Luthy Botanical Garden, Illinois, United States

5HudsonHiker 5:00 PM Dec 13, 2009

A GEM of a Garden!
When I first discovered this wonderful place, I was overwhelmed. It is smaller than many big-city gardens, but PACKED with delights for those that take the time to get off the main paths and truly look around. Talk with some of the grounds keepers. They love their garden, are proud of it, and happy to talk at length with anyone that shows interest. Ask why the black iron fence is so high and a turnstile is needed. Walk clear to the back and see the wildlife pond. Take a good look at the fabulous herb garden. Count how many different grasses are grown. Play in the children's garden. Don't miss the unusual sculptures tucked here and there including the King, Queen and other large chess pieces. Read all the plagues and memorials to get a feel for how many people have loved this place over the years. Watch for the huge black and yellow corn spiders in July with webs that are truly works of art tucked in the roses. Play in the fountain by the roses and cool your feet off. The conservatory is also a treasure, a small space FULL of tropical and dessert plants that you may not have seen before and are obviously lovingly cared for. I have never seen as many kinds of mums as I saw here in the special Fall display in October. In December tey have candle-light tours of their Christmas displays. Finally, don't miss the gift shop and the two other rooms, one with perennials for sale and the other with some healthy, unusual and low-priced succulents for sale. The gift shop is like stepping back in time with lots of dusty shelves and shadowy corners, but also great treasures to take home and enjoy. Bring a camera as you will see many wonderful things to take pictures of. Usually the grounds are quiet and you may have the whole place to yourself some days. Allow 2 hours to see everything (and take all the paths) and not have to hurry. If you finish early, take a walk in the park or plan to go across the parking lot to the Glen Oak Zoo. If you are hungry, head North on Prospect to Emo's Ice Cream.

3Rftstar 5:00 PM Sep 5, 2021

True to Illinois
Visited the Garden during a Labor Day weekend and it was not busy. Very nice selection of plants, not a clear way to go through the garden, but its small enough one can't miss the different areas. Loved the herb garden and there was a ton of bees keeping everything flowery.