"A golden carpet of flowers in the spring of 2006." That was the goal in the fall of 2005, when village officials gave Lindenhurst households bags of daffodil bulbs and asked them to plant them before winter. The phrase comes from Illinois House Resolution 722, which recorded that 4,000 bags went to "every household in Lindenhurst."
Twenty-one years later, the village is doing it again on a smaller scale. All through October, each Lindenhurst household can pick up five free daffodil bulbs at Village Hall, 2301 E. Sand Lake Road, while supplies last, the Lake County Gazette reported. The giveaway marks the village's 70th anniversary. It also shows how the "Daffodil Capital of Illinois" title started. Residents were asked to plant it, one yard at a time.
A Golden Flower for a Golden Anniversary
The resolution's opening lines put two facts side by side. First, Lindenhurst would celebrate its Golden Anniversary of incorporation in 2006. Second, the golden daffodil had been named the village's official flower by local resolution that September. The village then asked the state to do the same.
The resolution, offered by Representative Churchill, gives the reasons in practical terms:
"Daffodils are early blooming plants and continue to self propagate, making it an ideal low maintenance flower for the village."
It also says the flower would "engage citizens in a common community project." The state's bill status record for HR 722 shows the House adopted it by voice vote on January 26, 2006. That vote recognized the golden daffodil as Lindenhurst's official flower and declared the village the daffodil capital of Illinois.
The plan only worked if people planted what they were given. No public garden held the title and no festival ground was set aside. By 2009, the Daily Herald described daffodils blooming "all over town" as a beautification effort and noted the Daffodil Capital name dated to 2006. The title even reached a parade float. At Lindenfest's 25th year in 2008, the Daily Herald reported that resident and environmental committee commissioner Pat Parpan served as the village's "daffodil queen."
Because daffodils self-propagate, a bulb planted in the fall of 2005 was supposed to come back and spread, so a one-time gift could keep paying off for years.
Seventy Years, Five Bulbs
This year's version is smaller. The 2005 giveaway handed out 4,000 bags. The 2026 giveaway offers five bulbs per household. The idea is the same, though. The Lake County Gazette quoted the village's announcement: "As the Daffodil Capital of Illinois, there's no better way to celebrate our 70th birthday than by adding a little more color to Lindenhurst!"
The anniversary itself has a few dates attached. Illinois House Resolution 1037 traces the founding steps. Lindenhurst filed for incorporation in November 1956, elected its first officials that December, and was formally incorporated on January 16, 1957. The village's milestones follow the 1956 start rather than the 1957 date. HR 722 placed the Golden Anniversary in 2006, and the village marked September 29, 2026 as its 70th anniversary. HR 1037 also says Lindenhurst has grown from about 900 residents to 14,406. Most of today's households weren't here for the 2005 bags, so for many of them this October is their first chance to add to the title.
The bulbs are one part of a year-long program the village runs as America 250 & Lindy 70. The program pairs the nation's 250th with the village's 70th and includes a series of resident profiles. The village's July/August newsletter added a "Lindy History" feature on Joyce Dever. She helped document local history through interviews with founding families and co-chaired the 50th Anniversary Committee.
The October profile features Brad Slobodian, who moved to Lindenhurst 23 years ago. He gardens with his wife, Ann, whom he calls "the master gardener and designer of our yard." He also describes the Christmas blow-mold display at their house, which now has more than 45 pieces. In his village profile, Slobodian names Lewis Park and McDonald Woods Forest Preserve as everyday places for his family. He encourages new residents to connect through neighbors, Village Board meetings, or Lindenfest.
The Real Deadline Is the Frozen Ground
The giveaway ends with October. Planting can go on longer. University of Illinois Extension calls fall the prime time to plant hardy spring bulbs and says most can go in until the ground is frozen. Five bulbs picked up at Village Hall can wait for a free weekend, as long as they go in before the ground freezes.
Extension's guidance is short enough to use in the yard:
- Dig deeper than you think. The rule is two to three times the bulb's height, which puts large bulbs like daffodils about 8 inches deep. Measure from the bottom of the bulb.
- Nose up. Set daffodils with the pointed nose up and the root plate down. Extension prefers loosening the whole bed to depth over using a bulb planter, which it says often works poorly in many soils.
- Fix heavy clay. Bulbs need good drainage. In soil with a lot of clay, work compost, peat moss, or other organic material into the top 12 inches, or 18 if you can.
- Put phosphorus below the bulb. Phosphorus barely moves through soil, so mix bonemeal or superphosphate into the lower part of the bed where the roots will grow.
- Water at planting, then again in spring. Water after planting to settle the soil and help the bulbs root before cold weather, without overdoing it, since too much water at planting time can cause rot. Once flower buds appear, water if the soil is dry, about an inch a week through bud, bloom and early foliage when rain falls short.
Where to put five bulbs
Five bulbs won't fill a yard, so placement matters. Extension notes that early spring bulbs bloom before most trees and shrubs leaf out, so they can grow under them. Bulbs on a south-facing slope bloom earlier than the same bulbs on a north slope. Low spots bloom later because cold air settles there. A small cluster on the sunny side of a front walk will likely bloom earlier than the same five planted at the bottom of a back yard.
The village's leaf program also helps with timing. Free leaf collection runs October 12 through November 23. Residents can set out unlimited bags or 33-gallon cans without stickers. That makes it easy to clear a bed, plant, and get the debris picked up in the same few weeks.
The Rest of the Fall Calendar
Most of the remaining 70th-year calendar falls in these same weeks, and it happens at three addresses.
Lake Villa District Library, 140 N. Munn Road
- The all-ages Halloween Party is Wednesday, October 28, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with crafts, snacks and a costume contest.
- Morbid History is Thursday, October 29, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Filmmaker Lorrisa Julianus presents spooky historical stories.
- Trick-or-Treat Storytime for children from birth to age 5 is Friday, October 30, from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Costumes are welcome.
Around the village
- Trick-or-treat hours are Saturday, October 31, from 4 to 7 p.m., per the village calendar.
Lindenhurst Park District, 2200 E. Grass Lake Road
- The Holiday Market is Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Kids Night In: Harvest Hoopla Night is Friday, November 13, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Register by November 11 or until it fills.
Village Hall, 2301 E. Sand Lake Road
- The Veterans Day Ceremony is Wednesday, November 11, at 11 a.m. at the Veterans' Memorial at the Village Hall entrance. If the weather is bad, it moves to the Public Works garage behind Village Hall.
After that, the Park District calendar lists the Holiday Tree Lighting and Santa Meet & Greet on Saturday, December 5, from 4 to 6 p.m. By then the ground may be frozen, and anything not yet planted will have to wait for next fall.
Bulbs planted at the 50th anniversary were meant to keep spreading. The ones handed out at Village Hall this October are this year's addition, and how many come up in April depends on how many go in before the ground freezes.
If you're thinking about listing next spring, those first blooms can show up in your exterior photos. Deena Allie can help you plan your listing timeline around the Lindenhurst growing season, from fall cleanup to the week your yard looks its best. Schedule a Consultation to talk through timing.
