WHEATON – Cantigny welcomes residents to these key garden events; Greenhouse Open House, National Public Gardens Day and “Project New Leaf” lecture and tour. The Horticulture Department at Cantigny Park will host events in May designed to inspire home gardeners and inform visitors about the exciting changes ahead for the park’s gardens and grounds.
Greenhouse Open House
Sunday, May 7
10 am to 3 pm
Take a self-guided tour of the park’s production-style greenhouse. See over 50,000 plugs of native seedlings and wetland natives started this past winter, and a new nursery area holding perennial plants dug from the gardens to be re-used during Project New Leaf. Local organizations with an eco-educational slant will be on hand along with Cantigny Horticulture staff to answer your questions. Admission is free with paid parking ($10). Walk to the greenhouse or ride the complimentary tram from the main Cantigny parking lot to the greenhouse. Inside the Visitors Center, enjoy a trunk show by local jewelry artist Nancy Neill, and browse the ClaySpace Pottery Show. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm for each event.
National Public Gardens Day
Friday, May 12
9 am to 2 pm
Take a free tour through Cantigny’s colorful spring plantings guided by the Cantigny Horticulture experts. Plus, catch two presentations in the Visitors Center Theater. At 11 am, keynote speaker Shawna Coronado, a local author and gardener from Warrenville, will discuss organic gardening solutions and tips. She will sign copies her book, “101 Organic Gardening Hacks,” available for sale in the Cantigny Shop. At 9 am, hear Jeff Reiter’s “Birds of Cantigny.” A free parking voucher (good May 12 only) is available for download at Cantigny.org. Otherwise the $5 weekday parking fee applies.
Cantigny enthusiasts will also enjoy two events offering an inside look at the park’s just-launched Project New Leaf:
Lecture: Joe Hibbard, Landscape Architect
Wednesday, May 17
Visitors Center, 6:30 pm
Hibbard, from Boston-based Sasaki Associates, is the principal in charge of Cantigny Park’s Project New Leaf, a 5-year revitalization plan. He will discuss how it all came together and the many exciting changes in store for Cantigny visitors. Admission is free with paid parking ($5).
Garden Tour: Joe Hibbard, Landscape Architect
Thursday, May 18
Visitors Center, 11 am
Hibbard will lead a walking tour of the gardens and grounds, sharing information about the scope of Project New Leaf and commentary on the exciting new garden spaces planned for the park. Admission is free with paid parking ($5).
The 500-acre Cantigny estate features one of the largest display gardens in the Midwest, showcasing perennials, ground covers, flowering bulbs, shrubs and trees. Cantigny’s 18,000-square-foot greenhouse supplies the plants displayed throughout the gardens and golf course, including 160,000 annuals.
More information about Cantigny, including park hours, directions and a calendar of upcoming events is online at www.Cantigny.org.
About Cantigny Park
Cantigny Park, part of the Chicago-based Robert R. McCormick Foundations, is the 500-acre Wheaton estate of Robert R. McCormick (1880-1955). It is home to the McCormick Museum, First Division Museum (reopening August 26, 2017), formal gardens, picnic grounds, walking trails and a Visitor Center with banquet and dining facilities. More information, including hours, directions and upcoming events is online at Cantigny.org. Cantigny Golf, adjacent to the park, features a 27-hole championship golf course, full-service clubhouse, Cantigny Golf Academy and the 9-hole Cantigny Youth Links. For more information, visit CantignyGolf.com
