We hope to re-create the sense of gardens that could have been present at the time of Frances Willard's residence during her association with the WCTU, from roughly 1870 when she returned from Europe to live in the Willard House until her death in 1898.  Our goal is to have the gardens in glorious splendor by the sesquicentennial of the Rest Cottage in 2015.

Activities and Progress

A review of existing site conditions revealed the following needs:

·       The grounds have been limited to general yard maintenance for several years

·       Evaluation of trees and shrubs is needed for plant health and aesthetic viability

·       "Volunteer” trees are possible sources of damage to building foundations

·       Pathways require rationalization

·       Significant water-related issues are present, e.g., flooding in low spots

·       Garden beds and plantings need rejuvenation - many beds are practically empty

You can see how the gardens looked in Fall/Winter 2010 and as they appear now (updated bi-weekly).

The effort began in Fall 2010 with garden beds being weeded, mulched, and edges re-cut; "weed trees" removed; existing plants inventoried; and computer-aided-design software has been used to help visualize proposed changes (see below). 

You can always check on what's been done in the gardens (updated weekly), as well as the listing of the current plants on the grounds (last update 06/30/11).

How is the project being approached?

Historical records provide sparse evidence of the gardens' appearance and no documentation is available on the plants that were used during the time of interest.  In view of the lack of photographic evidence or plans to guide a true restoration effort, the design and plantings for the renovated gardens will use those of leading garden designers who were contemporaneous with the Willard/WCTU historical period in Evanston, such as English designers William Robinson (1838-1935) and Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932); and American designers Jens Jensen (1860-1951) and Beatrix Farrand (1872-1959).  We plan to use plants that were available to these designers during their time.  You can learn more about these garden designers and the plants they used during their careers.

We also plan to add an interpretive aspect to the gardens (and have some fun!) by incorporating elements that help tell our story, such as:

· Adding yellow-flowering plants (the color of the suffrage movement) and blue-flowering plants (Frances’ signature color)

· Adding a prairie-style garden to reflect her Wisconsin childhood

· Creating a “pure” English landscape designer garden to highlight her connections to England

· Adding Japanese garden components to bring to mind the international aspect of the property as the founding site of the World WCTU

We plan to use a “Citizen Gardener” approach to the restoration with members of the community contributing their knowledge, skills, and time to this effort.  It is hoped that many plants will come from volunteers' home gardens, as long as they are appropriate to the historical period.  We are also asking for donations or discounts of materials and services from local businesses, as well as actively seeking grant monies from garden clubs, historic preservation organizations, etc.

Who is involved in these efforts?

Our Head Gardener will be spearheading all aspects of the landscape renovation.  He has been a gardener for over 25 years, has had his own home garden included on the 2000 Keep Evanston Beautiful Garden Walk, and has a Master's Degree in Plant Biology and Conservation from Northwestern University.

How can you help?  Get involved!  We plan to have several days during the upcoming gardening season where Members and other volunteers can be a part of creating the gardens and contributing to the legacy of Frances Willard.  If you are interested, please contact Glen Madeja by sending him an email at Treasurer@FrancesWillardHouse.org