Gardens in the City; Chicago Garden Walks 2009

Garden walks are among the quiet events that allow citizens to see into the private lives of their neighbors. Presented are ponds, container gardens, and spiritual retreats in the midst of the urban spread, giving truth to the motto Urbs in Horto, or perhaps calling to mind the idea, Ortus in Urbs.

Listed are seventeen garden walks in Chicago or its immediate suburbs with our notes from previous summers.

Saturday June 20 Pullman Garden Walk. Hotel Florence; 11111 S Forestville. 10 AM. to 4 PM Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 the day of the event. Six private gardens and four public gardens in historic Pullman District. Vendors will be presenting topics on reuse, reduce and recyle. Three artists will be presenting works using recycled materials. Organic food will be available. A separate tour of the historic Pullman factory garden starts at 4 PM.

Sunday June 21 Graceland West Garden Walk. 4334 N Greenview. Noon – 5 PM. About 40 gardens. Donna Forsberg, 773.348.1469

Saturday June 27 Oak Park & River Forest Garden Walk. Oak Park Conservatory; 615 Garfield St., Oak Park, IL. 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM $15 in advance; $18 day of event. Eight private gardens.708.725.2460

Sunday June 28 Park Ridge Garden Club Annual Garden Walk. 408 S Lincoln, Park Ridge, IL. 2 PM – 6 PM; $10 in advance; $15 day of event. Features seven gardens.

Sunday June 28 Midway Garden Society Urban Walk. 5224 S Moody. 11 AM – 4 PM $4 Seven gardens will be featured.

Sunday June 28 East Beverly Association: Beverly Hills/ Morgan Park Garden Walk. Beverly Bank & Trust; 1908 W 103rd in bank parking lot. Noon – 5 pm Trolley available.

Saturday & Sunday July 11 – 12 Bucktown Garden Walk. Club Lucky, 1824 W Wabansia. 11 AM – 5 PM. Guide book is $5 donation. A free trolley is available. 80 – 100 urban gardens. A new tree walk will be identifying urban trees. Artists will be interpreting the neighborhood too.

Sunday July 12 Roscoe Village Neighbors Garden Walk. Victory's Banner; 2100 W Roscoe. Noon – 6 PM. About 40 gardens.

Sunday July 12 Evanston Garden Walk. Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd., Evanston, IL. Noon – 5 PM. $10 for members, $15 non-members in advance; day of event $20 for members, $25 non-members. Seven private gardens and three public gardens, including two private lake front gardens.

Sunday July 12 East Edgewater Glen Garden Walk. 1420 W Glenlake. Noon – 5 PM $4 773.761.3668; Kim

Saturday & Sunday July 18 – 19 Sheffield Garden Walk & Festival. Webster & Sheffield. $6. $10 if after 3PM. More than 100 gardens are featured in what is billed as the “Summer's Best Festival.” The garden walk is held in conjunction with a street festival featuring Poi Dog Pondering, Rusted Root, Cowboy Mouth, Funkadesi, Hello Dave, Kinetix and more.

Sunday July 19 Mt. Greenwood Garden Club. 3442 W 108th St. 10 AM – 4 PM. $11 in advance; $12 day of event. 30 gardens from previous walks in a variety of settings. “We have it all, ponds, pools, 400' lots to 20' lots.”

Sunday July 19 Dearborn Garden Walk. Goethe & Dearborn. Noon – 5 PM. $30 in advance; $35 day of event. Jazz and classical music in select gardens. Guided architectural tours of historic Dearborn Parkway.

Sunday July 19 Lakeview Garden Walk. There is a map of the gardens here: http://www.lakevieweast.com/images/garden-walk-map.gif Noon – 5 PM. Nearly 100 gardens. Shuttle service is available on two routes.

Saturday July 25 Norwood Park Garden Walk. Norwood Park Field House; 5801 N Natoma. Noon – 4 PM. $10. Four gardens in the Victorian neighborhood of Norwood Park. 773.631.7587.

Tuesday July 28 Rogers Park Garden Group Annual Garden Meander; 1059 W. North Shore 6 pm - 8:30 pm $10. Includes more than 6 gardens and a tour of the Loyola campus gardens, new and old, ending with a reception. Members only; anyone can join, includingevening of the event. $10.

Saturday August 1 Lincoln Square Garden Walk. Giddings Plaza; Lincoln & Giddings. 10 AM – 5:30 PM; $5. In 2008 there were 21 gardens and a green fair which featured 16 green groups. The green fair, at Giddings Plaza, will have “information about composting, recycling, gardening answers, natural gardening treatments, tree health, neighborhood space, green building materials and environmentally-oriented organizations to help all city dwellers (with) practical tips for greening.”

Photo: "White Rose of Shannon, North Side of Chicago"