As I've mentioned before, my husband and I have been helping pay college tuition. This, coupled with our ecological lifestyle, has led us to go beyond frugal into the land of thrifty, close, parsimonious, and cheap when it comes to personal expenditures. So an opportunity to get free plants does not pass unnoticed.



Here's the deal: volunteers collect wild seed of rare plants from CFC and forest preserve property, folks at the Chicago Botanic Garden propagate it, and the tiny plants get distributed to home gardeners to nurture and grow. Because they are perennials, the plants mostly don't flower the first year, and in fact look pretty pitiful while developing their root systems. The second year they generally flower and set seed. A few may take longer. Then we gardeners collect the seed and return it to CFC for reseeding 3,910 acres at Spring Creek Forest Preserves.
Photo from Friends of Spring Creek Forest Preserves
This year I got: four prairie species--Stiff Aster (Aster ptarmicoides),

These are all fairly rare: not likely to be seen at a local garden center and not that often out in the field. There are mail-order outfits in the Midwest where you can order the seed, but none to my knowledge in Illinois; and of course in restoration, local provenance is very important.

Flower photos are from Native Seed Gardeners and Dr. John Hilty's excellent Illinois Wildflowers. Both sites are well worth a visit.
Comments
Here in the UK we have something similar, The National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens [NCCPG] and as a member it is possible, amongst many other activities, to take part in a seed exchange each year.
Thomas
Thomas, if there is one, let me know. I'd be interested to hear about it.
Jean, perhaps there's such an effort where you live?
The plants are beautiful!
Thanks for the comment on my blog today. It's always neat to find another Chicago-area garden blogger. I'll be happy to add you to my blogroll.
Ginny, I agree about their beauty, though they aren't showy, like so many hybrids.
garden girl, Thanks for putting me on your blogroll. Chicago garden bloggers unite!