5 places to stop and smell the flowers - now and through summer

Posted May 30, 2018 12:00 pm

Marie Wilson

Peonies typically bloom in early June at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, where they accompany trees across the 1,700-acre natural area. Courtesy of Morton Arboretum

Look around: Summer blooms are starting to show up all around - and they're blossoming with special splendor in public gardens and nature centers. Here are five spots where it's well-worth it to stop and smell the flowers.

Morton Arboretum

This 1,700-acre natural area features trees and each season's best blooms in the Children's Garden, around Meadow Lake and on nine miles of paved trails and 16 miles of hiking trails. In early summer, Plant Clinic Manager Doris Taylor recommends checking out the Japanese tree lilac, planted throughout the parking lot. She also suggests the orange-flowering tulip trees, which are native to the region. The arboretum hosts one tulip tree near the visitor's center, another in the Plants of Northern Illinois collection and another in the Children's Garden. Wild onions, peonies and roses will brighten the early-summer landscape as well.

The arboretum is at 4100 Route 53, Lisle. It's open from 7 a.m. to sunset daily. Adults $15 ($10 Wednesdays), seniors $13 ($9 Wednesdays), kids 2-17 $10 ($7 Wednesdays), and free for kids 1 and younger. (630) 968-0074 or mortonarb.org.

The Rose Garden provides pretty views in the summer at Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. Courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden

Chicago Botanic Garden

What better place to see nature's bounty than this: an outdoor bonanza with 27 gardens, four natural areas, nine islands and six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, all situated among 385 well-kept acres. The 46-year-old garden's highlights this season include roses, peonies, fruit trees, berries and florals of the world. Jasmine Leonas, media relations specialist, suggests the Krasberg Rose Garden as a beautiful sight in early June. She says peonies in the Enabling Garden are not to be missed, and the trees in the Fruit & Vegetable Garden offer a nice change of pace. Apple trees, especially, will be blooming. The Heritage Garden is another highlight, Leonas said, as it includes flowers in all colors from across the globe.

The garden is at 1000 Lake-Cook Road, Glencoe. It's open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Admission is free; parking is $25 per car. (847) 835-5440 or chicagobotanic.org.

Cantigny Park

With 29 acres of lush landscapes, Cantigny Park in Wheaton offers a great place for a summer stroll. Check out perennials, ground covers, flowering bulbs, shrubs and trees in the Formal Gardens, created by landscape designer Franz Lipp from 1967 to 1977. The Idea Garden offers a visual of outdoor possibilities, and Reflection Point shows what northeastern Illinois looked like before suburban sprawl. The Hosta Garden near the visitor's center features more than 200 varieties of hostas and other shade plants. Take a garden tour for free at 11 a.m. the first Tuesday of each month or call ahead to schedule a tour.

Cantigny is at 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, and is open from 7 a.m. to sunset daily. Admission is free; parking is $10 per car Saturday and Sunday or $5 per car Monday through Friday. (630) 668-5161 or cantigny.org.

Baptisia, also known as false indigo, is one of many flowers putting on a show this summer at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Courtesy of the Botanic Garden

Japanese Tea Garden

Check out an oasis inside a Geneva forest preserve. Designed by Japanese landscape architect Taro Otsuka in 1910, the Japanese garden, a favorite for wedding photography, blooms beautifully throughout the summer. Brochures are available to help guests go on self-guided tours and learn details about the history of the site.

The garden is in Fabyan West Forest Preserve, 1925 S. Batavia Ave., Geneva. Hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday (Thursday hours are June through August). Free admission. (630) 377-6424 or kaneforest.com/historicsites/japaneseGarden.aspx.

Crabtree Nature Center

A glacier helped form this landscape, which the Cook County Forest Preserve District is working to return to its natural form after years of farming and homesteading. A nature center on site helps explain the process, and visitors also can see a variety of birds among the 89 species that breed on site as they enjoy spring and summer blooms.

The nature center is at 3 Stove Road, Barrington Hills. Grounds are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the building is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Fridays. Free admission. fpdcc.com/nature-centers/crabtree-nature-center.

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