About Us

Twenty years ago, I started volunteering with the North Branch Prairie Project restoring prairies and savannas in Cook County.  After a couple years I realized that I had actually memorized over a half dozen native plant names!

When my wife, Maurine, my dog, Z, and I moved to McHenry County, I became steward at Hickory Grove in Cary.  Incessant days of brush-cutting renewed in me the joys of nature and compelled me back to school for graduate studies in geology and environmental studies.

About six years ago we found our current home. The property includes a six-acre remnant sedge meadow, saved by the laying of railroad 90 years ago. In all, we have twenty acres, most of which we've protected by giving a conservation easement to the Land Conservancy of McHenry County.

We are restoring most of our land to prairie and sedge meadow.  We started the nursery in 2000, and recently have made it a full time endeavor. Maurine and Corey (Z's replacement) help on weekends.

We're offering more plants and services every year.

Jack Kaskel