Lurie Garden Thrives in Drought!

Did you read the great article about the Lurie Garden in Openlands' WOWW Newsletter? If you missed it, read the entire article here. 

Some of the quick facts from the article: 

1,855,000 gallons: The amount of rainwater the Lurie Garden retains on-site and out of Chicago’s combined sewer system every year.

$0: By not applying chemicals, such as pesticides and insecticides, the Lurie Garden requires no expenditures on these types of products that are harmful to the environment. By choosing native plants for your home garden that are suitable to the climate and have disease tolerant qualities, you can save money by not purchasing chemicals.

30 percent:  The typical increased volume of rainwater that rain gardens infiltrate on-site, as compared with a conventional patch of lawn. By planting a native garden, the plant’s deep roots can naturally store water for longer periods of time until it is used.