This 8,800-acre park system in Chicago is an acclaimed blueprint for adding breathtaking garden areas to a large metropolitan city. It is one of the largest municipal park systems in America. From formal gardens, to prairie restorations, to lakeside beaches, there are too many amazing ecosystems to count, and biodiversity is flourishing. Thanks to the park system, there’s no shortage of outdoor enjoyment for Chicago’s 2.7 million inhabitants who have access to tropical plant displays, 78 public pools, and over 200 playgrounds. The Chicago parks evolve with all four seasons and each calendar year, constantly introducing fresh appeal to encourage return visits.
Challenges
This urban garden project was centered around high hopes. The hope that beautifying parks amid an urban environment would impress residents and improve their well-being through enhanced access to nature. Of course, high hopes equal high expectations with many stakeholders involved and these properties on display year-round to hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Add to those challenges, the increased activity that comes with the area’s top events, including an annual NASCAR race that takes over downtown streets and the annual Lollapalooza festival, attracting hundreds of thousands of music fans each year. These events raise expectations even higher as visitors tour the outskirts of the event locations. With increased foot traffic comes inherent damage to plant material. And heavier vehicle traffic puts Yellowstone’s professional landscapers in harm’s way more often too.
Effects from both vehicular and foot traffic are primary causes of injury to the shoots and foliage of turfgrass plants. ~UMass Extension Turfgrass Program
Finally, there were serious watering issues to overcome. Flash flooding in much of this district can wreak havoc on plants and landscape beds. This causes erosion issues and the potential for fungal diseases arising from soggy soil. The ironic flip side is the lack of access to water. Most of the pocket parks have outdated irrigation systems or no system to provide water at all, meaning that our crews must hand water overnight.
Results
This landscaping project is one of the largest our company has ever managed, bringing unique challenges that most properties won’t present. Here are a few ways we make this Chicago park project the highlight of many residents’ and visitors’ days.
- Dozens of Yellowstone Landscape Pros are designated for this project to handle the enormous scope of work.
- Much of the maintenance is done at night to avoid disrupting visitors’ enjoyment.
- Planning for spring begins seven months in advance, in collaboration with city staff and a Yellowstone Landscape designer working full-time on this project.
- Our company has maintained the property for over 15 years - so a solid foundation was in place for expectations.
- We worked closely with the client to create flexible scheduling to avoid event intrusion from landscaping maintenance.
- Barriers were strategically installed to protect vulnerable gardens from pedestrians.
- Resilient plant selections have minimized the need to replace plants that would not have held up to wear and tear.
- Site-specific drainage solutions, grading, and flood-tolerant plant choices achieved healthy landscaping in flood-prone spots.
- Weather challenges affecting the 21,400-plus plants were addressed through contingency planning and a rapid plant replacement policy.
- For spaces lacking irrigation, soil amendments helped keep moisture in.
- Mobile watering teams hand-watered gardens without automated irrigation.
- Before seasonal planting, soil checks help ensure quality soil and the new plantings’ long-term health.
Applause & Accolades
“Incredible place to take your family and enjoy nature.”
“An unexpected natural paradise”
2025 NALP Silver Award
Gardens & City Intertwined
At Yellowstone Landscape, our teams take extra pride in their work, being part of such a remarkable project. A project that was designed for all the right reasons. What better use of public funding than to make public spaces look their best and invite people into outdoor beauty tucked inside an urban environment? City officials and community leaders deserve credit for developing such a grand vision.
As previously mentioned, this amazing client partnership has spanned over 15 years. The relationship and reputation built from it led to our company being chosen for another premier Chicago area project - Navy Pier. One reason is that the park project highlighted Yellowstone designers’ creativity on a large-scale property that’s truly one-of-a-kind. It also showcases our maintenance team members’ dedication to keeping green spaces pristine despite relentless foot traffic nearly year-round.
This case study reveals what’s possible when a bold client vision connects to a landscaping company with the expertise to execute that vision. Installing and maintaining 48 garden areas, with 44 of them lacking irrigation, is no easy task. Neither is creating workable strategies for large events that endanger many of the area’s valuable tropical plants. Projects like this show just how incredible the art and the science of landscaping can be. And it highlights how outstanding communication between partners working toward admirable goals can be a powerful force for good.
Regardless of your next project’s scope or potential roadblocks, Yellowstone Landscape is here to help ensure your vision becomes a reality. Contact us for a consultation.
