Pollinators | Lurie Garden

The Challenges and Rewards of Mapping the Naturalistic Garden

Design Narrative, Ecological Horticulture, Garden Design, Garden Design Elements, Garden Management, Garden Update, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, How-To Lurie Garden, Lurie Garden's Story, Piet Oudolf, Pollinators

Maps that are rich in detail help us communicate the complexity and evolution of our dynamic garden. Lurie Garden is intended to be an ever-changing, dynamic planting. The evolving relationships between plant groups and their role in the overall design requires constant monitoring as well as deep historical and horticultural knowledge unique to this place. […]

Cutting Back on the Cut-back

Climate Change, Ecological Horticulture, Garden Management, Garden Update, Pollinators, Wildlife

The mowing down of the garden in spring used to be straightforward – a crew would ride mulching mowers around the garden to make a clean palette for the anticipated crocus and tulips. While Lurie Garden’s first priority is maintaining the garden’s design beauty and accessibility for visitors, it also strives to increase its ecological […]

In Need of Sanctuary—The Monarch Butterfly

Citizen Science, Ecological Horticulture, Garden Management, Pollinators, Wildlife

Every story of migration starts with an epic journey of how beings get from one place to another. It can be an easy journey or a tough one depending on the obstacles that await them along the way. The symbolism of the monarch butterfly is personal to many because of its unique behavior and migratory […]

Why honeys taste different and how you can learn to appreciate them

honeybees, Pollinators, Wildlife

Honey straight from a hive is full of unique flavor notes based on its location and season. With a little background information all of these delicate variations can be appreciated with the same respect and admiration as the tasting of wine. The squeezable, plastic bears you find in grocery stores are labeled as ‘honey’ but […]

Role of Public Gardens in a Changing Climate

Climate Change, Ecological Horticulture, Pollinators, Wildlife

Public gardens collaborate with scientists to study how global climate change impacts local plant growth, while also actively displaying the effects climate change. Public gardens have the opportunity to educate and engage the community and moderate an open, honest dialog about climate change. What is the difference between weather and climate change? Weather is impacted by climate and changes […]

Pollinators May Benefit from Mixing Native and Non-Native Plants

Ecological Horticulture, How-To Lurie Garden, Pollinators, Wildlife

Current research indicates that mixing some non-native plants* in a designed native landscape can increase pollinator habitat. Mixed native and non-native plants in a designed landscape (i.e., near-native landscapes) can contain a higher diversity of food resources over longer periods of time for pollinators and, therefore, containing more diverse pollinator communities. Lurie Garden is a […]