Downtown Planters

What are those plants in downtown Park Forest???

Glad we have gotten your attention!

We have several large cement planters throughout downtown Park Forest that aim to appeal to your senses. See, taste, and smell all that they have to offer!

What makes these planters different???

These planters contain native plants, perennials, and edibles. Many planters and pots you may encounter at parks and various establishments have annuals that are mainly for aesthetics and last for one season. The majority of the plants in these planters will last for multiple seasons. These plants are more resilient and require less watering and maintenance. They also support pollinators, like bees and butterflies. Did you know 1 out of every three bites of food exists because of pollinators?

All plants in the planters can be found at Possibility Place Nursery and Woldhuis Farms.

What are native plants?

Native plants are naturally occurring plants that have existed in a specific area or region for thousands of years without human intervention. Native plants support other local species that are unique to the area. These species provide many important ecological services, such as providing food and shelter for local species, aiding in the pollination of other plants, mitigating the risk of flooding, improving our air and water quality, and storing carbon to reverse climate change.

Below are some examples of native (perennial) plants:

Anise Hyssop	Butterfly Weed	Dwarf Liatris

June Grass	Tall Thimbleweed	Wild Strawberry

What are perennials?

Perennials are plants that grow back every year. They die in the fall or winter, but their roots survive and grow back the following season.

Below are some examples of perennial plants:

Lamb's Ear	Sedum

What are annuals?

Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one growing season. For example, the seeds of the plant are planted in the spring, the plant grows, the flowers release seeds, and die after the frosts in the fall.

Marigold is an example of an annual plant:

Do you know what these foods in the planters look like in plant form? Taste them to find out!

Arugula	English Thyme	Oregano

Basil	Bright Lights Swiss Chard	Cilantro

Garlic Chives	Italian Parsley	Rosemary

Sage	Wild Strawberry

Can we eat the edibles?

Yes! Absolutely!

How do we harvest edibles? Here are some basic tips for harvesting:

Take a pair of scissors and snip the outer leaves.
Make sure to leave at least half of the leaves on the plant, so the plant can grow back more leaves for harvesting.

Need more tips for harvesting? Check out these short videos:

How to harvest arugula: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxRh1XFqhcI
How to harvest basil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvjUhuMIkAQ
How to harvest cilantro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6PoR8eAzN0
How to harvest garlic chives: https://youtu.be/96TmXjtktjY?t=14
How to harvest oregano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bg1rxaEInw
How to harvest parsley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyacHJFuLFs
How to harvest rosemary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_D6GTmKgT8
How to harvest sage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc2FwoZQogg
How to harvest swiss chard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrBOtFjVJcg
How to harvest thyme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rLg3D9RwP4