The great American prairie (sort of)

This is what I want my next garden to look like (only with, you know, a house in the background not one of the world's most iconic skyscapes).

This is the Lurie Garden in Chicago's millenium park designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd, Robert Israel and the legendary Piet Oudolf and it showcases the Prairie style Oudolf and his cohorts have made famous. I caught it in autumn so the bulk of the colour was gone but it still looked magnificent. Oudolf has said in the past that plants should look good when dead and these certainly did.

It was also remarkably full of life considering its location - rabbits were in and around the garden as were squirrels (how the rabbits got through all the concrete to get to Millenium park I have no idea) and various finches and sparrows were attacking seed heads with vigour. I'm envisioning myself walking to the house past Salvia and Monardia buzzing with bees and butterflies sitting on Echinacea cushions. Hopefully a little project for summer.