The Genevieve Green Gardens at Ewing Cultural Center reflect Jens Jensen’s original design for the manor home. Dedicated in 2007 as part of the Illinois State University’s 150th anniversary celebration, the gardens spur a greater appreciation and understanding of plant species, emphasizing varieties native to the Midwestern United States.
Several architects and landscape designers contributed to the extensive project of creating the gardens, including input from the late Bruce V. Green, an avid gardener whose generous $5.2 million donation spearheaded the project.
The Genevieve Green Gardens at Ewing Cultural Center are a grouping of various “neighborhoods” each with a distinctive character. Among the other highlights of the gardens are a new public entry, which directs visitors to a formal plaza leading to the entrance to the manor; a grass patio; a theater walk with a widened walkway and additional plantings.
The gardens are in many ways an outdoor classroom and laboratory that the university faculty use to support instruction. Students in the horticulture program at Illinois State University have the opportunity to design, cultivate, and study the gardens.
The Genevieve Green Gardens are a collaborative project involving the Illinois State University Foundation, Illinois State University, and the Fell Arboretum. The Fell Arboretum is committed to serving as a curator of the diverse species of trees and other plants integrated with art and architecture on the Illinois State campus. The arboretum is named for university founder Jesse Fell, who obtained funds from the Illinois legislature in 1867 to landscape the University’s campus. He planted 1,740 trees on campus that year and 107 trees the following year.
The gardens are a work in progress. Future phases of the project will be designed to expand and build upon existing garden beds, facilities, and amenities. Environmentalists, nature lovers, and friends of Illinois State University will have the opportunity to participate in the growing of the gardens by paying tribute to individuals, organizations, and others by naming new amenities and features at the garden in their honor.
Ewing Manor is open to potential clients by appointment only.
