2024 Chicago Open Days Press Release
The Gardens at 900, Lake Forest, IL
Four Chicagoland Private Gardens Open to the Public, July 27
Chicago, IL — Four private gardens in Chicagoland will open for public visitation as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days™ program. There will also be opportunities for honey tasting from hives, guided tours of the prairie in bloom, and frog watching. Visits to these gardens will take place on Saturday, July 27 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Descriptions of the gardens follow:
Highland Park Residence in Highland Park, IL. This garden offers a sweeping driveway and naturalistic planting of bold masses of spirea and hydrangea creates a subtle plinth for the refined white Georgian house set on a raised knoll in a quiet sun-dappled neighborhood. A hint of classic English formality is established around the architectural details and access points of the house. Boxwood hedges, juneberry, espaliered crab apple, pachysandra, and dimensioned bluestone paths lead you through each garden room.
The Gardens at 900 in Lake Forest, IL. The property has been designated as a State of Illinois historic landmark. Formal borders, a shade garden with 2022 greenhouse addition, an orchard laden with old roses and a panicle hydrangea collection, a swimming pool garden, and a motor court constitute the garden today.
The Cottage in Lake Forest, IL. This garden was constructed on the site of one of Lake Forest's early farms. The forecourt is of special interest, and boxwood, yews, and vinca were used to create a green tapestry wall. You will see heavy planting of boxwoods and yews for outlining the deep perennial beds on the property.
Mettawa Manor & Kurtis Conservation Foundation in Libertyville, IL. Both homes on the 65-acre property were built in 1927 as part of a family estate. The current owners, Bill Kurtis and Donna LaPietra, are only the second in its history, and they have been working since 1990 to restore native ecosystems and create a series of formal garden rooms with more than 30 distinct areas to visit. The centerpiece is a walled English-style garden with two perennial borders framing a sunken lawn, that leads to a spring walk and rose room. The day also includes a honey tasting from their hives, a Club Car tour of the prairie in bloom with Bill, a photographic and video exhibit in the Kurtis Conversation headquarters house, and a stop at the Kids Fun Table on the Lily Pond Terrace for frog watching.
Fueling America’s passion for gardens, the Garden Conservancy Open Days™ program is the only nationwide garden visiting program. Since 1995, Open Days has welcomed more than 1.4 million visitors into thousands of inspired private landscapes—from urban rooftops to organic farms, historic estates, to innovative suburban lots—in 41 states.
Registration is $10 per person, or $5 for members of the Garden Conservancy. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a parent or guardian. All registrations must be processed online through The Garden Conservancy's website. Visit gardenconservancy.org/open-days
The Garden Conservancy is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and sharing outstanding American gardens for the education and inspiration of the public. Since its founding by renowned plantsman Frank Cabot in 1989, the Conservancy has helped preserve more than 80 American gardens in 25 states. Since 1995, Garden Conservancy Open Days have provided access to hundreds of America’s finest private gardens across the country. The Conservancy’s lectures, tours, and symposia offer opportunities for engaged exploration of contemporary ideas in gardening, design, and preservation. www.gardenconservancy.org
For more information, contact: Shaoli Ghosh, Public Programs and Events Coordinator, The Garden Conservancy; 845-424-6500 or sghosh@gardenconservancy.org