A very nice trip indeed! I'm trying to remember when I was there - mid-1980s I think... I don't remember anything like all those pots etc. But I think it was late fall when I was there - I don't remember any vegetation at all, just the interesting buildings.

Wow! Thanks, Kathy. Chicago really is spiffing itself up! I remember the warning as a young businessperson: "Don't go out by yourself no matter what time of day!!" Seems to be getting downright refined :-)

Martie

Kathy, what a wonderful contrast of beautiful plants and buildings ! I am comforted to see that the Elephants Ear in the first pic is not nearly as pretty as mine. :-)
And I see 'my' Fishnet coleus in the second pic, and it is apparently on the shaded side of that planting. :-)

How neat that the city has incorporated so many great perennial and annual planted areas in their landscaping. It sure wasn't like that when I went through in the early 50s. It was mid June when I went through,(going), and July on the return home trip. I don't even remember the route on the returning home trip, but it surely was the same. It may have been night when I went through Chicago going home.???

Wow, Kathy those are impressive pictures. Not all of them downloaded for me but I love the contrast of the steel and glass buildings and the plantings. Wouldn't you just love to have a couple of those huge planters? They have some neat ones in St. Louis too. Thanks for sharing . Norma

Wow, oh wow! I just love all these photos Kathy. That park is simply beautiful and of course I adore all the containers. WouldnÂt I just love to get my hands on those cement pieces from the Art Institute! Thanks for sharing these!

Deanne

Hi Kathy, looks like you had a wonderful time in Chicago. Not hard to guess that I would love this, since prairies are a special interest of mine. They have been landscaping the Rose Fitzgerald Greenway in Boston and I have been very disappointed with what they have done so far. I wish they had invited Piet here to do something great too. They had 26 acres according to what I have read. I think some of that space was for buildings too.

Your photos are excellent! Great time of year to visit a prairie planting too, with all the grasses really coming into their own. I wonder how expensive it is to maintain all that? I looked it up today and the website it was on described Millenium Park, where the garden is and I was unaware of how much they had done there. Quite the public spaces they have now. I was amazed at the huge bicycle garage. Talk about ecologically forward thinking!

The only part of Chicago I have seen was out a train window passing through, so this was fun. Thanks for the tour! Glad to have you back...missed you! :-)

pm2

I love it when cities spiff themselves up- whether Pittsburg, NYC and yes, Chicago!~ I went to freshman year of university North of Chicago and things have certainly changed for the very best! Toronto is another city that has good plantings.

Thanks for reminding me that that beautiful city is just 20 minutes away. I hardly ever take advantage of it, and have never been to the Lurie gardens...or Millenium Park, for that matter.

Your photos are great, and it must of been a breathtaking view from the JH center. You've captured it quite well.

Nifty travel log, Kathy! V. has shared the Lurie Garden before and I love that they've followed the Prairie model, really suits the character of the city.

Those cement planters really are something. I wonder if they fill them with seasonal greens around Christmastime?

Wonderful pictures, Kathy! I'm just a country girl at heart, but I DO love a visit to Chicago!
Brenda

Glad you all enjoyed ! Wish I'd taken even more pics , but spare time was not abundant--

Kathy in Napa

So cool looking in the midst of the skyscrapers!! I love it - hope to see it in person some day. Kathy, thanks for taking the photos for the tour!

Inquiring minds wonder what does it look like in spring? do they plant bulbs amidst all the prairie plants? I'll have to follow the links to the gardens there.

--Cindy

Now I have a bit more to add to my mental portrait of Chicago, which started with Sandburg's poem in grade school ("Hogbutcher for the world!"), broadened slightly with Saul Bellow's novels, and then always reading of so many amazing alumni from the University of Chicago. But what an incomplete portrait I had. Is that the Trib building visible in the last three photos? Beautiful city!

Good eye Denise, that is indeed the Trib bldg, with the Wrigley building across Michigan ave Ave, and a bit hidden by another more modern structure...

Kathy in Napa, sneaking in at lunchtime.

Kathy...

I continue to enjoy your photos. I have been studying Piet Oudolf's plant list and find it fascinating to imagine having such a large project to be responsible for. Also thinking about why he chose certain plants and if he had to use any stakes or support system for some of them. I would love to see how they maintain this garden at different times of year. Do you think they have to fertilize at all? Wonder how they cut all the grasses back?

Thanks for the revisit of Chicago. I know we were quite impressed with the floral displays and fountains when we were there. I noticed the red trolly bus in the first picture, we were riding one with our arms resting on the window sill when a pickup side swiped us. Boy did we pull our arms in. We were there in August of 2000. I'm glad that you had some time to take in some of the sights.