Posted on: July 8, 2020

DuPage Foundation’s Glen Ellyn Fund awarded its first round of funding to a new “Sustainable Garden Initiative.” The project, proposed by the Environmental Commission, created two permanent demonstration gardens to inspire and inform visitors to Lake Ellyn and Village Green Parks, and builds upon Glen Ellyn’s annual “Sustainable Yard Tour.”

Upon learning of the funding, the Village of Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission approached the Glen Ellyn Park District to develop two instructional gardens. Designed by Commission member and landscape designer Jennifer Umlauf, along with Park District Project Manager Nathan Troia, the gardens at the entrance of the Lake Ellyn Boathouse include trees and perennials that are hardy, provide color, and attract beneficial insects and birds, and were installed by the Park District’s maintenance staff. QR codes that can be scanned by smartphone on-site will soon link visitors to details on the planting, planting care, and a database of native and sustainable plant information on the Park District’s website.

The Village Green Park gardens consist of four raised beds next to the baseball field’s centrally-located shelter. These beds will hold a large collection of native and perennial plants, grouped by color, to demonstrate how diverse plants can co-exist for a great garden. There will be instructional signage and QR codes added for further plant information here as well.

The Glen Ellyn Fund supports projects and programs in our hometown. For more information, please click here.