Chicago Botanic Sp18

The Chicago Botanic Gardens are a joint effort of Cook County and the Chicago

Horticultural Society.  Last fall, volunteers planted 750,000 bulbs for spring flowers,

which are now blooming.  Purple, pink, white, and yellow tulips fill the beds

leading down to the lake.  On the opposite shore is the Vegetable Garden.

Beds of spring tulips overlooking the lake.

Purple, pink, and yellow tulips.

A curving bed of tulips.

Early Yellow Bidens.

Lemon Yellow Toadflax

"Bag of Gold" mustard plant.

"Sizzle Frizzle" Orange Pansies; orange was a popular color this spring.

Flowering Almond

"Dolly" lavender and white Ranunculus / Persian Buttercup.

"Rising Sun" yellow Ranunculus / Persian Buttercups

"Pink of Paris" Ranunculus / Persian Buttercups

Three Ranunculus blossoms / Persian Buttercups

There were about 20 planters like this placed around the water lily ponds.  A number of

volunteers were given about ten different plants and asked to make their own

arrangements.  Orange Pansies, "Fruit Cocktail" Jonquils,

Leaf Lettuce, Blue Daze,  Yellow Toadflax, Deep Yellow Bidens,  Peach Wallflowers,
and little White Bacopa.

A different arrangement in another planter.

A third variation, and we can add Orange Primrose in right-center.

Orange "Costa" Pot Marigolds / Calendula

Orange Pansies and "Costa Orange" Pot Marigolds

A bed of all blue flowers.  The tall ones, which grow to ten feet high, are

"Jewels of Madeira" / Echium.

"Jewels of Madeira" / Echium also come in red and are striking.

An assortment of red and pink lupine.

A planter filled with light blue grape hyacinths.

A planter with two kinds of grape hyacinths and two kinds of purple tulips.

Purple Ranunculus / Persian Buttercups  in a planter.

Blue Pansies at entrance to Azalea Garden.

A lilac colored azalea bush.

Orchid Colored Azaleas.

"Summer Snowflakes"

A blue-and-white striped Bearded Iris, called that because of the three "beards"

or petals which hang down.

The earliest of the peonies, a "Poppy Peony."  Most of the peonies will not bloom

until June.

White Rhododendron

A bed of Double Yellow  "Texas Gold" Tulips, Tall Purple Tulips, and Red English Daisies

marked the entrance to the Aquatic Garden.

The Double Yellow  "Texas Gold" Tulips were very large, perhaps three times the size of a

normal tulip.

Red English Daisies

The entrance to the Vegetable Garden, which is on its own island, was marked

by this bed of "Danceline" double pink tulips, purple primroses, and "Bull's Blood

Beet" plants.  The mixture of vegetables with flowers is very effective.

"Danceline" Pink Tulips, Purple Primrose,  and "Bull's Blood" Beets

"Harmony Blue" Poppy Anemones inside the Aquatic Garden

"Blue Harmony" Poppy Anemones

"Blue Harmony" Poppy Anemone

Amongst tulips, grape hyacinths,  osteospermum, and Persian Buttercups.
You too could have a garden like this on your terrace or deck.
The gardens are meant to show visitors the possibilities they can follow
in their own yards or planters.

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