The Genevieve Green Gardens at Ewing Cultural Center were created through a $5.9 million gift to Illinois State from the estate of the late Bruce V. Green, a Bloomington native, in memory of his wife Genevieve. View the gardens in their full glory by clicking on Green Gardens.
“The Genevieve Green Gardens are blooming and look more beautiful with each passing day,” said Rebecca Landau, executive director of Ewing Properties. “Spring is here, and so are the bluebells. Please come and look, and come often; we are planting flowers and shrubs, adding new site furniture and installing several new gardens this season. Watch how we grow!”
Admission to the Green Gardens is free, and the public is welcome to visit during daylight hours. For more information on the Genevieve Green Gardens and Ewing Cultural Center, visit Genevieve Green Gardens.
The Gardens include a compass garden, a rose garden, a formal plaza with a water feature, a woodland garden and a Japanese garden. New lighting and irrigation systems were added during the development, along with several seating areas for visitors. Twenty-five hundred feet of new walkways make the entire site accessible to those with disabilities.
Development of the Green Gardens drew inspiration from the work of landscape architect Jens Jensen (1860-1951). Hazle Buck Ewing, who bequeathed her house and property to Illinois State’s Foundation, contracted Jensen to draw up landscape designs for the property in the early 1920s. Jensen was a Danish immigrant who designed parks in the Chicago area, Springfield and Madison, Wisconsin. He also designed the landscaping for the homes of wealthy residents in the North Shore area of Chicago.
