Chicago Botanic Garden

Environmental horticulture is the practice of improving the quality, sustainability, and aesthetics of the human-created landscapes and gardens in which we work and play. Environmentally sound, horticultural gardening practices — using drought tolerant plants to lessen water use, using pest and disease resistant plants to lessen chemical use, using plants that provide shelter and food for our native fauna — not only improves the health of our urban landscapes, but ultimately lessens the impact of human activities on adjacent natural habitats.

Chicago Botanic Garden is committed to the study, sustainability and improvement of both natural habitats and created landscapes alike. The research mission of Environmental Horticulture at the Garden is to improve the landscapes and gardens in the Midwest and comparable climates, while respecting the harmony of natural areas.