A Visit to the Chicago Botanic Garden
Last Sunday Judy and I made our first visit of the year to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Usually we go about once a month starting in May, and try to make certain highlights like when the crabapples are in bloom – but this year there’s been too much going on.
CBG is one of the great American public gardens, and I don’t just say that out of local boosterism. The variety and quality of the individual display gardens and natural areas is really outstanding. All this is combined in a landscape of man-made islands (on about 400 acres) in a way that creates one breathtaking vista after another. There is always far more to see than can be taken in during a single visit.
OK, the commercial is over. On this visit to CGB, we headed first to the native plant garden, which has both woodland and prairie areas. In the woodland garden we admired the Michigan Lilies (Lilium michiganense).
We also admired the Fairy Candles (Actaea racemosa), cunningly placed to catch the late afternoon sun.
In the prairie section of the Native Plant Garden, Royal Catchfly (Silene regia) stands out against a background of Early Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) and Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum). We stood and watched a hummingbird feeding on the red tubular flowers, but Judy couldn’t get a clear shot of it.
Another native plant combination that worked nicely was the Culver’s Root with Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).
We then walked over to the Fruit and Vegetable Garden. To get there you cross a short bridge that looks out over terraces planted with cabbages, greens, and onions – and edged with Zinnias.
Everything looks perfect and healthy. I like those blue tuteurs.
Here’s an unusual combination: Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) and Amaranth.
Did you know there was such a thing as variegated zucchini?
The Fruit and Vegetable Garden constitutes one of CBG’s islands, surrounded by a man-made lake.
From the Fruit and Vegetable Garden we headed back to the Main Island and the English Walled Garden.
While it is surrounded by a wall, I have always wondered what specifically was English about this garden. Maybe readers from the UK can chime in here.
Whether they are English or not, I like these two containers and the shaded bench.
What do you call this concrete thing on the pedestal? Whatever it is, it looks quite grand though surrounded by humble Rudbeckia hirta.
Here is a second water feature. I’d be reluctant to sit in that bench, though, there would be a grinning satyr looking over your shoulder.
Another view. This part of the garden looks out over the lake.
At this point we’d spent almost three hours visiting three of CBG’s 26 display gardens. We were getting tired, and so was the lion.
However, before leaving we had to pay a visit to Carl Linnaeus, as he happily reaches down to pluck a flower for his specimen sack. And why wouldn’t he be happy, surrounded by this garden and its vast botanical diversity gathered from around the world?
gardeninacity 
It’s probably just me but Carl looks a little, well, creepy.
On our flight to, and from, Toronto we had a brief layover in Chicago. I don’t think I’ve ever flown in, and out, of an area that was so green. Like freakishly green (we’d already started our dry summer at that point and areas here were during gold). Is it always that way? Trees, grasses, everything was so very green!
June is normally very green. As for Carl, how can you say such a thing?
What a joy to have such a wonderful botanic garden. I would also visit regularly. Faity Candles are nice, I have 2, and the Purple Coneflower is just about to flower here. The English garden is typically walled, and with lots of concrete containers and wooden benches. I think it looks English.
It is a wonderful garden, we are lucky to have it so near.
Wonderful tour. I know I’d be happy if I was there. đŸ™‚
I’m sure you’d enjoy it.
I got to go there with the Chicago Fling people. It was a fine garden. I would love to return and take a couple of days to explore.
I think you could easily spend three or four days exploring CBG.
Wow. That’s beautiful.
The big concrete urn on the pedestal, the garden ‘folly’, the lake, the arched bench and the tuteurs – aren’t these all elements of an English garden?
By the way, are the tuteurs made of metal or wood? Very nice.
And that splayed tree/shrub against the wall – what is that, do you know? Too thick to be espaliered apple or pear, methinks.
I can’t remember about the tuteurs. And I can’t tell you what the tree is, either. Guess I’ll have to go back.
Nice pictures! And from those pictures, it’s easy to see why you love the Chicago Botanic Garden. If ever I am in Chicago…
If you ever go there, you should definitely go to CBG – also the Lurie Garden.
I love everything about this place! I have no idea what you call those concrete structures but I am impressed you knew what those blue ones were called! ;). I really like your photo of the Michigan Lily,
I’m informed by an alert English reader that those concrete things are urns, even though you can’t put anything in them.
Nice! That’s another garden I would love to visit in person, thanks for the pictures and I love that catchfly đŸ™‚
You can order the catchfly from Prairie Nursery should you feel like giving it a try.
You have a wealth of wonderful public gardens in Chicago. The CBG looks like an amazing resource and a delightful destination. I love it when any garden uses local and native plants. Are you and Judy members? I bet there’s a conservatory there, too, right? That’s something I’ve never understood Portland not having.
Yes, we are members and there is a conservatory. Also a school where I have taken classes, though not in a while.
That looks like a really lovely garden, I’d love to visit some day. I’d especially like to see the Native plant garden. The Tithonia and Amaranthus makes an interesting combination.
If you ever get to Chicago the two must-see gardens are CBG and Lurie.
We need to get up there and visit! Actaea racemosa + royal catchfly—some of my favorites….we are both from that area and being south miss Lake Michigan and Chicago:-(
Really beautiful + I love that statue with him reaching for seeds-AMAZING!
I love that statue as well.
I’d say that the English Garden there has echoes of typical stately home gardens over here – formal planting, topiary, the hard landscaping and water features. It looks a fabulous place all round. I particularly love your third photo of the Silene and the other native plants – beautiful exuberant planting.
Yes, that’s one of my favorite spots at CBG.
Nice gardens and even better than you are able to visit regularly when time permits. I have no idea as to why the English garden is so called but to me, the walls, benches and greenery are all very familiar with me but also touches of the mediterranean thrown in from the lavenders and other blue blooms. Perhaps it’s the formality off it all? Someone out there will know.
Thanks for sharing your visit with us Jason and Judy đŸ™‚
I had the same reaction – to me it seemed to have a Mediterranean flavor as well as English.
This is a wonderful visit ….enjoyed the native plants and veg garden…never saw a veg garden in a Botanical Garden.
That’s interesting. I wonder if any other botanic gardens grow edibles.
The hedges remind me of an English garden but not much else does. Maybe the giant urn. I’m not sure why anyone would want to sit on that bench and look at it though. There must be something special about it that I’m missing. Or maybe you’re supposed to close your eyes and think of England.
I’ve seen variegated leaves on some squashes but not many and not often.
This is a beautiful place and you’re lucky to have it.
I’m not a big fan of giant urns but I kind of like the way it sits in the middle of those Rudbeckias.
Very nice – I always enjoy spending time in botanic gardens, and the CBG looks delightful
Same here, I really enjoyed the botanic garden in Toronto.
The English Walled Garden contains lots of features that you see around the stately homes here. I think it is supposed to evoke a feel of England rather than anything specific. It was designed by John Brookes who is an English landscape and garden designer. One of his aims was to make sure it didn’t feel too immaculate!
Thanks for the background, I didn’t know that. So it has some bona fides.
Thanks for sharing your visit. I’ve wanted for years to see the Art Institute of Chicago so now if I’m ever there this garden will be on my list.
And don’t forget the Lurie Garden!
Lovely garden and your zucchini looks rather good. I am looking out at my courgettes in the veg garden and they are all variegated!
Well, I don’t think I have ever grown zukes so it’s news to me that they ever had variegated foliage.
Thanks for sharing your visit! I would never call myself a vegetable gardener, but I really enjoyed the views of the veggies. Variegated zucchini! Are the zucchini themselves also variegated, or just the leaves? I also loved the blue tuteurs. As for the concrete thing on a pedestal, I would call it an urn. You know, the kind with a top like they put human ashes in, though I doubt that is the case for this stylized one!
I didn’t get a close look at the zukes so I couldn’t say. I certainly hope you are right about the contents of that urn. I wonder if it is even hollow.
Hello Jason, with Italian terracotta pots and greek columns and the bench – which is not a Lutyens – I’m not sure what is “English”. The urn on the pedestal (the concrete “thing”) is however and is something that I want at the end of our lower terrace against the hedge. They’re pricey though.
I bet they are pricey. And heavy.
I’ve always wanted to visit Chicago to tour its architecture. Now there’s a new reason.
For architecture, the Chicago Architecture society sponsors both walking tours and tours of the river. And don’t forget the Lurie Garden!
Beautiful gardens for sure, and that Michigan lily is fabulous! Never saw variegated zucchini before – very cool leaves. Lucky you and Judy to be able to visit so often.
You are rightly proud of your Botanic Garden, I think it must be one of the best in the world.
I like to think so.
It is nice seeing Botanical gardens around the country, I enjoyed your tour. I especially like their vegetable garden. It is so organized.
It really is beautifully organized and maintained.
I love very much visiting Botanic Gardens, too, Jason. I think Chicago has one of the best. Lovely English walled garden, I’ve seen one like this one in Wisley, London. There are interesting combination of plants. I also liked the sculpture of Carl Linnaeus and sure he would be happy in such beautiful garden.
We have to see the sculpture every time we visit.
Oh my gosh. What a treat. Thank you so much for sharing the photos. That statue of Carl Linnaeus is brilliant!
How lucky you are to have such a fantastic botanical garden! My computer is playing up at present so didn’t see the second half of the pictures, I enjoyed what I saw though, especially the fairy candles, now that is a name that actually suits the plant!xxx
Yes, Fairy Candles is a very good name.
Such a nice overview of the Botanical Gardens. Wish I had more time to get up there. It’s so different from the Morton Arboretum. Truly lucky to have both in the greater Chicago area.
I haven’t been to the Morton Arboretum in years, though I am a member.
Went to the Chicago Botanical Garden over the weekend with an out of town guest. Your post made me think of it and we weren’t disappointed!