The Organic Gardener

The Organic Gardener, Ltd. (TOG) helps families grow organic vegetable gardens. We offer a full line of services, including design, installation, maintenance, teaching and harvesting. Our specialty is working alongside parents and kids; we welcome your participation in whatever parts of the process interest you.TOG is based in Glencoe, Illinois, approximately 20 miles north of downtown Chicago.

TOG gardens are custom-designed to coordinate with your home and existing landscaping. When necessary we install rabbit- and deer-proof fences that are both attractive and effective. We also set up compost and irrigation systems, and anything else you need to enjoy and succeed at growing food!

We work with gardeners (and would-be gardeners) of all experience levels, and in a wide range of situations. Some of our clients are total beginners; others are Master Gardeners in need of an organic perspective. Though most of the gardens we install are in North Shore backyards, we also work with city families to help them grow food on rooftops, decks and patios. Other clients include urban and suburban schools, and restaurants such as North Pond and Uncommon Ground.

Since 2005, TOG has tended The Edible Gardens in the Farm-in-the-Zoo at the Lincoln Park Zoo, on behalf of Green City Market. School classes and summer-camp groups take field trips to the gardens, where they get the chance to plant, weed, compost, harvest, and learn where food comes from. In fall 2007 Alice Waters visited The Edible Gardens; Mayor Daley has committed to bringing her Edible Schoolyard Project to Chicago, using TOG’s work as a pilot.