The Tri-Village Garden Club of Bartlett, Hanover Park and Streamwood meets at 7 p.m. at the Poplar Creek Public Library in Streamwood, on the third Wednesday of the month. Non-members are always welcome. At the July meeting, the herb lady Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh will present "Beginner's Guide to Using Herbs." There will be a meet and greet at 6:45 p.m.

Growing herbs is a passion Lautanen-Raleigh has had for more than 20 years now. The Backyard Patch is her own herb business started in 1995. She specializes in fresh, amazing, organic blended herbs -- some for cooking, tea and bath -- and all are home-grown and hand-blended.

The “Beginner's Guide to Using Herbs” is a combination of how to harvest an herb and dry or preserve it with a few simple tips for cooking and gifting with herbs. Lautanen will keep it simple to cater to the craft challenged and those with little cooking experience.

For additional information, please contact Wally Groble 630-497-1958 or Sandy Swenson 630-837-0281 or visit www.trivillagegardenclub.org/wordpress. Annual dues are $18. Dues for couples are $30. This fee includes a subscription for each member of Garden Glories, a publication from the Garden Clubs of Illinois.