Chicago Botanic Garden

Explore the Garden

Lakeside Gardens

Curving along the Great Basin, the Lakeside Gardens form a changing tapestry of color, texture and movement with serpentine curves, seasonal highlights and a juxtaposition of sun and shade plantings.

PHOTO: lakeside gardens PHOTO: lakeside gardens PHOTO: lakeside gardens

Naturalistic in style, the Lakeside Gardens include creative combinations of perennials, aquatic plants, ground covers, grasses, trees and shrubs. A much-anticipated moment in late April to early May is the blooming of the 300 crab apple trees encircling the Great Basin and reflected in its waters.
Mass succession plantings of aquatic and semi-aquatic native plants, perennials, ornamental grasses, irises and roses guarantee a color show throughout all seasons. Thee plants were chosen for their ease of management and their adaptability to shoreline challenges and water fluctuations.

The engineering and completion of these gardens was the largest garden development project in the Chicago Botanic Garden's history, requiring two years to complete.

Find out what's in bloom now.

Download a guide for the Great Basin. (PDF 328K)