than their flowers, explains Monkmeyer. “House plants are huge right now. People are just tired of winter, and they want something living. There are so many new varieties now. Philodendrons are a big one, and monsteras are a new one, and peperomia. There are many different kinds of ferns, like hoyas. Some come in variegated shades of green.”

House Plants

Smaller houseplants can be placed in a dish garden or terrarium, or any clear glass container, even a glass jar, which acts like a little greenhouse, advises Monkmeyer. “Succulents are popular right now,” she says. “Place them in a terrarium in a sunny room. Philodendron can be placed in low light.”

Staws & Statice

Bulb Perennials

While bulb perennials like tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils must be planted in the fall to overwinter, pre-chilled varieties are now available that can be planted now for blooms this year, notes Monkmeyer, noting that they flower early, but not all summer.

Roses

“Roses are obviously a nice accent to plant outside and give you outdoor color throughout the summer and into fall,” says Monkmeyer. Planted after the last frost, they’ll start blooming in June or July until frost. They typically come in red, pink, and yellow, in single and double flowers.

We’re Your Unique Shopping Experince

Zinnias

Red Sunflower

Riches From

TASTE THE DIFFERENCE IN LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE

By: Vicki Martinka Petersen | Photos courtesy of The Farmacy Farmstand, Pearl Carpenter and Evergreen Farm – Amy’s Greenhouse

Pearl Carpenter of Farmacy Farmstand (check out more of her advice for everything floral on page 5) knows first-hand the power of fresh, local produce. Growing up on a farm, she grew up eating organically until she went off to college. That’s when she started not feeling well after meals. Carpenter learned she was allergic to processed foods.

“I’m so much happier and healthier when I’m growing my own food,” she says.

From July to October, Carpenter shares the bounty of her labor with others at the farmstand. The peak time is August and September when shoppers have their choice of around 100 different items available including tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, celery, and flowers. Everything in the stand is picked fresh that day from the garden.

“You get the freshest produce and know where it comes from when you buy local,” says Kathy Theis, co-owner of Evergreen Farm – Amy’s Greenhouse in Yorkville, which is open mid-April through Halloween.

From the Earth

Before going to the market, Theis says it helps to know what season produce is available. For example, strawberries are usually available until July while sweet corn is in season July to September.

“Every veggie has a season. It’s not available year-round like at the grocery store,” Theis says.

When shopping at a farmers’ market or local farm stand, Carpenter recommends chatting with the farmer. “People try to find the best variety of produce to meet their needs. We know the varieties and can guide you in the right direction,” she says.

For Theis, common questions she hears are how the food is grown, how does she pick it, and how long something is in season. “You just become friends with people at farmers’ markets. Some you see every week,” she says.

About once a month, Carpenter offers garden tours to show people how the food is grown. During the tours, she’ll discuss the

various varieties of produce – there are 30 varieties of tomatoes alone. Carpenter also shares information about food, such as yellow tomatoes are less acidic than red tomatoes. “During the tour, I’m literally picking cherry tomatoes off the vine for people to try,” she adds.

In addition to the tours, she offers several free community events including story times at local libraries, free seed giveaways, and a bouquet giveaway to local schools in September.

After stocking up on fresh produce, it’s important to properly store those treasures at home. Most produce can be stored on the counter. “Herbs like basil and sage are best kept in a jar of water on the counter,” Carpenter says.

To keep lettuce fresh, Theis recommends washing lettuce, wrapping it in a wet paper towel, and putting it into a storage bag.

To avoid overbuying, Carpenter suggests planning meals at least for a few days in advance.

In the event people can’t use up everything, Theis often shares recipes and explains other uses for food, such as making jam with strawberries and pickling beets.

While people might think produce is cheaper at a farm stand, Theis cautions that’s not always the case. “Grocery stores buy inventory in bulk. We have less to sell but better quality,” she says.

To get a better deal, Theis suggests waiting until the peak season when farmers have more inventory and often lower the price.

It’s Growing Season

Beauty and friendship blossom in local garden outposts

By: Melissa Rubalcaba Riske |

Hilltop Gardeners Garden Club, Chad Newcomer and Heather Fiala

Gardeners know it takes sun, water, and plenty of patience to reap the fruits of the labor. And it’s always more fun when there are friends involved.

Ronda Bennett was looking for a way to connect with people in her community when she saw an article in the local newspaper about the Hilltop Gardeners Garden Club. She was willing to give it a try and 16 years later she’s still playing in the dirt with friends.

“We have all levels of gardeners, those with big gardens, those with small, and those who can offer advice,” Bennett says.

The club’s roots started in Boulder Hill but have since flourished to include members, women, and men from Montgomery, Yorkville, Sugar Grove, Aurora, and beyond. Club members volunteer their time to maintain the planters in downtown Oswego. Often there will be novice gardeners working side-by-side with those who have more experience, creating an easy way to learn and glean advice, says Robin Langguth, volunteer coordinator for the club.

The organization is known for its annual plant sale the Saturday before Mother’s Day. The 2024 Plant Sale returns Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fox Bend Golf Course. The inventory for the sale comes directly from members’ gardens, with plants that have been subdivided in addition to vegetable plants such as tomatoes, that members have grown from seeds.

Members volunteer their time at the sale, helping shoppers find the right plants and answering questions. “The volunteers know how the plant is going to grow because it comes right from their garden,” Langguth says. “These are really good, healthy plants.”

The sale also includes some gently used garden items, including garden tools and home décor. “We have people who will line up to shop the sale,” Bennett explains.

The proceeds from the garden sale help support the club projects, including a large-scale project completed last year. The club improved the plot of land of the former water tower at Washington and Van Buren streets in Oswego. Club members saw the potential in the untended grassy patch of land and created a plan for Pollinator Park.

“It was our biggest undertaking,” Langguth says, adding she helped design the space.

Photos courtesy of

The club applied for a ComEd Green Region Grant and received $10,000 to help fund the project, with matching funds from the club and the Village of Oswego. The area includes plants with a bloom time of March through October, with evergreens, a path for walking and small wooden structures designed to encourage bees’ nests. It took two years to work on the project and the Pollinator Park was completed in fall 2023.

“It was a lot of work, but it was very and very rewarding,” Bennett says.

The Hilltop Garden Club meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month at the Oswego Public Library, hosting speakers and events that include crafting too. The meetings are open to the public. Recent topics include learning about bonsai plants and the benefits of native plants.

Bennett says the club launched a social committee to plan events outside of gardening, like a recent program that included learning how to make jewelry. The club provides a wonderful social outlet and the opportunity for friendships to bud among members and their shared love of nature.

Another great avenue to learn about gardening and more is the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Extension, with online and inperson resources. Jamie Viebach is the horticulture educator with the University of Illinois Extension for Kendall, Kane, and DuPage counties.

“We have so many resources for everyone from the beginner to the advanced gardener,” Viebach says.

There are articles, classes, and even podcasts on gardening topics, all with research-based information, she adds. “The information is coming from an academic standpoint that is time tested, lab tested.”

For those looking to elevate their gardening and become mentors to others in the community, the U of I Extension offers its Master Gardener program, training volunteers who can then serve as a resource to the community.

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“We give them a diverse background in horticulture topics, and they can use these skills in the community and on different projects,” Viebach says.

She said the U of I Extension motto is, “We help others learn to grow” and it’s a goal taken to heart, helping others learn to love gardening. In addition to the online resources, visitors can call or visit the horticultural help desk to ask questions. The Kendall County help desk is staffed three days a week in the Yorkville office at 7775 Route 47. The office will host its annual Master Gardener Plant Sale at the Yorkville office from 9 am. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, featuring native plants, varieties of tomatoes, and pepper plants, and Master Gardener volunteers available to answer questions.

“We want your home garden to be the best it can be,” Viebach says.

Bowling is a great activity that’s also very affordable. Come have a ball with us!

Chad Newcomer and Heather Fiala at Oswego Country Market

ADVANCED ROOFING INC.

CELEBRATES 30 YEARS IN BUSINESS

By Jamie Baker • Photos by Locked In Photography

Thirty years ago, Larry Savage began Advanced Roofing Inc. from scratch with a backbone of steel and a solid foundation of values.

“The reason I started in the business was because it's third generation for me,” he says. “My grandpa started roofing in the ’50s. Dad joined in the ’60s and then, in the ’70s, I started working with my dad with my brother eventually taking over his business.”

Larry quit working for another company in 1994 and started creating his own. “It was tough to have set income for years and years and go to something that may not have made anything,” he says. “But I was fortunate it just took off. It was only me at first and then, before long, we had a staff, building and vehicles.”

The Advanced Roofing Inc. building was built about 22 years ago and stands at around 10,000 square feet. “The first vehicle that I had to buy for the crew, when I finally got a crew that was established, would have been somewhere around 1998,” says Larry. “After that, we began purchasing trailers, trucks and vans.”

Larry’s business philosophy begins with empathy, fueled by lessons learned from family members in law enforcement. “Everyone in the family has always wanted to be honest and do things right and help people, and I think it just kind of trickled down to me that just about everything we do and look at and fix is because somebody has a problem,” he says. Advanced Roofing Inc. keeps their clients’ needs at the forefront of everything they do.

From nearly any residential roofing need to commercial roofing and maintenance, Advanced Roofing Inc. has you covered. “Anything to do with exterior: windows, doors, siding, gutters, skylights, roofs for commercial or residential,” says Larry. “We do churches, apartment buildings – things like that as well.”

Excellent customer service is one of their strongest tenets as a business. “I feel it doesn't come down to money, when doing jobs, it comes down to your initial contact with the customer,” says Larry. “If you're going to doing something that's going to resolve their problem, and we have constant contact from the beginning

through the end. It all starts in the sales process and making the customer feel like they're getting their money's worth through doing the job until it’s completed. We don’t ask for money up front. Customers like to talk to me directly and I have no issue with that. I like talking and explaining what we do and how we do it. It’s all honest and above board.”

With altruism and care, Advanced Roofing Inc. has continued to grow over the past 30 years – a milestone the company will celebrate, together with their staff and longtime customers, this summer. “We're going to have a summer picnic for all the crews and their families – it will probably be at the Forest Preserve or something like that,” says Larry. “We're going to have a catered barbecue summer party and we're gonna ask certain customers along the way that've helped us and been with us a long time, to come and celebrate with us and their families, too.”

In light of his company’s enduring success, Larry has always operated with sincerity and utmost respect for his clients. “I think it goes back to grandma and grandpa,” he says. “They always said to treat people the way that you want to be treated and you'll be fine, and I've kind of tried to stick to that, to be honest. When I’m talking to people, I want to make sure I also believe what I’m saying, that I’m resolving the problem like it is my own to solve.”

Before

MANAGING Your Living Space

By: Jonathan Bilyk | Photos courtesy of Nichole Gehman

When Nicole Gehman comes to your house, she’s not just going to let you throw things out. But that doesn’t mean she will allow you to let that thing continue to clutter up your living space, either.

“It’s where my heart is,” Gehman says. “People can get depressed and anxious, seeing the task in front of them, not knowing where to start. But then there’s just this feeling of excitement that you can see and feel as they slowly start to get their house back”

For more than 12 years, Gehman gladly has taken on the task of helping people clean, sort, and organize their homes. In 2019, Gehman turned entrepreneur, turning her gig into a full-time career, opening Organize by Designe in Plano.

Now, she travels to homes throughout Kendall County and beyond, within a 45-mile radius of her home base, to homes and families often in desperate need of a fresh start, if not just a fresh look from fresh eyes offering fresh ideas for bringing order to living spaces that may have grown a bit too chaotic.

After

For Gehman, the task usually begins in one of two primary living spaces or ‘pain points,’ the kitchen or the bedroom. While some other spaces may fall prey to chaos, these two living spaces are often the main culprits, given the traffic levels, constant use, and ease of collecting random stuff and doodads.

In bedrooms, fatigue often makes it all too easy for people to accumulate clutter and cultivate disorder, without ever meaning to. “Think about it,” Gehman says. “When you walk into the bedroom, you’re tired, you don’t want to make any more decisions. So, what do you do with those things in your hands, in your pockets, in your bags? You just set them down.”

The same principle applies to kitchens, where busyness, rather than fatigue, can quickly turn countertops, tabletops, cabinets, and drawers into catch-alls. “You decide not to make decisions,” Gehman explains. “And then 16 weeks of not making decisions start to pile up.”

But Gehman says no matter how far gone a home is, order can be restored. The keys are relatively simple but very important.

First, she says, take it one step at a time. For instance, in kitchens, start one junk drawer at a time. And in spaces like a bedroom, it may be taking it one pile at a time. “Try to keep it simple, and minimize the mess,” she says, noting that often people looking to organize their living spaces begin to rip into the mess, emptying drawers, closets, and cabinets all at once.

“And that’s when they get overwhelmed and quit too soon.”

Instead, she says, work categorically. “We categorize everything, keeping like items together. Then we purge the excess and try to donate everything we don’t want.”

Gehman says she knows some people will struggle with the question of what to keep and what to purge. But for her, the rule is straightforward: If it hasn’t been used in at least a year, consider donating it – not just throwing it in the trash – so perhaps someone else may get some use out of that thing buried in your closet and drawers. “We try to keep as much out of the landfill as possible.”

In the bedroom drawers and closets, Gehman advises people to operate by the one-in-one-out rule. Basically, if you buy a new one of something, consider getting rid of a duplicate or similar item you haven’t used.

She said it is particularly useful with clothing, like T-shirts. “If I buy a new T-shirt, donate a T-shirt you already had,” Gehman suggests.

Then, step by step, create spaces for the items that are used and useful, perhaps using bins, and properly labeled to maintain inventory and remember what goes where.

Gehman said the same rules apply in other problem areas of the home and yard, including garages and sheds. There, however, Gehman says she will at times take an additional step, particularly if garages and sheds have become the mother of all catch-alls, overflowing with boxes, bins, and perhaps years of item indecisions, all tucked just out of sight, and often out of mind.

A New Look This Spring Is A Breeze

“We pull it all out,” Gehman says, noting these spaces can be different from living spaces within the home. “We open every single bin, and we see what all we really have. It’s a reality check.”

As for tools and technology to assist with home organization, Gehman adds she is a big fan of apps like Google Tasks, which helps people avoid dropping the ball on their to-do lists, and YouTube, where homeowners can find online resources and tips from pros like her to help accomplish a great number of tasks. Gehman says she hosts a growing number of such online video tutorials on organization and household chores, like how to fold fitted bedsheets.

Gehman says she also is fond of storage tools like fabric bins and labels for indoor closet storage and shelving units and heavy-duty plastic totes and crates, with tight-fitting lids, for less environmentally controlled spaces, like garages and attics.

While garage shelves and attics can be useful for storing some seasonal or durable items, Gehman advises people to be mindful of the conditions their items may face in such storage spaces. “They will face extreme temperature swings, moisture, and maybe even rodents or insects. You certainly wouldn’t store anything like old photos out there, and nothing in cardboard and tape.”

No matter the task that may lie ahead, Gehman offered one more key for those seeking to bring order to their homes. “Give yourself grace,” she says. “You didn’t get here overnight, and it may take work. But it will get easier, and you will get organized.”

And if it’s still too overwhelming, “I’m here to help get you through it.” She adds, “It’s what I love to do.”

DO AWAY WITH PESKY VISITORS

TIPS FOR GUARDING YOUR HOME AGAINST PESTS

By: Patricia MacMillan | Photos courtesy of Janelle Laccino

This time of year brings with it an abundance of welcome sights. A warm sun high in the sky and delicate buds and blossoms ushered in by sweet spring showers go a long way in casting out thoughts of winter.

But the changing season also brings unwelcome visitors. The first to arrive from their underground home—termites.

“They’re triggered by the rain and rising temperatures,” says Janelle Iaccino, marketing director for Rose Pest Solutions. Established in 1860, the company provides services throughout Chicagoland, including Kendall County.

“Termites can do so much damage without you even realizing you have them,” says Iaccino, labeling them the world’s most destructive insect.

Termites feed on cellulose, a fiber found not only in wood but other common household items such as books and newspapers. “We’ve even seen them eat drywall,” Iaccino says. “Once they get in, they can do quite a bit of damage and most homeowner insurance does not cover termite damage.”

To guard against infestation, Iaccino recommends homeowners walk around their property looking for places where water collects. Termites are unable to retain water, a condition that requires them to constantly seek it out.

Places to check include window and door frames. Homeowners should make sure they aren’t finding cracks that allow in seeping water. People are also advised to keep an eye on outdoor spigots. Ones that leak can quickly lead to rotting wood.

Not only does this practice help keep out termites, but additional insects, such as ants, from entering the home. “Ants are the number one pest we get calls for in the spring,” Iaccino says. “Most people think they’re after crumbs and such, but more often than not, they’re after moisture.”

In lifelong servitude to their queen and colony, ants will search for water to bring back underground. An ant will accomplish this by balancing a single droplet between its mandibles or carrying the droplet on its back, which is encased in a water-repellent outer shell.

Moisture or the lack thereof also plays a key role in preventing the emergence of basement-dwellers like spiders, centipedes, and earwigs. “Taking the moisture out of the air will help keep so many insects out of the interior of your home,” says Iaccino, who recommends regular use of a dehumidifier.

Then there are those pests that are looking, first and foremost, for food. Rodents are not only a nuisance but spread numerous, sometimes severe, viruses. Edible items, particularly those stored in the basement, such as dog food or birdseed, should always be kept in air-tight bins, though ensuring rodents can’t get into the house in the first place is the most important objective.

“If you can see light coming through a crack, it’s big enough for a mouse,” Iaccino explains.

Sturdy weather stripping is an easy and inexpensive fix. However, Iaccino advises homeowners to exercise skepticism about other products on the market. “We’ve seen people invest hundreds of dollars in sonic devices that don’t work.”

Technicians with Rose Pest Solutions also work with customers looking to address their home landscape. This work often includes identifying areas that can become mosquito breeding zones. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water.

Spraying for mosquitos is very targeted, and for good reason. “It’s essential the product be used correctly so it doesn’t hurt pollinators like butterflies,” says Iaccino, who cautioned homeowners to leave such work to professionals.

Protecting oneself from mosquitos, which spread West Nile Virus, is also crucial. “They’re not strong flyers, so I recommend putting a fan outside,” Iaccino adds. “Mosquitoes can’t fly against the force of a fan.”

CICADAS ARE COMING

This year the Chicago area will see not one, but two, massive broods of cicadas. While these insects are harmless to humans (and a bounty to birds), they can create one major problem—clogged gutters. Clogged gutters lead to standing water and the perfect environment for mosquitoes to breed, so check them often and keep them clear.

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