Lurie Garden in November
Time for another installment in my monthly series on Chicago’s Lurie Garden. By November, the flowers have pretty much vanished, and yet there is still plenty of color.
The sky was grey and overcast on the day I brought the camera downtown, which was a little disappointing. On the other hand, November tends to be a gray and overcast month, so perhaps the weather was fitting. If the day were sunny with blue skies, it just wouldn’t look like November.
Something about the light made this patch of ‘Shenandoah’ Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) look more intensely red.
But actually it had faded to more of a tan.
The cold weather had enhanced the color of the Arkansas Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii). You can see the incendiary orange-red of the A. hubrichtii above next to the more subdued yellow-green of the Eastern Bluestar (A. tabernaemontana).
The masses of Bluestar have the appearance of golden waves or cloud banks.
Here we’re looking south towards the Art Institute of Chicago.
Looking west towards the Chicago skyline. The Red Maple (Acer rubrum) trees (I think someone told me they were ‘Autumn Blaze’) that run in a line parallel to the Lurie’s eastern hedge have lost most of their leaves.
Other plants have also seen their color intensify, such as the ‘Blue Heaven’ Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), above.
And Prairie Dropseed (Sporobulus heterolepis).
The Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) has retained some of its pale blue color.
The Blue Grama grass ‘Blonde Ambition’ (Bouteloua gracilis) has done a good job of holding on to its eyelash-like seed heads.
Before now I had never noticed the fluffy seeds of Japanese Anemone (Anemone hupehensis ‘Splendens’) before. Isn’t that odd? They look very much like cotton bolls.
Let’s finish with a shot taken atop the stairs of the ‘Dark Plate’ on the east side of Lurie Garden.
That’s all for now.
gardeninacity 
Great pictures. Really shows the beauty of the grasses in the fall. Thanks.
Is the landscape designed to resemble the natural environment of that region? I know that some of the plants, especially the anemones, are not native, but I would guess that perhaps the Chicago region looked something like that before Chicago was there.
Yes, the Lurie Garden is designed to imitate a native prairie in many ways, though much more colorful! I’ve heard it referred to as “enhanced nature”.
Autumn in the Lurie Garden has a beauty all of its own & the overcast day is as it should be. The Art Institute of Chicago & the skyline generally are a great backdrop..
I agree!
Beautiful. I’ve never noticed fluffy seedheads on Japanese anemones before.
Me neither! Isn’t that strange?
Iam always torn when it comes to cutting down my grasses in the fall. They look so pretty until the snows come. Then I end up with a big spring mess.
Very true. But these days I always leave it until spring anyhow.
Whatever the weather, whatever the season, Lurie is beautiful. And that skyline! It gives the garden a futuristic look.
I agree.
I just love those waves of Amsonia–beautiful! The Lurie is where I first saw Amsonia, but in the spring time, and vowed that I had to have some in my own garden. Thanks for sharing all these photos of the Lurie over the year, Jason; you are so lucky to be close by to see it so often!
I feel lucky indeed to be able to walk to the Lurie Garden from my office on most days.
I never realized the two Amsonias color differently in the all. That garden always offers so many lessons.
Yes, the Hubrichtii definitely has more dramatic color.
I especially like that last shot Jason – the line of Maples is striking, even at this time of year. There are clearly some clever garden designers at work there! Thanks for sharing – I always enjoy seeing this garden. 🙂
Apparently those Maples are struggling – I hope they aren’t lost prematurely.
That’s a beautiful garden, even in November.
Sigh, so gorgeous! I like the soft, muted colors of the plants juxtaposed with the angular, metallic of the buildings–nicely shot!
Yes, I never get tired of that contrast.
The shot taken from the stairs is wonderful – how inviting the gardens look, even on a gray November day. Makes me want to wander and inspect…
I’m pretty sure you would enjoy this garden.
If you hadn’t told us I would have thought that the anemones were cotton bolls. There is beauty in decay.
Very true!
How beautiful. Such a skyline! Such colours. I had to dash out and have a look at my anemones, and yes, they do that those cotton wool seed heads just now. Well, I probably won’t ever see the Lurie garden in person as I’ve been ill and can’t travel. So I’m relying on you to post photos instead. Thanks so much for sharing your view. All the best. Karen
Very sorry to hear that you’ve been ill. I do hope you feel better soon.
Thank you. I have everything to be grateful for and if I pace myself, there’s much I can do. Thanks for your kind words. I look forward to reading more on your blog. Best wishes -karen
I do like the subtle colors the grasses make. Beautiful photos and garden.
This is the season for grasses.
What a gorgeous urban garden!The setting and plantings remind me of Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham.
Not familiar with that one, sounds interesting.
It ll looks wonderfully fluffy! The seeds of the Japanese Anemone are just gorgeous.xxx