Gardeners get ready to embrace a more toned-down palette in your landscape. Shades of white from crisp to snowy and ivory to dirty white bring a sense of calm and harmony. 

“The 'Toki Clematis' is a vining spring blooming perennial. Its large white flowers can be over 6 inches wide with complementary delicate yellow stamens.” David Sherwood, Sherwood’s Forest.

When the Bank of Springfield (IL) doubled the size of its flagship facility 12 years ago, the expansion came with a flowery flourish. Covering a three-acre site, it included 22,000 square feet of gardens meant to boldly accent the streetscape. To design those gardens, the bank selected Adam Woodruff, a young landscape designer with local, central Illinois roots.

Steve Schultz didn’t ask it in so many words, but landscape designer Jim Graeler knew what he was thinking.

It was 21 years ago and Steve had just purchased a contemporary, window-filled home on a one-acre lot in Town & Country. He knew he wanted landscaping that reflected the home’s sleek lines; an outdoors that would become an asset to the home’s interior. To acheive the look, he turned to Jim. 

This inspirational garden honors the life and accomplishments of the extraordinary scientist and native Missourian who greatly influenced 19th and 20th century agriculture and education. Carver revolutionized farming in the South by introducing plant diversity, crop rotation, natural fertilizers and conservation methods. By the end of his life, Carver was an internationally renowned figure, one of America’s greatest scientists, teachers, humanitarians and advocates for productive, sustainable agriculture. The Carver Garden was designed for peaceful contemplation and learning.

The sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, is a rhizomatous aquatic perennial native to the rivers and ponds of Asia and northern Australia. The plant’s life cycle is steeped in symbolism, as stalks and leaves ascend from muddy soil and still waters to form a large, beautiful blossom that opens as wide as 12 inches across. The Garden’s collection of Nelumbo nucifera includes “Empress,” “Alba Plena” and “Improved Egyptian Pink” in the Japanese Garden. The plants are planted in a large enclosed bed along the banks in the southeast corner of the lake.