Recreation/Leisure
Morton Arboretum Children's Garden
Commercial Installation
Opened in September 2005, The Morton Arboretum’s Children’s Garden promises to be one of the nation’s premiere outdoor learning environments. As part of The Morton Arboretum’s $45 million “Branching Out!” program, what was once a four acre grassy field was transformed into a gateway to the entire Arboretum, giving kids, parents and grandparents a place to reconnect with the outdoors – learning about and playing around plants.
Aimed to engage children and families through educational and playful interaction with nature, the Children’s Garden advances the Arboretum’s mission of helping people learn about trees and the important place they have in our world. In the Backyard Discovery Gardens, visitors study roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits through interactive exhibits, including larger than life models that kids can crawl through and explore. The extensive landscape showcases a wide range of materials, from common plants to unusual and contorted specimens.
To create this unique environment the landscape contractor faced several construction challenges, including coordinating the purchasing, delivery and installation of nearly 23,000 plants within a construction schedule of under one year and working along side many different trades. Large tree planting included an 8” beech positioned in a raised planter, which required skilled equipment operators. The landscape contractor was responsible for all planting, mulching, boulder placement, subterranean drainage and coordination with the other trades to ensure a successful and timely installation. Over 250 tons of boulders were installed in the garden, with most placed by hand. Almost 2 acres of savannah and prairie seed mix were installed by subcontractors that were supervised by the landscape contractor Over 8,000 aquatic plants were procured and installed.
The project’s success is due in large part to our talented staff and our successful collaboration between the Arboretum’s professional staff and the project’s landscape architects.
