Terrace View's Bring Nature Home Project

Terrace View’s Bring Nature Home Project features a strategically-designed horticultural display with homeowners like you in mind. Lombard Park District Horticulturist Jane Burke and the park maintenance team led the project in an effort to show community members and homeowners a variety of plant beds that can be used in residents’ own front or backyard, to line fences, garnish patios and porches and overall appeal to the aesthetic of landscaping while being mindful of native species, local wildlife and insects. The project hopes to answer the common question of how to find a balance with natural, native plants and also be able to design plant beds that are still visually appealing. In addition, each of the beds require low-care maintenance, which is ideal for the common gardener.

Work for the project began in November 2019 when a portion of Terrace View was transformed through park improvements including pathways, benches, educational refurbished kiosks, seasonal plantings and interpretive, interactive signage. Terrace View’s Bring Nature Home Project was designed in alignment with Lombard Park District’s mission and vision for environmental preservation.

Terrace View’s Bring Nature Home Project maintains the appropriate environment for educational seminars, nature programs, workshops and more. As plant beds mature, the Lombard Park District expects numerous visitors from schools, day camps, scout groups, garden clubs, conservation groups and the general public.

Explore each of the beds and plant species listed below for design inspiration and to bring nature home!

Bed 1

Veronica Spike Speedwell ‘Very Van Gogh’
Molinia Moor Grass ‘Skyracer’
Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian Sage ‘Denim n’ Lace’
Penstemon Beardtongue ‘Rock Candy Blue’
Penstemon Beardtongue ‘Onyx and Pearls’
Heuchera Coral Bells 

Bed 2

Anthericum liliago St. Bernard’s Lily
Pathenium integrifolium Wild Quanine
Amsonia hubrichtii Narrow Leaf Blue Star ‘Halfway to Arkansas’
Clethra alnifolia Summersweet ‘Hummingbird’
Geum triflorum Prairie Smoke ‘Old Man’s Whiskers’
Phlox paniculata Tall Garden Phlox ‘Party Girl’
Gaura lindheimeri Gaura ‘Whirling Butterflies’
Baptisia australis False Indigo ‘Starlite Prairieblues’
Veronica Speedwell ‘Blue Bomb                                                                                                                          Veronica Speedwell ‘Purple Leia’

Bed 3

Molinia Moor Grass ‘Transparent’
Deshampsia Tufted Hairgrass ‘Gold Tau’
Helopsis helianthoides ‘Yellow Spider’
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed ‘Hello Yellow’
Heliopsis helianthoides False Sunflower ‘Tuscan Gold’
Lychnis chalcedonica Maltese Cross ‘Burning Love’
Helenium autumnale Sneezeweed ‘Salud Golden’
Heliopsis helianthoides False Sunflower ‘Red Shades’
Echinacea x hybrid Coneflower ‘Sombrero Summer Solstice’
Helenium autumnale Sneezeweed ‘Mariachi Sombrero’

Bed 4

Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed ‘Cinderella’
Phlox x hybrid Tall Cushion Phlox ‘Cloudburst’
Penstemon Beardtongue ‘Pikes Peak Purple’
Liatris spicata Gayfeather, Blazing Star ‘Kobold Original’
Aconitum henryi Monkshood ‘Sparks Variety’
Agastache Giant Hyssop ‘Blue Boa’
Thalictrum delavayi Meadow Rue
Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’
Physocarpus opulifolius Ninebark ‘Tiny Wine Gold’                                                                                              Echinacea Coneflower ‘Sombrero Adobe Orange’

Bed 5

Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed ‘Cinderella’
Panicum virgatum Switchgrass ‘Rotstrahlbusch’
Veronica Speedwell ‘Blue Skywalker’
Gillenia trifoliata Bowman’s Root
Veronicastrum virginicum Culver’s Root ‘Fascination’
Salvia nemorosa Meadow Sage ‘Salvatore Blue’
Agastache Giant Hyssop ‘Blue Boa’
Phlox paniculata Tall Garden Phlox ‘Laura’
Molinia caerulea Purple Moor Grass ‘Moorflamme’

Bed 6a

Sanguisorba officinalis Great Burnet ‘Pink Tanna’
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed ‘Ice Ballet’
Filipendula rubra Queen of the Prairie ‘Venusta’
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower ‘Green Native’
Filipendula palmata Meadowsweet ‘Red Umbrellas’
Monarda didyma Beebalm ‘Bee-You™ Bee-Happy’
Spigelia marilandica Indian Pink ‘Little Redhead’
Lobelia siphilitica Blue Cardinal Flower ‘Great Blue Lobelia’
Lobelia cardinalis Green Native Lobelia 
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed ‘Cinderella’
Calamagrostis Variegated Feather Reed Grass ‘Overdam’                                                                                 Helenium autumn ale Sneezeweed ‘Hay Day Red Bicolor’

Bed 6b

Allium lusitanicum Allium ‘Summer Beauty’
Physostegia virginiana Obedient Plant ‘Miss Manners’
Physostegia virginiana Obedient Plant ‘Crystal Peak White’
Liatris pycnostachya Prairie Blazing Star

Bed 7

Sporobolus Prairie Dropseed
Achillea Fern Leaf Yarrow ‘Moonshine’
Heliopsis helianthoides False Sunflower ‘Tuscan Gold’
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed ‘Hello Yellow’

Bed 8

Nepeta Catmint ‘Cat’s Pajamas’
Cephalanthus occidentalis Buttonbush ‘Sugar Shack’
Calamintha nepeta ssp. Lesser Catmint

Bed 9

Gomphrena Globe Amaranth (Annual) ‘Ping Pong Purple’
Aquilegia Songbird Columbine ‘Cardinal’
Acorus gramineus Variegated Sweet Flag ‘Ogon’
Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem ‘Blackhawks’
Sesleria autumnalis Autumn Moor Grass
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed ‘Hello Yellow’
Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem
Sedum Maximum  ‘Party Hardy Birthday Party’’

Bed 10

Echinacea Coneflower ‘Sombrero Baja Burgundy’
Solidago rugosa Goldenrod ‘Fireworks’

Bed 11

Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem ‘Blackhawks’
Nepeta faassenii Catmint ‘Cats Meow’
Agastache Giant Hyssop ‘Blue Boa’
Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed ‘Cinderella’
Eryngium yuccifolium Button Eryngo ‘Rattlesnake Master’

Bed 12

Amsonia hubrichtii Narrow Leaf Blue Star ‘Halfway to Arkansas’
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower ‘Green Native’
Veronica Speedwell ‘Blue Skywalker’
Dodecatheon meadia Eastern Shooting Star

Bed 13

Calamagrostis Reed Grass ‘Karl Foerster’
Salvia nemorosa Meadow Sage ‘Salvatore Blue’
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed ‘Soulmate’
Leucanthemum x superbum ­­­­­­­Daisy ‘Becky’
Veronica austriaca Dwarf Hybrid Hyssop ‘Kudos Red’
Physostegia virginiana Speedwell ‘Purple Leia’

Bed 14

Sporobolus Prairie Dropseed
Physocarpus Coppertina® Ninebark ‘Mindia’
Sedum maximum Stonecrop ‘Touchdown Teak’
Penstemon Beardtongue ‘Onyx and Pearls’
Agastache Anise Hyssop ‘Meant to bee Royal Rasberry’
Sidalcea Prairie Mallow ‘Candy Girl’
Salvia nemorosa Garden Sage ‘Bumbleberry’
Centranthus ruber Red Valerian ‘Pretty Betsy’

Bed 15

Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed ‘Cinderella’
Liatris spicata White Blazing Star ‘Alba’
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed ‘Soulmate’
Andropogon gerardii Big Bluestem ‘Blackhawks’
Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower ‘Magnus’
Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower ‘Pica Bella’
Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower ‘PowWow® Wild Berry’
Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower ‘Pixie Meadowbrite’
Veronica Speedwell ‘Skyward Pink Veronica’
Veronica Speedwell ‘Waterperry Blue’

Bed 16

Bouteloua gracilis Mosquito Grass ‘Blonde Ambition’
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed ‘Gay Butterflies’
Gaillardia aristata Blanket Flower ‘Spintop Red Starburst’
Ratibida columnifera Upright Prairie Coneflower ‘Red Mexican Hat’
Monarda didyma Bee Balm ‘Gardenview Scarlet’
Echinacea purpurea Coneflower ‘Sombrero Sangrita’
Gaillardia x grandiflora Blanket Flower ‘Mesa Red’                                                                                        Sirghastrum nuts Yellow Prairie Grass ‘Golden Sunset’

Bed 17

Diervilla Bush Honeysuckle ‘Kodiak® Orange’