Recently the Chicago Botanic Garden was reopened to the public. You’ve got to make a reservation for a specific time slot, as they are controlling the number of people who can be present at any given time. So last Thursday Judy and I got a pass to enter at 5 pm, for our first visit of the year.
We started off as we usually do, walking through the Heritage Garden and on to the English Walled Garden. It was like a reunion with an old friend, though the usual lavish displays of annuals were somewhat muted. This was understandable, given the limitations imposed by the pandemic.
Still, we enjoyed our stroll through the English Walled Garden.
We then walked toward the bridge that takes visitors to Evening Island.
Evening Island is where they have the Carillon Bells. During a normal summer, there are Carillon concerts several times a week.
This large pond is referred to as the Great Basin. The views across the Great Basin are one of the most exciting features of the Chicago Botanic Garden, especially when the Crabapples are in bloom.
On the way out of Evening Island we enjoyed walking through this dappled glade planted with Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pennsylvanica) under the Crabapple Trees.
We stopped to admire the Martagon Lilies, one of the few Lilies that grow well in shade.
I’ve got a few of these in the Back Garden, but they don’t look anything like this. Maybe in a couple of years when they are matured.
The final and most satisfying part of our stroll was through the Dixon Prairie. The prairie flowers peak in July, but there were plenty of Echinaceas in bloom. I would say these are Pale Purple Coneflowers (E. pallida), except they don’t look pale enough. So maybe they are just Purple Coneflowers (E. purpurea) blooming a bit early.
In any case, as we walked along the edge of a small rise, we appreciated how the purple flowers seemed to make a path pointing upward to the blue, blue sky.
We hope to visit the Chicago Botanic Garden again soon. Obtaining a time slot was very easy. If you want to visit, here’s a link: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/parking_timed_entry
This sounds awful, but we kind of enjoyed the greatly reduced crowds during our visit. Not that this is a trade-off we would ever wish for. In any case, have you revisited any newly opened public gardens recently?
gardeninacity 
A visit without crowds would be a treat. It sure is a wonderful place.
Were you there during the Chicago fling?
Such a beautiful garden….Exactly the place I need to be right now!
We all need a beautiful garden for a retreat.
I’d love to see that. You’re very lucky to have it!
Indeed.
No public gardens around here but a few friends and I have been trading seeing each other’s garden. It has been fun being outside and able to talk plants and gardens.
These days I especially like walking around the community and spying on neighbors’ gardens.
Your Chicago Botanic gardens look diverse and interesting. We are booked in for a visit to ours next week… can’t wait!
We have been enjoying the lack of crowds in a recent visit to Melbourne wildlife reserve with our daughter and family.
I guess we should just enjoy the lack of crowds while it lasts.
Yes indeed!
You will find me in the dappled path. It looks like a wonderful place to make the world go away.
It makes for a lovely stroll.
Looks quite wonderful! I’m glad you two got to go. Seems like a nice outing at a pleasant time of day.
It was. Early evening or early morning seem to be the best times to go.
One of our local nature centers finally has reopened, and is offering extended hours through August — until 7 p.m. That’s a real blessing, now that we’re living with typical July temperatures. I’ve not been there yet, but I plan to visit soon — just not on the holiday weekend!
ps: I think you’re right about those coneflowers. I finally found E. pallida in east Texas, and they really are noticeably pale.
Sounds like a good idea!
Lovely you could get there again at last. I missed visiting our nearest park in spring, and now that they have reopened it will be too hot, so I am planning a visit in September. 😃
That sounds like a good plan.
Beautiful, Jason. I can easily understand how it felt like a reunion with an old friend. I hope you are able to slip in many more visits over the next few months.
We just made another visit yesterday evening.
I have not visited any public gardens lately, but this Friday, us bloggers were invited to see a private garden. Very much looking forward to that! I can totally see the weeding disclaimer – it takes manpower to keep it under control. We have been doing a lot of it at Joy Creek, lately. I find it a rather meditative activity. If I lived in Chicago, I just might become a volunteer for that purpose.
A worthy idea – not sure when they will start using volunteers again.
Thanks for your post, will make a plan to visit soon. The outdoor gardens at Garfield Park Conservatory are reopening to immediate neighbors this week. For details check the Conservatory’s web site http://www.garfieldconservatory.org
Thanks for the link! I love Garfield and the conservatory – our oldest son got married there. https://gardeninacity.com/2019/07/19/more-wedding-pictures/
The crowds will be back soon enough so try to enjoy the mostly empty park without guilt while you still can. Is that a Goat’s Beard hedge in the photo with the panoramic lake view? I remember it form a recent post of yours. The park looks peaceful and serene; thanks for taking us along.
No, I think it’s something else, but I’m not sure.
It does not sound awful. It is unfortunately necessary to limit crowds. One may as well enjoy the lack of crowds while we can.
I have not visited a public garden in a long time. I just do not get out much.
I know the feeling. This is one of our only outing so far this year.
I am very fortunate that I live in a region that others vacation in. It is not much of a bother if I do not get out much. It must be worse for those with more confining lifestyles.
Very nice pictures! I think I will make myself the same sign to be put in my front garden 🙂
Couldn’t hurt.
The garden visit made me quite nostalgic. We used to enjoy our visits to the beautiful gardens in Aberdeen, as you say – like old friends. France does not have the same feeling about gardens. Amelia
Interesting that you say France does not have the same feeling about gardens. When we visited several years ago, we fell in love with Paris, but French gardens – the ones we visited – were too formal and stiff for our taste. Whereas we did not love London, but English gardens had us swooning. In Japan, we visited a garden that was “the second most significant” – they have official rankings, and the garden was full of people taking photos of themselves at famous spots. I find the cultural differences around gardens fascinating.
I have only compared British and French gardens and would agree with your comments. However, it is really interesting to take the idea further, if it were possible to compare gardens with the society they belong to!
But don’t forget Giverny – that’s my kind of garden!
What beautiful gardens! I love those martagon lilies.
Me too! I hope mine grow to look that good!
Not being crowded out must have been wonderful. Such a beautiful place, just loved the lake and Evening Island.xxx
One of our favorite places.
Jason that didn’t sound terrible at all .. some how I can absorb more of nature and plants when there are fewer people around .. less distraction perhaps ?
I have the same martagon lily in your single picture of one, it is called “Fairy Morning” I have it in the post I just did a couple of hours ago .. how funny to see it here or should I say there ?!
It is a beautiful place , I’m sure it did you and Judy a lot of good having an opportunity to soak it in.
Have a great weekend for your 4th of July .. I know it is restricted but I am sure you guys will have a nice time together 😉
How long did it take your Martagon Lilies to get to their full size?
Hello Jason, I already knew from your posts that this is a wonderful place.
But I didn’t know what a Carillon is and now I’m a huge fan. 48 bells! Must try to see if there are videos of this Carillon or other ones played.
Unfortunately I haven’t visited any lovely gardens recently. And just think, as a Oxford Bot. Garden Annual Pass holder I wouldn’t even need to book the visit online! 🙂
Must be plenty of carillon videos on Youtube. Hope you got to the Oxford Botanical Garden soon.
So nice to see the CBG again! I got to visit several times when my FIL was still alive, but not since. Those Martagon lilies are breathtaking. I looked into them, but SoCal is unquestionably not their climate. That photo of them in the dappled shade is wonderful. I really liked the Dan Kiley esplanade area for its simplicity. So peaceful.
Have not been anywhere it all besides the grocery store. Oh, well. Hopefully next year.
There is always next year. The CBG is a real treat.
Longwood and Phipps both reopened recently, with similar restrictions. Phipps is a long trip for me (6 hours), and I no longer have a child at a Pittsburgh college, so I probably won’t get there soon, but Longwood is about a three hour drive, and we have family near it, so maybe I’ll get there before the summer ends. Thanks for sharing these pics of Chicago’s garden–it seems perfectly idyllic!
So many great gardens in SE PA and Delaware. We’ve been to Longwood and Mt. Cuba – not yet to Chanticleer.