Celebrating the History of
Evanston Garden Walk

In 1989, the local chapter of Keep America Beautiful (Keep Evanston Beautiful) launched the first Evanston Garden Walk to inspire residents to beautify their properties. Today, the Evanston Garden Walk is still going strong under the sponsorship of the Evanston Environmental Association, the oldest environmental organization in Evanston.

A lot has changed since that first garden walk. A passion for English-style gardens has given way to more respect for native planting. The focus on beautiful spaces remains but has been expanded to encompass concern for the entire ecosystem of the garden, including soil conservation, water management and biodiversity. Gardens selected for the Garden Walk increasingly reflect these themes as well as food production.

The Evanston Garden Walk began with a yearly roster of eight to 10 gardens all around Evanston. The format hasn’t changed much over the years. Counting the few very special gardens that have been on the Walk more than once, close to 300 private and public gardens have been open to public view. The gardens range from multiacre lakefront properties to intimate personal landscapes and beautiful public spaces.

The next quarter century will bring new challenges that require gardeners to adapt. We can’t know what the gardens of the future will look like, but we hope the Evanston Garden Walk will still be there to showcase the best of them, serving as an inspiration to the gardeners of the future.

March 17, 2025