Lurie Garden Wall

Millenium Park downtown has a garden that strives to be an example of fine landscape architecture, responsible horticulture, and a place of urban refuge for humans and wildlife. The garden is named after $10 million donor Ann and Robert H Lurie Foundation. It was designed by Piet Ouldolf. The pictured stout stone wall, topped with bright blue spring perrennials is part of a diagonal division between the light and dark sides of the garden. It's really a castle moat (a shallow stream runs in front of the wall with a wooden footbridge and stairs cut into the wall). I like that algae and lichens have colonized the stone since it was opened in the summer of 2004. The tall hedges enclosing this 2.5 acre garden give it a protected, peaceful character that is perfect for a lunch hour or after-work walk. There's four season interest as well.