
Guests and Garden Club members mingle at the dedication. Photography by Robin Subar
THE AWARD-WINNING Telegraph Road Gardens in Lake Forest were designed— and have been nurtured by—The Deerpath Garden Club of Lake Forest (DGCLF) members, in partnership with the City of Lake Forest, since the Gardens’ inception in the early 1990s. On June 24, the DGCLF dedicated new additions to their Telegraph Road Train Station Gardens and Garden of Remembrance. Called “The Grove,” the enhancement is an assemblage of trees located at the corner of Conway and Telegraph Roads.

Deerpath Garden Club Philanthropy Co-Chairs Connie Maines and Mary Carlson.

Adrienne and Ken Winemaster with their daughter, Elizabeth.
The project was inspired by a donation from the Winemaster family in honor of their deceased mother, Maureen Winemaster, a long-serving member and two-time president of the club. Current club President Cindy Ramadan and Philanthropy Co-Chairs Mary Carlson and Connie Maines worked in collaboration with a team from the City of Lake Forest to bring the club’s vision to a reality. Guests at the event included members of the Winemaster family and Eileen Looby Weber, Fourth Ward Alderman and Chair of the City’s Beautification Committee. Also in attendance was Chuck Meyers, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry and his team. Following the event, club members enjoyed a celebratory luncheon at Elawa Farm.

Bee balm in bloom in the newly enhanced gardens.

A garden detail at the Grove.
In 1960, the Deerpath Garden Club of Lake Forest (DGCLF) was formed by friends in the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff communities to share a love of horticulture, promote civic beauty, and educate themselves about landscaping, plant life, and the art of floral arranging. From those simple beginnings, a vibrant group blossomed. Over this period, the DGCLF—a member of the Garden Clubs of Illinois and the National Garden Clubs—has become a philanthropic force, donating tens of thousands towards beautification projects in the immediate community, as well as providing significant funds for beautification projects of other worthy entities. For more information, visit deerpathgardenclub.org.