What Else is at the Garden Plots?

Nature Discovery Area

Over the past several years, the Central Maintenance Division of the Parks Department, in conjunction with the expertise of trained volunteers and interested individuals or groups, like Eagle Scouts, have converted several outdoor areas into demonstration gardens. These natural areas cover approximately one acre of land that was unused, undeveloped or had been a gravel parking lot. Trained volunteers, certified as Master Gardeners and/or Master Naturalists, by the Extension Office of the University of Illinois, continue to provide their time and efforts to expand and maintain these natural areas.

• These demonstration gardens help fulfill the District's core values of teaching life skills and promoting sustainability.
• They offer a place to relax and learn about our natural environment. It's a great place to observe and learn about vegetables and fruits, perennials and annual plants that grow well in our climate. Native plants are well adapted to our area and demand less water and chemicals to grow and remain healthy.
• Can be visited during normal park hours (sunrise to one hour after sunset).

The Nature Discovery Area includes these elements:

• Sections have been certified by the Conservation@Work/Home Program and as a Monarch Waystation.
• Several pollinator gardens and native plantings.
• A small fruit garden of fruit trees and berry vines extends south of the round Pollinator Garden in between parking spots and more pollinator gardens were planted along the fence line.
• Easy-to-maintain native plants and interpretive signs with additional information.  
• Specialty gardens include a Native Prairie, Sensory Garden, Sedge Meadow, Rain Garden, and Savanna Woodland along with a picnic area and mini labyrinth.
• Rain barrels and a working compost system are also on display for demonstration purposes only.
• The four master garden plots are tended to by 15 - 30 Master Gardeners each year. Their time spent at the Master Gardeners plots counts as service hours for their certification and all produce is donated to Loaves & Fishes. These plots are located south of the Idea Gardens.
• A donation station kiosk, facing the plots, is used by gardeners who have extra fruits and vegetables to donate. The Master Gardeners take this donated produce, along with produce grown in the four Master Gardener plots, to Loaves & Fishes, a local food pantry.
• Towards the parking lot is a 12-foot triangular fruit tree guild, a perennial, edible, sustainable garden designed around a fruit tree, was planted and is maintained by The Resiliency Institute. The guild includes yarrow, asparagus, chives, wild blue indigo, raspberry, daffodils, sorrel, coneflower, honeyberry, purple passion, New Jersey tea, strawberries and bee balm—all centered around an Asian pear tree, and all designed to become self-sustaining after a year of maintenance. To learn more about permaculture and fruit tree guilds, click here.
• A woodland garden of approximately 70 species (mostly native to the area) of trees and shrubs.  The woody plants are small to provide the best chance to survive and were installed by volunteers in 2018. The Woodland Garden also emphasizes plants that are easy-to-maintain natives along with identification signs for additional information.