Chicago Botanic Garden Winter 2019

64 chicagobotanic.org e paths and bridges around the Great Basin make for a beautiful and brisk winter stroll, revealing the carefully crafted interplay between land and water. is dynamic, the vision of John O. Simonds’s initial master site plan, is one of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s most enduring qualities. De ned by tunnels of naked and gnarly crabapples, the Lakeside Gardens ank the basin to the east and west. e Arch and Serpentine bridges provide connections to Evening Island to the south. e landscape architecture rm of Oehme, van Sweden and Associates designed this expansive, yet intimate, composi- tion, with founder James van Sweden, CEO Lisa Delplace, and principal Sheila Brady leading the team. From the vantage point of either bridge, it’s easy to take in the sweeping shoreline and to see the visual chemistry between the plant masses uphill, and the sedges, rushes, and other aquatic plants further below. Naked stems and crispy leaves are winter-stained in tones of deep and tawny browns, and slate and ashy grays. ey simultaneously stitch this landscape together and blur the threads. is integrated and highly artful scene belies serious ecological work. e shoreline plantings, bolstered by subsurface materials, prevent erosion, provide abundant habitat, and enhance water quality. During the summer 2017 ood, some areas were under water for eight days, but these resilient plants, all grown from locally sourced seed of native species, stood tall, thriving in their role. Landscape architect Heidi Natura and her rm Living Habitats executed this shoreline design, and her work at the Garden continues with plans for the shoreline restora- tion adjacent to the Shade Evaluation Garden. at proj- ect is scheduled to begin in spring 2020. And we saw Lisa Delplace recently, too. She has returned almost annually to consult with us on her rm’s extensive work at the Garden. ese are important relationships for us because it takes many talented professionals to help us meet our mission: We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life. —Fred Spicer, executive vice president and director of the Garden This season in the Garden The bridges: Anchored by golden weeping willows at both ends, the two contrasting bridges in the Lakeside Gardens open up a spa- tial experience of skies and lakes. The Serpen- tine Bridge weaves you across the basin, just inches from the water, while the Arch Bridge leaps gracefully across, many feet above. Lakeside Gardens Designer: Oehme, van Sweden and Associates (bridges, upland gardens); Living Habitats (shoreline restoration) Defining features: Mixed masses of upland plants guarantee a flower show throughout all seasons. Native shore- line plants stabilize the water’s edge with dramatic sweeps of texture and color.