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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The project area covered over 20 acres and included 6,400 feet of shoreline at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s (CBG) North Lake. Prior to planting, nearly all of the lake was dewatered to facilitate shoreline regrading and construction of underwater berms performed by the prime contractor. Native Landscape Contractors, LLC was awarded the planting work as a subcontractor in 2011, installing and maintaining native plants within the re-constructed shoreline.

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PROJECT GOALS:

The goals included shoreline stabilization through both engineering and the use of native species carefully chosen for their ability to anchor eroding soils and withstand environmental stresses inherent to urban waterways. Stone and benthic mesh was installed in the shoreline regrading process to protect the plants from predation, which made the planting of these areas challenging.

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PROJECT SCOPE:

Over 120,000 native plants were installed representing 167 different species. This represents the largest perennial planting project in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s history. Plant species were arranged in drifts, demonstrating how native shoreline plantings can be attractively integrated within more traditional ornamental landscapes. The planting also included over 1,000 shrubs representing 30 native taxa.