Water has been used in garden design for centuries. Both its sound and its motion provide a lively contrast to the serenity of garden landscapes, as the Waterfall Garden dramatically demonstrates at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The Waterfall Garden provides a unique setting to demonstrate the seasonal adaptation of more than 15,000 plants and trees. A 45-foot waterfall cascades down a hillside into a series of small landscaped pools. The steep slopes offer plant material perfect drainage, and the trees and shrubs lining the stepped paths recall those of a mountainous stream.

Shade-loving perennials accompany pendulous plants, weeping conifers, and other plants displaying cascading habits. The top of the garden affords beautiful views across the lake.