Lurie Garden Journal

Amsonia Ablaze

2010-10-10T13:17:00.007-05:00

If you stop by the garden this week, you will have a prime opportunity to see Amsonia hubrichtii in its most colorful splendor. This plant is native to the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas, from which its common name is derived: Arkansas blue star.

In spring, pale blue star-shaped flowers fill terminal clusters on the stems of this 3-foot-tall plant. The flowers are small and are often overlooked by many passersby. Throughout the summer, its needle-like foliage adds a feathery green border along the garden edges of the Light Plate.

By September, the plant bursts into a remarkable chrome yellow, that in daylight, make it look as though an inner light is emanating from it. Even in twilight, Amsonia hubrichtii are the headlights of the Light Plate, shining brightly as the sun sets.

You can view this plant's brilliance from the observation deck of the Art Institute's Modern Wing. For a closer look, stand on the upper path in the Dark Plate, which looks over the Seam to the Light Plate. For a close examination, walk to the northwest corner of the Light Plate to notice the contrast of the deep green Shoulder Hedge to the bright gold Amsonia hubrichtii.

A Blue Garden

2010-09-12T11:49:00.013-05:00

As fall approaches, a new color is reintroduced into the garden - BLUE. In late spring, the Salvia River commands the garden with a blue-violet swath of color. The color we see now in the garden is more a true blue.

In the Light Plate, look for an unusual plant along both paths, Gentiana andrewsii. This native plant grows to 2 feet and is commonly called bottle gentian of closed gentian. The latter name refers to the fact that its bottle-shaped flowers never open.

Above the Seam, Salvia avurea, Blue sage, gracefully drapes over the edge of the wall. Its showy flowers are the color of the sky on a brilliant, clear day. Like all salvias, the blue sage attracts honey bees and migrating butterflies.

An often-overlooked plant with deep blue flowers is found in the Dark Plate beyond the Geranium 'Max Frei.' Ceratostigma plumbaginoides,commonly know as plumbago, makes an excellent ground cover as it only grows to 10 inches. In late fall, its leaves turn a rich, red bronze.

In addition to these three, the Lurie Garden hosts several species of fall-blooming asters. Look for them in both the Dark and Light Plates.

Grace in the Light Plate

2010-08-01T07:16:00.000-05:00

It's August 2nd - a new month and new plants to discover as you walk through the garden. While Echinacea, Hemerocallis and a few ornamental grasses provide most of the color in the garden, take the time to look for smaller blooms that bring grace to the garden with their delicate flowers.

Gaura lindheimeri 'Blushing Butterflies' (Butterfly Gaura) can be found on either side of the south path, Light Plate, near the Shoulder Hedge. Another common name for this plant is "Wandflower" because of the way the butterfly-shaped flowers dance along the wispy stem that arches gracefully toward the ground. Butterfly Gaura fits in to the overall design of the Lurie Garden with its delicate inch-wide flowers that catch the breeze much like many of the ornamental grasses.

Veronica longifolia 'Pink Damask' (Speedwell) is beginning to bloom nearby. Although its flowery spike are only 6 inches, it will reach more than 2 feet when fully mature. This plant blooms on graceful, narrow spires that are tightly packed with pale pink flowers. Piet Oudolf selected it for this area because of its long bloom time (6 to 8 weeks) and its complimentary silhouette and color to the Butterfly Gaura. Beneath the Veronica, Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia) is still producing flowers, creating a lush groundcover of lavender and summer green.

Another plant in the same area is Agastache rupestris (Thread Leaf Giant Hyssop) with its delicate, gray-green needle-like leaves. This plant has small, inch-long flowers in shades of salmon and burnt orange with purple calyxes that are borne loosely on salvia-like spikes. Thread Leaf Giant Hyssop is a native to the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico where it is commonly known as Sunset Hyssop because its colors resemble those of a sunset.

Free, 20-minute guided tours are offered each Sunday and leave every 15 minutes from 10 am to 1:30 pm. Look for the white tent at the south end of the Seam.

Art in the Garden

2010-07-30T13:11:00.000-05:00

With the opening of the new Modern Wing and the Nichols Bridgeway at the Art Institute of Chicago, a new program for school children was created by the staffs of the AIC and Lurie Garden. Through the Art & Garden Tour, students can explore the ways in which artist and landscape architects use similar design elements in their work.

First, students spend time with museum educators looking at landscape paintings from the collection of the AIC and discussing the techniques artists use to interpret the natural world. The students then walk across the footbridge to the Lurie Garden and spend time with naturalists in the garden, examining the similar characteristics in landscape design and looking at the garden as a work of art.

Sixteen students from McCracken Middle School joined us in the garden this morning. They are all members of the Garden Club, spending one day each week this summer to care for the vegetables they planted. When the crop is ready for harvest, they will donate the food to a local food bank. These young gardeners recognized many of the plants in the Lurie Garden and were eager to learn about the various design elements used here. They were especially interested in those plants that attract butterflies, since they will soon be creating a butterfly garden at McCracken.

On Tour Today - Just Opening

2010-07-26T09:19:00.000-05:00

As you stroll through the garden today, your head will undoubtedly turn toward the stands of deep red Hemerocallis 'Chicago Apache' (Daylily) in the Light Plate or to the many species of Echinacea purpurea (Coneflower) in shades of pink, orange and greenish white. You might want to photograph the 4-foot tall, lavender blue Perovskia 'Little Spire' (Russian Sage) mixed with bold, silvery Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master). But if you take a closer look, you will find plants that are just beginning to open for their August showing.

In the Dark Plate, near the middle of the south path, Scutellaria incana (Hoary Skullcap) is just beginning to show its lavender blue flowers on loosely branched 3-inch spikes. Another member of the mint family, this native makes soft mounds 3 feet high that will continue blooming into September. Small white hairs on its square stems give it the "hoary" description to its name. When dry, its seed head looks like a tiny helmet or skullcap. Directly behind this grouping is a subtle plant, Salvia glutinosa (Sticky Sage). Its similar mound shape and pale yellow flowers make it a good companion for the skullcap.

At the top of the north stairs and overlooking the Seam, Helelnium autumnale 'Rubinzwerg' (Sneezeweed) is opening its daisy-like flowers that are the color of roasted tomatoes with darker centers. This North American native is a member of the aster family and can grow to four feet. Its common name was given because its stamen parts were used as an ingredient in snuff, not because it was an allergen. Currently, two ornamental grasses are neighbors to the sneezeweed - Sporobolis heterolepis 'Tara' (Prairie Dropseed) and Molinia litoralis 'Transparent' (Moor Grass).

A dozen garden signs will be out identifying Agastache 'Blue Fortune' (Giant Hyssop), Liatris spicata (Blazing Star) and Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant) among others. Free tours are offered from 10 am to 1:30 pm and last about 20 minutes.

Salvia River is Cut Back

2010-07-23T16:09:00.000-05:00

This week the Salvia River was cut back to the ground. Although this swath through the Light Plate may look barren, we can all look forward to a second blooming in mid-August. It will only be a few weeks until the rich violet-blue spires of Salvia 'Blue Hill,' 'Wesuwe,' 'Rugen' and May Night' will again be making their way through the river.

What's Blooming? Bright White

2010-07-19T08:52:00.000-05:00

When used in a garden, white can enhance the colors of nearby plants. Just as black can highlight neighboring colors in a painting, think of Mondrian or Max Beckman, white plants call attention to their neighbors. And when the garden is a riot of color, white blooms give the eye a place to rest, to distinguish one color from another.

Liatris spicata 'Alba' (White Blazing Star) can be found in the Light Plate near the Seam, growing among stands of two varieties of Coneflower - 'Orange Meadowbrite' and 'Rubinglow.' Its 3-foot spires stand like sentinels in the garden. Notice how the other variety of L. spicata, the pink-violet Blazing Star, blends into the background.

New to the garden this year is Parthenium integrifolium (Wild Quinine or American Feverfew), also blooming in the Light Plate near the White Blazing Star. This plant is a Missouri native that grows well as far north as Wisconsin. When established, this plant will grow to 4 feet, its white, wooly flowers creating a screen to highlight the coneflowers.

In the Meadow, white Echinacea purpurea 'Green Edge' (Coneflower) blooms at the south end of both the Light and Dark Plates. A delicate ring of green florets at the base of the cone is what gives this plant its name. This sturdy coneflower is shorter than the other varieties planted in the garden, and it makes a nice contrast when interplanted with silvery Rattlesnake Masters.

Up in the Dark Plate, a stand of Hemerocallis 'Gentle Shepherd' (Daylily) brightens the shade from a Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia 'Chicago Blues') near the Cloud Plaza. A screen of white Veronicastrum 'Diane' (Culver's Root) will soon flower, adding more highlights to this part of the garden.

As you stroll through the garden today, pay attention to what white plants can do for a garden. Tours begin 10 am at the south end of the Seam.

What's Blooming? Companions

2010-07-12T09:48:00.000-05:00

"Structure is the most important component in a successful planting," wrote Piet Oudolf in his book, Designing With Plants. Indeed, Oudolf believes that by concentrating on the structure of each plant, one can create a garden that is interesting to look at through several seasons, not just during bloom time. This was one of the principles employed when he designed the plantings of the Lurie Garden - selecting plants for their shape and structure to make interesting combinations.

One such combination can be found in the Dark Plate where he used plumes and spires at the south stairs. In the foreground, is a stand of an ornamental grass, Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster' (Feather Reed Grass) in bloom this month with pinkish bronze inflorescences. It will grow to six feet, creating a screen to highlight the spires of Digitalis ferruginea (Rusty Foxglove) blooming in front. This Digitalis has smaller blooms, doesn't require staking, and makes a nice companion to the reed grass screen. Above and behind these plants, creamy white plumes of Persicaria polymorpha (White Dragon Knotweed) add another dramatic screen, calling attention to the tips of the Feather Reed Grass.

In the fall, the Digitalis will turn a sienna brown; the Calamagrostis inflorescences will blow out to buff-colored plumes; and the plumes of the Persicaria will become a lighter version of the Digitalis.

Tours begin at 10 am today. Look for signs pointing out Liatris spicata 'Alba,' Monarda didyma 'Scorpian,' and Agastache 'Blue Fortune.'

New in the Garden - Leadplant

2010-07-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

Purple spikes of Amorpha canescens make their first appearance in the garden this month. This native perennial is slow to develop, so that in past years its foliage was the only evidence that the plant was in residence. The leaves and stems are often covered with tiny white hairs, making the leadplant seem to be covered in lead dust. Evidently its common name was given at a time when most of us were familiar with lead dust.

A true prairie plant, the leadplant habitat extends through the entire Central U.S. to the Canadian Provinces. Its central root can often extend 15 feet, facilitating recovery from fire. Leaves are bipinnate, 4 to 12 inches long with up to 50 half-inch leaflets compacted along the stem. Flowers ranging from dark to light violet cluster along 6-inch spikes at the ends of major branches.

A good viewing spot for this plant is from the northeastern bench of the Light Plate where the garden turns a corner north to the Shoulder Hedge. You will find it growing between a mix of ornamental oregano and sea lavender on its right and 'Purple Rain' meadow sage on its left.

Finding Blooms on the Garden Tours

2010-07-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

Today as you stroll through the garden, look for a vibrant medley of blue and violet perennials located in the Transition Area of the Dark Plate, overlooking the Seam. Here is a good example of the way in which Piet Oudolf used plant shapes to add interest to the garden.

Three kinds of globe-shaped flowers are interplanted for a natural look : bright blue Echinops bannaticus 'Blue Glow' (Globe Thistle); red violet Monarda didyma 'Scorpian, (Bee Balm); and the smaller, burgandy-clored Knautia macedonica (Knautia). In contrast, vertical spires of flower clusters define the space and draw the eye upward: lavender Veronica longifolia 'Evelyne' (Speedwell) at under 2 feet and the taller Veronicastrum virginiatum 'Temptation' (Culver's Root) that can grow to nearly five feet.

In bloom at the corner of the path, just south of this spot, is Astilbe chinensis 'Maggie Daley' (Astilbe), named for the first lady of Chicago. This violet lavender Astilbe is more compact than other varieties in the garden, standing about two feet tall with spires of branched pannicles that are densely covered with flowers. Its foliage is a deep green that is tinged with bronze. Maggie Daley will bloom late into summer, contrasting with the lavender spires of the Giant Hyssop across the path. This planting was an experiment last year - the garden staff tried to find another plant that could tolerate this sunny location.

Down the path and to the east of Maggie Daley is a 7-foot tall plant with huge, lettuce-green leaves - Inula magnifica 'Sonnenstrahl' (Fleabane). This perennial is magnificent if only for its foliage. Atop its sturdy stems are bright yellow daisy-like flowers with drooping petals, giving the appearance that each is wearing a grass skirt. Look beyond this planting to see similar yellow flowers of Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant).

Garden Tours are from 10 am to 1:30 pm and last about 20 minutes. In addition to the plants mentioned above, look for Allium 'Summer Beauty,' Echinacea 'Orange Madowbrite,' and Stachys officinalis 'Hummelo.'

Fireworks

2010-07-03T16:08:00.000-05:00

The City of Chicago puts on a spectacular fireworks display each July 3rd - the idea being that the public can stay home on the Fourth and enjoy its neighborhood displays.

At the same time, the Lurie Garden has its own display of fireworks in the Meadow. Allium christophii, Star of Persia, is a stunning plant that blooms in June. Its globe-like flower clusters can be more than 6 inches in diameter. Each flower has a metallic lavender sheen when it first opens and deepens to amethyst as it matures. A sturdy stalk less than 2 feet high supports the clusters. By now, the starbursts have often dried to a golden color, detached from the stem and roll about the garden like tumbleweeds of stars.

Fireworks in the garden
- or fireworks in the sky.

What's Blooming? Color!

2010-06-28T08:37:00.000-05:00

While the violet-blues of the Salvia River continue to dominate, other plants are bringing more colors from the spectrum as the garden eases into its summer cloak. Reds, oranges and yellows can be found, making an effective contrast to the blues and purples of the meadow sage.

In the Light Plate, Echinacea 'Orange Meadowbrite' (Coneflower) can be found between the Salvia River and the Seam, growing through the delicate blades of an ornamental grass, Molinia caerulea 'Dauerstrahl' (Moor Grass). Look for Monarch butterflies lighting on the dark cones as they continue their migration through Illinois.

Above the Seam in the transition area of the Dark Plate, Knautia macedonica (Knautia) is opening before its companion plant, a daylily, Hemerocallis 'Gentle Shepherd' that will follow next month. If you are familiar with the lavender perennial pincushion flower (Scabiosa), you will see some similarities as they are both from the same family, Dipsacaceae. However, the flower of the knautia is claret red and only an inch across. As you traverse the stairs, notice that the red of the knautia echoes the color of the burnette on the opposite side.

The tallest plant in the Meadow is in bloom with bright yellow daisy-like flowers. Silphium laciniatum is commonly called Compass Plant because it can align its leaves north and south to reduce exposure to the hot sun and conserve moisture. This North American native can grow to 10 feet, towering above the Rattlesnake Masters and Green Edge Coneflowers that are interplanted throughout the Meadow. Beginning in late summer, the seeds of its cones will feed birds through the fall and into winter. Look for goldfinches perched along its stem, looking for food.

Summer Solstice

2010-06-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

Sunrise 5:16 am on the longest day of the year, but the sun will not reach the garden until well after six. When the light reaches the meadow, the leaves of Silphium laciniatum (Compass Plant) are backlit, emphasizing its deeply-cut leaves that look like large hands reaching toward the sky. In the foreground, a pink cloud of Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) catches the light as it filters through the trees that form a canopy over the Dark Plate (Robinia pseudoacacia 'Chicago Blues').

On today's garden tours, some of the highlighted plants include Monarda bradburyana (Eastern Bee Balm). This pale pink bee balm was planted last fall in the Light Plate. It makes a nice companion to the deep violet Allium purpurea (Ornamental Onion) that is interplanted with it. Look for both of these plants coming through a ground cover of a young ornamental grass, Sporobolis heterolepis 'Tara' (Prairie Dropseed).

In the Light Plate, growing near the Monarda and Ornamental onions, Stachys officinalis 'Hummelo' (Betony or Hedgenettle) is beginning to open. This plant was developed by plantsman Piet Oudolf at Hummelo, his garden and nursery in the Netherlands. Oudolf uses this plant in the Lurie Garden because of its deep violet orchid-like flowers that are compactly borne on flower spikes. It attracts all types of insects while in bloom and when dry, its silhouette gives interest to the winter garden.

Small garden signs will direct you to other plants in bloom that include: Echinacea purpurea 'Rubinglow' a deep pink coneflower that is just beginning to show; Phlomis tuberosa 'Amazone' (Phlomis) a tall plant with pink flowers clustered around the stem; Sanguisorba menziesii (Burnett) with red knot-like flowers and toothed leaves, growning near the stairs at the Seam.

What's Blooming?

2010-06-14T09:48:00.000-05:00

While the Salvia River continues its violet surge through the Light Plate, other parts of the garden are transforming from their late spring colors to summer in hues of pink, red and orange. This morning at 10 am Lurie Garden docents will give short 20-minute tours of the garden, pointing out new blooming plants.

In the Dark Plate, look for the chocolate-colored leaves of Penstemon digitalis 'Husker's Red' (Beard Tongue). Though it's flowers are a pale white, it is the foliage that is striking, offering a bold contrast to the greens nearby. As the seed pods develop, they add an interesting maroon silhouette to the garden.

Along the upper path of the Dark Plate, you will find quits a large showing of Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' (Cranesbill) with its bright fuscia blooms. It makes an excellent ground cover in front of the tall ornamental grasses.

If you wish to take a self-guided tour, pick up one of the yellow booklets on the Lurie Garden at the tent on the south end of the Seam. As you walk the paths, look for garden signs that give both botanic and common names.

Last of the Peonies

2010-06-11T16:10:00.000-05:00

The heavy rains we've had the last few days have left their mark on the garden. Rivulets have appeared along the paths and water stands in pools wherever there is a slight change in grade. It feels as though bloomtime is about two weeks behind schedule.

In the Dark Plate, the petals of Paeonia lactiflora 'Jan van Leeuwen' (Herbaceous Peonies) are drooping and dropping. It was only a few weeks ago that these plants were the stars of the garden, brightening the understory with their hot-white flowers. Now they look as though pieces of white tissue have blown in to cover the stems.

Although they look less stately, the peonies bring interest to the garden with their gauzey petals and shaggy, golden centers. Come into the garden and watch these plants as they move into their next phase, when their seed pods will swell into shapes the size of large, green olives.

Shrouded in Mist

2010-06-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

Foggy and 56 degrees. Last night's nearly half-inch of rain left the garden looking moist and lush. This morning, the tops of skyscrapers to the west and north of the Lurie Garden are shrouded in fog. A few blocks west, the Sears Tower has disappeared entirely.

This phenomenon has left tiny water droplets on the plants, giving them a magical look usually rendered from an artist's imagination.

The tiny stamen tips of Astrantia major 'Roma' (Masterwort) look as though each is embellished with a Swarovski crystal bead.

Pink clouds of Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) are weighted down with moisture. If the sun were to come out at this moment, you would think they were covered in diamonds.

Official summer is less than two weeks away, but one could never guess from the cool, wet weather we have had this spring. This has been a Northwest spring, an Oregon spring, where overcast skies have intensified the colors of the flowers rather than washing them out. When we have a day like today, I wish that the Lurie Garden extended another five acres.

What's Blooming?

2010-06-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

It is a perfect day for strolling the garden with a Master Gardener docent. Skies should remain overcast, creating good, reflective light for photographing plants.

In addition to the Salvia River in the Light Plate, you will find a variety of plants from the blue-violet palette. Tradescantia 'Concord Grape' (Spiderwort) is blooming in the center near the Seam. You can get a closer viewing in the northwest corner of the garden near the Shoulder Hedge.

Stands of Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' (Hybrid Wild Indigo) are scattered throughout the Light Plate. This is a bold plant with spikes of deep blue pea-like flowers.

For contrast, three varieties of Amsonia, more delicate with star shaped flowers, are planted in close proximity.

Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas Blue Star) has needle-like leaves and clusters of tiny, pale blue flowers.

A. tabernaemontana var. salicifolia (Willowleaf Blue Star) has, as its name implies, leaves shaped like those of a willow with clusters of flowers in a medium blue.

Amsonia 'Blue Ice' is making its debut this year. Only 12 to 18 inches high, it fills in as a ground cover with its willow-like leaves and slate blue flowers. All three plants are native to the southeastern U.S.

The majority of plants blooming in the Dark Plate are white - giving the eye a rest from the abundant purples in the Light Plate. Look for brilliant stands of Paeonia lactiflora 'Jan van Leeuwen' (Herbaceous Peonies) on both sides of the Cloud Plaza. Each flower is nearly 4 inches in diameter with hot-white petals in one or two rows with a large, central mass of golden staminodes.
Overhead, Robinia pseudoacacia 'Chicago Blues' (Black Locust) is still in bloom, its dense pendant clusters of white flowers gently perfuming the air. Nearby, Baptisia leucantha (Wild White Indigo) is beginning to open its creamy white flowers.

Garden tours begin at the white tent located at the south end of the Seam. Tours last about 20 minutes are are given every 15 minutes from 10 am to 1:30 pm.

The Salvia River

2010-06-06T12:32:00.000-05:00

The Salvia River is at its peak, flooding the Light Plate with shades of violet. This area of the garden is so named because it cuts a boomerang-shaped swathe through the Light Plate from the Shoulder Hedge to the Meadow.

Plantsman Piet Oudolf chose four varieties of Salvia for this area: Salvia x sylvestris 'Rugen' (medium blue-violet), S. x sylvestris 'Wesuwe' (deep violet), S. x sylvestris 'May Night' ( dark blue-violet) and S. x sylvestris 'Blue Hill' (true blue).

The Salvias are planted in wide bands, crosswise to the channel. When you stand on the north path of the Light Plate and look south over the Salvia, the bands of color seem to ripple and undulate toward you - like a river.

The common name for these Salvias is Meadow Sage. The stems are square, indicating they are from the mint family. A closer look at the leaves show a similarity to the Mediterranean herb used in cooking, S. officinalis.

What's Blooming? Narcissus

2010-05-17T08:56:00.000-05:00

Of the 120,000 bulbs that are planted in the Lurie Garden, tulips in colors of pink and violet are the showiest. But if you take a closer look you will find that the Narcissus play an equal part in the spring garden, bringing a contrast in shape and color. White and pale yellow narcissus act as a foil to the tulips, creating a light background that emphasizes the deep colors of the tulips.

Narcissus 'Lemon Drops' (Daffodil) were the first daffodils to be planted in the garden the the fall of 2006. Lemon Drops is a fragrant, tiandrus daffodil, having multiple flowers from one bulb. It has pale yellow petals with yellow, fluted cups and adds a natural look. In the Meadow, it mixes well with rosy Prairie Smoke, fuscia Shooting Stars and blue-violet Quamash.

N. 'Jenny' is similar to Lemon Drops and can be mistaken for it. When Jenny first opens, it has milky white petals and a sulphurous yellow cup. However, as the flower matures, the cup turns creamy white. Another distinction from Lemon Drops is that Jenny's petals are more pointed and arch away from the cup. One area to find Jenny is in a corner of the Dark Plate next to the Cloud Plaza.

N. Thalia is also a tiandrus daffodil with two to three fragrant, snow-white flowers to a bulb. It is distinguished from its cousins because of its pure white color and its long, open cup. A good viewing spot to see this beauty is at the top of the south stairs in the Dark Plate, under the blooming, pink Cercis canadensis.

N. Actaea is very different from the other daffodils. This fragrant daffodil has rounded white petals and a short yellow cup that is edged in dark red. Actaea is a member of group of narcissus known as Poet's Narcissus or Narcissus poeticus. It is considered an heirloom species, cultivated in 1919, and looks more like a wildflower growing in open land.

The Modern Wing at One Year

2010-05-16T16:01:00.000-05:00

Like many Chicagoans, I've been watching the construction of the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago for nearly four years, awaiting its opening. Unlike a majority of Chicagoans, I have been waiting for the opening so that I could stand on the third floor and look at the Lurie Garden. When the firm of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd originally designed the Lurie Garden, it tilted the Light and Dark Plates to the south for a better viewing from the Modern Wing. Renzo Piano also anticipated a symbiotic relationship between the two neighbors with a wall of glass that faces the Lurie Garden.

We took a members' preview tour on Thursday and went immediately to the third floor to see the garden. To my disappointment, a veil of two scrim shades hung inside the gallery windows, blurring a view of the garden. The scrims are used to protect the artwork from light damage, and today the sky was sunny and cloudless.

The best view I could find was from the patio in front of the museum restaurant, Terzo Piano.

Perhaps when the sun is lower in the sky and the day is cloudy, the museum staff will lift the scrims so that visitors can not only enjoy the artwork in the galleries, but also across Monroe Avenue.

Lurie Garden Guided Walks

2010-05-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

Guided Walks in the Lurie Garden begin Sunday. Docents, most of whom are University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners, will be on hand to give free 20-minute tours of the garden.

While all sizes of tulips in shades of bright fuscia, lipstick red, golden yellow, white and dark blue-violet continue to dominate attention from visitors and photographers, take a closer look at some of the more subtle flowers that are opening.

Between the Cloud Plaza and the yew hedge, Fritillaria pallidiflora (Fritillary) is still blooming. This plant is a native to China and is used in the Lurie Garden for its hardiness and shape. It can withstand temperatures to -15F and its creamy yellow flowers mirror shape of tulip heads, gracefully nodding toward the ground. They brighten up and add texture to the Hosta 'Halcyon' whose leaves are at the height as the Fritillary.

Across the Plaza in the center of the Dark Plate, Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum' (Bishop's Hat) forms a groundcover at the Plaza's edge. Its flowers are a sulphur yellow (hence the name) and are so small that they may be overlooked. What is eye-catching about this plant is its foliage. Heart-shaped green leaves, edged in reddish bronze, form soft mounds about a foot high. As they mature, the leaves continue to redden, outlining the veins that remain green.

Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose) opened in late April and will continue to flower through the month. The colors of this species vary from pale pink to deep violet. It is used in the garden for its early bloom time and because its foliage continues to look good throughout the year. In winter when patches of snow dot the garden, the leaves of the Lenten rose may be the only green in the garden.

Look for tour guides at the south end of the Seam, under the white awning.

Bulb Day in the Garden

2010-05-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

Today is Bulb Day in the Garden. University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and give brief tours, pointing out the more than 120,000 bulbs that are planted in the Lurie Garden. Look for a white tent at the south end of the Seam. Tours are offered between 10:00 am and 1:30 pm.

In the Meadow, look for:
Narcissus 'Lemon Drops' (Daffodil). They are mixed with two Camassias - C. cusickii and C. leichtlinii 'Blue Danube' - and a brilliant pink native perennial, Dodecatheon 'Aphrodite' (Shooting Star).

In the Light and Dark Plates, you will see a mix of pink and violet tulips - Tulipa 'Ballade,' medium violet-pink petals, edged in white - T. 'Don Quichotte' - a hot pink - and the regal T. 'Queen of the Night' - deep violet-black.

White tulips planted through both plates contrast with the darker tulips and beg for your attention - T. 'Purissima,' T. 'Maureen,' and T. Spring Green.'

Although the Salvia River is a month away from its full bloom, a carpet of Muscari armeniacum 'Superstar' is a rich substitute, giving a hint of the purple river that will flow in late May.

La Fête du Muguet - Loire Valley

2010-05-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

May 1st in France is a both a day to give Lilies-of-the-Valley to loved ones and a national holiday to celebrate workers' rights - Labor Day. Children who live in the countryside, get up early in the morning to pick the muguet and make little bouquets. Members of labor organizations, including the Communist Party, stand on the corners in villages, selling the bouquets.

On this day, biking through the Loire Valley, the Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud) was in full bloom. These trees are native to North America and are blooming in the Dark Plate of the Lurie Garden. The tree here was planted along the roadside near a field of rapeseed.

It seemed as though each village we visited had wisteria vines growing along a stone fence or trellis - each one larger and more prolific than the next. The lavender blossoms perfumed the air as we rode by and reminded me of my grandmother's yard.

Photo Credit: David Tepfer (two lower photos)

Musée Albert Kahn

2010-04-30T17:43:00.000-05:00

Between the warm, April showers in Paris, our friends took us to a unique garden and museum near the Bois de Bologne just north of Paris. This museum is the former home of financier and humanitarian, Albert Kahn (1860 - 1940).

Kahn was a proponent of internationalism and felt that institutions of finance, art and science could break down cultural barriers. From 1909 to 1931, he hired photographers to travel the world, recording different cultures and customs. The result was a collection of 72,000 autochromes and photographs and 600,000 feet of film that are archived in the museum.

The gardens outside the museum reflect his philosophy by representing gardens from around the world and their native species.

This hill of azaleas resides in the Japanese garden and is meant to represent Mt. Fiji.

Among the plants that are also represented in the Lurie Garden, I found:

Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum' (Bishop's Hat), a delicate plant with pale yellow flowers and heart-shaped leaves. It is found where the edge of the Dark Plate meets the Cloud Plaza. At this moment in the Lurie Garden, its leaves are beautifully mottled - bronze-colored, with veins outlined in green.

Rodgersia pinnata 'Superba' (Featherleaf Rodgersia) is planted is both the center Dark Plate and across the Plaza in the center Frame. As its leaves unfold in spring, they are a rich claret color, then later change to green. Its creamy pink flowers appear later in astilbe-like panicles above the foliage mound. By fall, the leaves have turned to red-bronze, giving another season of interest.

Jardin des Plantes

2010-04-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

When the weather is agreeable, a visit to the Jardin des Plantes is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. This 28-hectare botanic garden houses a natural history museum, a zoo, a botanical school and many specialty gardens. We concentrated on the botanical study beds that cover one hectare and contain more than 10,000 plants that are classified by family.

I was interested in finding familiar plants of the Lurie Garden in the study beds. Paris had experienced a wet spring and many of the beds had not been refreshed. The garden staff was at work in several areas tilling the soil and transplanting from the greenhouses. Identification tags were missing in some of the newly planted beds. But we did manage to find some old friends.

In the section of ornamental grasses, several sedges were blooming. A complimentary speciman found in the Dark Plate is the Carex pennsylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge.)

Although it was early spring, a single Tradescantia was beginning to open. A stand of Tradescantia 'Concord Grape' (Spiderwort) will bloom in the center of the Light Plate, between the two paths.

Jardin de la Cité Prost

2010-04-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

The next day, our friends introduced us to several, small neighborhood parks that have been introduced to the Parisian city landscape - something that was not available 20 years ago when they were raising their son. But over the past decade, the number of families with young children living in the city has increased. Paris' new mayor has worked to keep families in the city by providing more playgrounds and open spaces where everyone can enjoy their beautiful city.

In this case, several buildings in the 11th Arrondissement were demolished to make way for the Jardin de la Cité Prost, near the rue de Chanzy. Enclosed by a low iron fence, the garden is designed to demonstrate biodiversity by providing a natural pond, native plants and trees for songbirds and waterfowl.

This garden is very similar to the one proposed for the South Pond area in Lincoln Park. A boardwalk runs through a grove of small maple trees. The pond has water lilies and native grasses.

There is an open space for residents to sit and read or picnic. A hidden sandbox and play area keep children contained and entertained in the park while their parents visit with neighbors.

Paris, La Promenade Plantée

2010-04-23T15:11:00.000-05:00

What better place to unwind after a long flight than a garden? Just a few blocks from our friends' apartment is an elevated walkway and garden called La Promenade Plantée (or the Couleé Verte). Built on an abandoned 19th century viaduct, the Promenade extends above the city from the Opéra Bastille to the Parc de Reuilly. One can stroll nearly 4.5 km along plantings of roses, lilacs and viburnum and under arches dripping with fragrant wisteria.

Near the Parc de Reuilly, Parisian families were picnicing on the grass while we passed through the gate to see tree peonies, hostas and climbing roses. A sweet-smelling clematis climbed up a cherry tree that had just finished flowering.

At street level, the viaduct has been restored and converted to house studios and galleries - known as the Viaduc des Arts. One can see artisans at work in their studios and purchase work from one of the many local galleries.

I miss the Lurie Garden and its wilder, more natural look. Paris' spring weather is ahead of Chicago by about two weeks, and I am hoping that I will return to the Lurie in time to see the tree peonies near the Cloud Plaza in full bloom.

Earth Day

2010-04-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

Sunrise at 5:59 am. The garden is alive with avian activity. Aside from the usual grackles, red-winged blackbirds and robins, there are three kinds of sparrows - white-throated, song and field sparrows - scratching in the soil, looking for last year's crop of grass seed to eat. Under the low branches of Thuja (Arborvitae) in the Shoulder Hedge a wood thrush darts in and out of sight. A hermit thrush, migrating through the area, perches on the branch of an Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud).

In the Meadow, the buds of Narcissus 'Lemon Drops' (Daffodils) are nearly ready to open. A few more days of warm weather and they'll bring a creamy yellow to the garden, deeper than the 'Jenny' and 'Thalia' daffodils that are mostly white. Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke) is about 12 inches high, but its buds have yet to open and expose the wispy stamens that give its characteristic appearance. The Dodecatheon 'Aphrodite' (Shooting Stars) won't be out for another two weeks.

Muscari armeniacum 'Superstar' (Grape Hyacinths) in the Salvia River are filling in, giving a purple hint of the deep violet swath of meadow sage that will appear in late May. Anemone blanda (Windflowers) are opening - their petals, a paler violet than the grape hyacinths, provide texture and contrast.

Two species tulips in the Light Plate should open later today - a bright yellow Tulipa aucherina and the lipstick red Tulipa wilsoniana. Both are identified by their six-inch long, curvy leaves that lie along the soil.

In the Dark Plate, the first lavender flowers of the Epimedium grandiflorum, 'Lilafee' (Longspur Barrenwort) are showing. Its young leaves are nearly the color of its flowers, making it difficult to see if one didn't know where to look. The Astilbe chinensis, 'Maggie Daley,' is showing through the mulch, beneath a newly planted Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud).

In the next week or two, the garden will be alive with color from the nearly 120,000 bulbs that are now planted in the Lurie. I hate to miss this spectacular display, but I am off to Paris to visit friends for a week. Hopefully I will see gardens as interesting and as varied as the Lurie while I am away.

Glory of the Snow!

2010-03-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

Sunrise 6:37 am - Warmer temperatures overnight had begun to melt the snow as I entered the garden. I was anxious to see what Chionodoxa forbesii 'Blue Giant' would look like in the snow and I was not disappointed. The deep violet flowers were scattered over the icy landscape - more showy than when framed against bare soil.

The Meadow was a bright white coverlet, dotted with blues and pinks. Rosy buds of Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke), undaunted by their chilly blanket, poked their heads through the ice in groups of three. The petals of Scilla mischtschenkoana (Turbergen Squill) nearly matched the light blue shadows of the snow.

By late afternoon the snow had nearly melted and the garden was awaiting a warmer overnight rain.

February Snowfall

2010-02-22T13:00:00.000-06:00

A new storm came down from Canada on Friday evening. All day Saturday snow fell lightly or blew off the lake so that by Sunday morning, a 3-inch blanket of new snow covered the garden and rested in the limbs of trees in the Shoulder Hedge. The photo above looks west with the Sears Tower in the distance.

Hakenochioa macra (Hakone Grass) is planted near the edge of the Cloud Plaza. With foliage that resembles bamboo,it makes soft mounds that add another texture to this part of the garden. But it really comes into its prime in the fall, when it turns the color of a copper penny that holds through the winter. Notice the shadows it casts on the snow.

More winter silhouettes are found in the Meadow - umber coneflowers, golden prairie dropseed and tall, rust-colored compass plants.

Other visitors in the garden.

Welcome to the Lurie Garden

2010-01-01T16:34:00.001-06:00

My fascination with, and attraction to, the Lurie Garden began the day it opened, July 2004. We had moved from California to Chicago a year earlier, and I was missing our family farm. I wanted to hear a cricket. Living in the Loop several blocks from Millennium Park, I was constantly reminded of big-city living by the turbulent noise from taxis, emergency vehicles and elevated trains. In the Lurie Garden, I found a quiet oasis that I needed to balance city life.

Sitting on a bench with the trees of the thick Shoulder Hedge buffering traffic noise, I watched as the garden changed with the seasons and counted bird species that came to feed on the seeds. Gradually, I incorporated a visit to the garden on my daily walks through Grant Park. Visiting the Lurie almost daily offered opportunities for examining subtle additions and changes to the garden as well as encountering unexpected visitors. The more I learned about the Lurie through research and observation, the more I came to understand what a unique oasis this garden is.

As the frequency of my visits increased, I began to jot down observations in a small journal. Eventually, those sporadic notations grew into daily entries. When it came time to select a subject for my master's thesis in journalism, I found that I had abundant material in my journals. For three years, I have made daily recordings of the temperature and weather in the garden and written about my discoveries and observations.

This blog is an outgrowth of my journals and senior project. Through the entries you will be able to watch the garden with me, as it evolves and changes through the seasons. You will meet the people who care for the garden and hear about related activities. I'll also include visits to other gardens in Chicago and beyond.

One additional note: I have discovered crickets in the garden.